A Visit with Shoe Dog

Les had a client meeting in San Diego last week so I tagged along.  A quick look at the map showed that we were staying about 15 miles from Road Runner Sports warehouse and flagship store.  I have been a Road Runner customer for about 15 years. I usually order online but my go to shoes by Saucony have changed a lot and I wanted to check out other options.

I talked to a front line employee when I walked in and we quickly decided that I needed to meet with a fit expert.  Road Runner calls this Shoe Dog and my expert's name was Scott.  The first step was to determine my arch type.  I stepped on a sensor pad and the shape of each foot was not the shape of a foot, but two blobs. I have a very high arch.

Scott then measured each foot.  My right foot is a size 5, while my left foot is closer to a 4 1/2.  This has always made shoe buying a challenge for me.  I size up to a 5 1/2 but many shoe brands don't make anything smaller than a 6.

I next ran on treadmill for about 30 seconds, which we then reviewed.  My running style is neutral, no pronation, and I land on the front of my foot.  The video also capture both feet off the ground at the same time.

When my analysis was done, I was handed off to Alex who started bringing out shoes for me to try on.  She was very knowledgeable in what the different brands have been doing lately and it seems the trend has been narrower toe boxes.  That's not a good thing for me!  I tried on about a half dozen different brands and ended up with the Brooks Glycerin 14.  I have never run in Brooks before but I've run about 20 miles in them now and so far so good.

I walked out of the store with two pairs of shoes, a couple packs of socks, custom insoles, and a box of GU.  With a marathon in about 12 weeks, this was time and money well spent!  Because I am a VIP Family Member with Road Runner, I received a 10% discount and have a 90 day test run period.

Have you ever had a running analysis?  What type of runner are you?  What's your favorite brand of running shoes?

#walktheworldwithECCO

I've always loved a good pair of shoes.  What woman doesn't?  I'll confess that since I started running marathons comfort beats style.

Ecco makes some really great shoes.  I bought a pair at the Ecco outlet that I wore all over Europe last year on our anniversary trip.  Les has several pairs - both casual and dress shoes.

Ecco has a contest going right now ~  #walktheworldwithECCO.  If you own a pair of Eccos, you can upload a picture (with your shoes) somewhere in the world - from exotic to your own backyard.  Then people can vote on your picture.  The 10 entries with the most votes will win a free pair of ECCO shoes up to $250.00!

Les and I have both entered a photo.  His is in Athens, on Mars Hill:

Mine is in Rome, at Saint Peter's Square:

We would love it if you would go to the site and vote for our photos!  Click RIGHT HERE!!  Voting ends on February 28th.  Of course if you own a pair, feel free to enter and compete against us!

Do you own any Eccos?  What's your favorite shoe brand?

Hello, August

"I remember you from a long time ago!"  I heard that from a neighbor lady last week while I was out for a run.  Uh oh!  Guess I've really been MIA in real life as well as in cyber space.  I've written about my summer slump in my head a few times, but that's as far as it's gotten.

So what's new?  Not much.  Since our vacation I've been doing a lot of bike riding and very little running.  My longest run has been around five miles.  I've had a bit of shoe trouble.  I have worn Saucony for years but my most recent purchase has been a disappointment.  They are much narrower in the forefoot than in the past.  I've never heard of a "big toe mound" before, but that's where they are too tight:

I re-laced them and I think they'll be okay.  I just wish more shoe companies would make running shoes smaller than a size 6.  That half size jump up is more than just a little big on my dinky feet.

Weather has been hot everywhere, but the last few mornings have been perfect here in So Cal.  62 degrees with about 30% humidity.  I head back to Hawaii next week so I'm enjoying these days while I can.  I know everywhere has its beauty and its beast when it comes to weather.  Oahu got slammed by Tropical Storm Darby a couple weeks ago - 10" of rain in about 5 hours along with power outages, but those rainbows...

I finally updated my mileage for the year.  I will hit 1,000 miles for the year tomorrow, but I've got a lot of catching up to do if I'm going to hit 2,000 this year.  Training for the Honolulu Marathon starts in just a few weeks.  Time to get serious again!  My first long run, a 10 miler, is on the 27th.  I need to run a 7-8 miler between now and then.

This post just ended up being a random brain dump!  I know I'll do a better job of blogging when I'm following a regular schedule again.   Thanks for reading!

Great Run!

With marathon training starting next week, my plan for this week was to ride, ride, and ride!  I rode Sunday and Monday, then took yesterday off.  Before bed last night I told Les, "I think I'm going to run tomorrow."  I hadn't run since last Thursday and "needed" to run.

I headed out and my legs felt great.  Mile one 10:00.  Hmm?  Can I maintain that?  What route would be best?  Mile two 10:08.  Oh, it's on now!

Mile three 10:06, mile four 10:08. With one mile to go, I wanted to get my pace under 10:00/mile.  Mile five 9:11!!  5 miles in 49:40, 9:55 pace!

That's just what I needed to kick off marathon training!  I know I'll have slower runs, but this one felt so good.  I was not running all out, this pace felt just slightly uncomfortable, but not too bad.

Something tells me these are not the shoes Marilyn Monroe had in mind!

Marathon Training Week 6 Results

I worked on this post last week, then we went out of town and I never finished it!  Better late than never...

I'm thinking about starting a Symptom of the Week post.  This week my blood pressure has been SO much better, almost normal all the time.  Instead, I've stepped into the world of insomnia.  I slept about 10 hours last Saturday night and that was the last night of good sleep I had until Wednesday night. But I did have a much better week of activity!

Sunday:  Rest Day
Result:  Rested

Monday: 5 Miles Easy w/5 Strides (pace 9:58 pace)
Result:  Ran 5 miles in 56:47, 11:21 pace.
My typical Monday, I started out sluggish but was able to up the pace and throw in some strides along the way.

Tuesday:  6 Miles Hills (no planned pace)
Result:  Ran 2 miles in 31:40, 15:50 pace
Decided to keep it short with one tough hill.

Wednesday:  Rest
Result:  Rode 12.65 miles in  1:26:01, 8.8 mph
Some days I just need to ride!

Thursday: 4 Miles w/2 Miles @ MP (marathon pace = 9:09)
Result:  Rested
I've yet to run any of my marathon pace runs.  I need to get serious at some point!

Friday:  6 Miles Easy (pace 9:58)
Result:  Ran 7 miles in 1:46:02, 15:08 pace
I had great plans for this morning!  We're spending the weekend in Fresno and I won't have time for my long run.  My plan was to run about 14 miles today and another 10 on Saturday, giving my 24 miles between the two days. It was about 70 degrees, the wind was blowing and I had nothing.  Also, I'm not happy with my current shoes and need to do something about that.  I have three 18 mile runs on my schedule, so I'm not going to stress about this one!

Saturday:  18 Miles LSD  (pace 10:04-11:04)
Result:  Ran 8.05 miles in 1:23:02, 10:19 pace
It took me a while to get out the door, but once I started moving I felt pretty good.  I ended up running about  1 1/2 miles with a guy who is training for his first marathon.  He was doing 20 that day.  We chatted about marathons, his goal, my past times, etc.  It was pretty cool to be able to keep up with someone more than a decade younger than me!

Total planned miles: 39
Actual miles
Running  22.05
Cycling 12.65
Total miles 34.70

Marathon Training Week 1 Results

It's been an interesting and challenging week 1 of marathon training!

Sunday:  Rest Day
Result:  Ran 10.0 miles in 1:57:31, 11:45 pace
We rented a car for the weekend so I HAD to run the Tantalus loop.  I actually had my best ever time on the entire loop so I was happy with how the week started.

Monday: 4 Miles Easy (pace 10:04)
Result:  Rest - my legs were SO sore from yesterday.  I did walk 1.3 miles

Tuesday:  4 Miles Hills (no planned pace)
Result:  2.5 miles in 34:42, 13:53 pace.
Here's when things started going to downhill - about one mile into my run, my right shoe fell apart!
I walked to The Running Room and was able to buy a new pair of shoes.  Unfortunately, with my size 5 foot, they only had 2 pairs available.  I went with Sauconys because I've worn them before, but they've given me a bit of trouble.  Ended up walking 6.3 miles this day.

Wednesday:  Rest Day
Result: Ran 6.22 miles in 1:13:14, 11:46 pace.  This was my hill run for the week.  My new left shoe rubbed a blister.  Also walked 2.6 miles

Thursday: 4 Miles Easy (pace 10:04)
Result:  Rest day.  Walked 2.5 miles 

Friday:  4 Miles Easy (pace 10:04)
Result:  Ran 3.75 miles in 41:08, 10:49 pace.  Even with a bandage on my blister gave me problems!
Also walked 3.3 miles

Saturday:  10 Miles LSD (pace 10:04-11:04)
Result:  Ran 7.11 miles in 1:35:03, 13:22 pace
I had nothing today!  I think it's a combination of tired, hormones, and new shoes that aren't broken in enough.  I knew in the first mile that I wasn't going to make 10 miles.  My plan was to run the Tantalus loop in reverse.  I decided during the second mile that I would go up for an hour, then turn around and head back to the car.  One of the important things about the long run is being on your feet a long time so I decided not to worry about pace and just stay on my feet.

I'm definitely taking a rest day tomorrow.  We fly home on Tuesday afternoon, so I'm trying to decide what to do on Monday and Tuesday. I don't want to keep opening up this blister and delaying healing.  Luckily it's early enough in my training that I don't think an extra day off will make that much difference!

Total planned miles: 26
Total actual miles:
Running:  29.58
Walking: 16.0
Total 45.58

Running Shoe Woes

I headed out for a run this morning.  I was suppose to go four miles.  Just after the first mile, I stopped to stretch and take a couple of pictures...

I stretched my left leg first, then my right.  That's when I noticed something...

The sole of my right shoe had come completely unglued!!

 

My four miler turned into 2.4 as I turned around and walked back to our hotel.  We will be on Oahu another week, so I guess I'll have to do a little shopping while I'm here.  I've got 3 good pairs of running shoes at home, but they won't do me any good here.  Who knew I could run so fast the soles would fall off!!

Goodbye to a Favorite

I have faithfully run in Saucony's Shadow 6000 for about 15 years.  I buy two pairs at a time and rotate them between each run.  They usually last 300-350 miles before I notice wear and know it's time to replace them.  The last couple of times I have bought them, it's been a different story.  I have noticed considerable wear/break down after only 200 miles.  Not good.

I headed out for a run yesterday.  My legs were fresh and I wanted to go about 8 miles.  After about 4 miles my right knee started hurting.  I took a walk break while going up a steep hill.  I looked down and saw my right foot was pronating big time!  I could see the inside of my foot leaning in like this:

No wonder my knee hurt!  Alignment issues are no joke.  I cut my run short, went home and told Les, "It's time for new shoes!"  I noticed that Road Runner Sports is no longer carrying the Shadow 6000, even as one of their "classics" or "endangered" shoes. I headed to our local Saucony outlet to try a different model.  I chatted with the saleswoman and she said Saucony is no longer making Shadow 6000 and any that are still available are probably pretty old.  Meaning the materials have started breaking down before they even leave the store.  No wonder I wasn't getting good mileage on them!

I ended up with the Ride 4.  There is a newer model, Ride 5, but the heel drop is 8 mm instead of the 12 mm of the Ride 4.  My old Shadows were also 12 mm.  Since my injury trend is usually due to old shoes, I don't want to switch to a lower heel drop.

 

I took them for a short test run this morning and could definitely feel better support.  I wanted to run a half marathon tomorrow, but I'm not sure that's a good idea with new shoes and I still have a little pain in my knee.  It will probably be a game day decision.

Goodbye Shadows, you have served me well!

Support for Boston Update

I received this from Road Runner Sports this morning:

Support for Boston Victims

If you have a favorite style of running shoes that you always wear, today would be a great day to buy an extra pair and help a great cause.  Click here.

Today's Run = 20 Miles and Weekly Report

This wasn't my worst week ever, but it wasn't my best either.   I've been having a lot of pain in my left IT band.  While running in Tennessee on Monday I was trying to figure out why.  I finally remembered having the same issue in the Spring and after buying new shoes the pain went away.  It seems like such a simple solution, but it really does work.  Running shoes break down, they lose their cushioning, and become ineffective.  I got new shoes yesterday, so I'm hoping to see improvement soon.

Sunday:  Rest Day
Result:  Rested

Monday: 4 Miles Easy w/4 Strides (pace 9:52 pace)
Result:  4.18 miles in 50:18, 12:02 pace.  I was enjoying the beautiful weather too much to get in a hurry!

Tuesday:  Yasso 800s - 9 miles total
Result:  5:14 in 1:04:24, 12:32
Trying to do Yasso 800s on hilly terrain is not a good idea!  I pushed the pace some, but not much.

Wednesday:  Rest
Result:  Rested

Thursday: 10 Miles w/8 Miles @ MP (marathon pace 9:09)
7.38 miles in 1:28:16, 11:58 pace

Friday:  Rest
Result:  Rested and bought new shoes!

Saturday:  20 Miles LSD (pace 10:04-11:04)
Result:  20.01 miles in 4:06:39, 12:20 pace
I knew I couldn't wear to my new shoes for 20 miles.  That is not even smart.  I also planned on doing two loops, with a stop at home at about the 10 mile mark.  So... I started with my new shoes and they felt pretty good for about 7 miles.  I think they're going to be fine, just need a little more breaking in.

I set my watch to 3:1 intervals - run 3 minutes, walk 1 minute, repeat, repeat, repeat.  This worked really well for about the first 12-13 miles.  Then two things happened, I started getting tired and the temperatures started rising.  It was 63 when I left and 80 when I got back.  Someone, anyone, PLEASE send cool temps our way.  I am completely done with summer!

I started getting really bummed as my pace slowed and slowed.  Then I remembered Jeff Galloway's rule - 30 seconds a mile slower for every 5 degrees over 60.  It's hard to do, but I know it's what I must if I'm going to finish.  My last few miles were filled with longer walk breaks, pep talks, and a little nausea just to make it even more fun!  I think my biggest issue is comparing my times to earlier this year.  But that was in the Winter/Spring and now I'm training in the Summer/Fall.  I'm still training my body to press on through, just a little slower than I want!

Ave HR 144
Max HR 159
Calories burned 1855

These Shoes...

Are in my favorite color - purple.  I wore them yesterday while conducting a 30 minute musicians practice, 75 minute choir practice, and all during our church service.  So is it any wonder that my feet hurt this morning?  They have about a 2" heel, but they always leave my feet a little sore.

As I headed out for my 5 mile run this morning, I knew I had spent too much time in them.  So I traded my heels for hills and got in a mediocre walk/jog of 5 miles.  I really know better, but there's just something about cute shoes...

MT W8 Results

Marathon training does not happen overnight.  Some days seem good, some seem not so good.  That's why this quote is important:

Every day you've got running shoes on, it's a good day. 
~Sean Astin, actor

Sunday:  Rest Day
Result:  Rested, but didn't hurt after 16 miles the day before - success!!

Monday: 5 Miles Easy w/Strides
Result:  5.01 miles in 49:10, 9:49 pace.  Felt good.

Tuesday:  8 Miles Hills
Result:  8.01 miles in 1:24:52, 10:36 pace.  We were in Santa Barbara.  Wanna run flat?  Head to the ocean.  Want hills?  Head away from the ocean.  Very simple.

Wednesday:  Rest Day
Result: Rested.

Thursday: Time Trial
Result:  3.92 in 48:33, 12:23 pace.  I was trying out new shoes - they will be returned!  I had to stop and retie them several times and just could not get into a groove.  Later in the day I started feeling "icky."  No other way to describe it, not a major illness, but no energy and aching all over.  This, I knew, was not from running.

Friday:  4 Miles Easy
Result: In an effort to fight off whatever hit me on Thursday, I took Friday off.  I don't have time to get sick!  Easter is a week from Sunday!

Saturday:  14 Miles LSD or Half Marathon
Result:  10.06 miles in 2:00:54, 12:01 pace.  I knew today was iffy.  I felt better when I went to bed Friday night, but wasn't sure how I'd do.  I decided if I didn't have the pep for speed, I'd go for hills.  A half marathon would have taken about 2 hours, so I ran hills for two hours instead.  I called it HSD - hilly slow distance!

Total planned miles: 32
Total miles:  27

Weight loss goal:  10 pounds
Lost this week:  0.0  (no surprise here, really)
Total lost:  4.0

Finally!!

My new shoes arrived today!  Can't wait to try them out in the morning...