Shoes, Glorious Shoes....

As a runner, there are few things in life more thrilling than opening a new pair of running shoes.  They are clean - unmarred by hundreds of miles on dirty roads or trails.  They smell fresh - not yet wreaking from all that sweat soaked into the liner.  Most of all, they feel like heaven on weary feet and are probably the single most important equipment investment you can make as a runner (to have a more enjoyable experience and avert the risk of injury). 

That first run in fresh shoes provides me that "ahhh" moment of relief after running too long in shoes that had broken down in the heel or blown out in the toe....especially since I stretch my shoes out to about 500-550 miles.  Why this post now?  We'll, I just got a new pair delivered today and I'm pretty sure I heard angels singing (at least in my head, because my shoes have been feeling really flat lately and not so comfortable).

The issue of running shoes tends to raise the most questions from novice runners who may ask - "just how long do running shoes last?" or "what kind of shoes do you wear?"

My sad, old shoes.

Answering the second question first, I'm a New Balance devotee....New Balance 1080 to be exact.  I've worn this shoe, in all it's various improvements, for years.  I go through 3-4 pairs a year, at about $140 a pop (ouch!!!!!).  Now, I'm also going to tell my runners it doesn't matter what shoe I wear, it only matters what shoe is right for you.

Every runner, whether new or experienced, should visit a specialized running store to buy the first good pair of shoes and then every couple years, at least, to ensure the shoe is still working for your gait (after all, we all change with age).  I advise new runners not to get caught up in buying the coolest looking shoe or the one that was on sale at the department store (unless you already know that it will work for your foot type, weight distribution, and gait).

My new, glorious shoes

Now back to the first question...how long should your running shoes last.  This actually depends on a couple factors - weight, gait, running surface.  A good rule of thumb is 300-500 miles, some brands or physical therapists will recommend no more than 400 miles.  After a couple pair, you should start to recognize how your shoes impact your run and body as they near the grave. 

Check out this 2016 article from Health, that I think addresses the issue well for most runners:  "3 Signs You Need a New Pair of Running Shoes."

So how do you keep track of the mileage on your shoes?  Well, here is a tried and true method (but it does require that you keep your running shoes for running only, and maintain other shoes for walking, gym workouts, etc):

• Keep a written running log/journal. Identify in your written log when you start wearing a new pair and log the miles and shoe feel after each run.  I do this electronically on MapMyRun rather than keeping a paper journal.  It has the same end result, but MapMyRun will send me email reminders throughout the life of a pair of shoes about how many miles I'm racking up.  Are there other methods you use to track the mileage on your shoes?

So, now that I've talked about how much I love a new pair of shoes, it's time to take that first run!  Happy trails!!!

2017 miles to date:  738.4 miles

Observations:  I'm still struggling with the left leg injuries.  When I feel that tell tale tingling of pain in my left foot that signals overuse, I've pulled back my workout.  I can't afford another turn in the boot.  I'm also unhappy with the calf tendon.  It was feeling better, but then during a HITT workout, it seemed to take a turn back in the wrong direction.  Let's see if the new shoes help out a bit.  If I could transplant my left leg, all would be hunky dory! (though I will admit that the heat is really sapping the energy).

MARATHON TRAINING WEEK TWO:

Monday - 6 miles interval (switched to 5 miles ladder - warmup, 400-800-1200-800-400 with a 400 recovery and cool down....it was hot as Hades at about 110)

Tuesday - 6 miles easy

Wednesday - 5 miles tempo

Thursday - Off

Friday - 3-4 miles easy

Saturday - 12

mile long run

Sunday - Off

Zooma, Zoom, Zoom...

A week and a half ago, I was back in Annapolis with another opportunity to do one of my favorite things....helping other women achieve their running goals.  For the third time, I was a pacer at Zooma Annapolis for the half marathon distance, which is enormously rewarding.

It all starts with entering the starting corral with a stick that shows the goal finish time you'll be guiding.  Women start asking you what that pace is, how you will achieve it, what the course is like, doubting whether they can keep up, knowing they'll rock it.  The questions and emotions are all across the board.

Then the starting gun blasts and you hit the pavement.  The first mile of a race is always tough, because you're getting the kinks out of your legs from standing in the starting corral, so I like to distract runners by asking where they are from, whether this is their first "fill in the blank distance" race, whether they have had the opportunity to explore the town.  Really anything to distract from the torture of the first mile. 

A little later on, I like to preview upcoming tough sections of the race to eliminate surprises.  On this course, the back half of the race is hills....no kidding, tough hills.  It can be a real bitch to hit those without having known about them in advance. 

I also like to play tour guide.  After all, this is Annapolis, one of the most amazing towns in the US....you wouldn't want to miss anything (just because you were panting and cursing your bad luck to sign up for a race that is almost always sweltering hot and humid).

When I get a few miles in, I also like to really start getting to know the folks around me.  Many racers have amazing, funny, or tragic reasons for strapping on their shoes and starting a race.  I enjoy learning about why runners run and drawing some of my own inspiration and motivation from them.

Back on course...the Zooma back half, which I already said was tough, include three U-turns, which are mentally tough for all runners, let alone novices.  Providing motivation to keep moving means digging deep and overcoming my own angst over U-turns (though they do allow me to see more of the runners on the course and wave to friends).

But the real fantastic part of pacing Zooma comes in the final mile.  Ladies are worn out.  They've just completed a grueling several miles of hills, the sun is starting to beat down, and all they want to do is be done with it, hitting the wine tent at the finish line.  Mentally and emotionally pushing runners through this part of the race can be tough, because I feel the same way they do (especially this year since all my own training has occurred in the desert where it's dry, not humid like the mid-Atlantic).

Then you make the right hand turn, see the Blue Angel looming in front of you and give the ladies one big "this is it....DO NOT LET ME CROSS THAT LINE BEFORE YOU!"  And they don't.

What means more to me than all the rest of it are the ladies who come up to you after the race and tell you they couldn't have done it without you, or that they've never gone so fast, or that the near constant "ladies, you've got this" gave them enough of a lift to meet their goals.  Almost nothing tops the feelings generated by the comments I receive from my runners after the finish line.  If you ever have a chance to pace a race, do it!

A note about my pacing philosophy:  Some pacers will hold a steady pace the whole race.  Some will go slower at the start to save energy for the end.  Because I only pace for races in Annapolis, my philosophy is focused on getting runners through that tough hill section, which appears in every race 10 miles and above - I like to push the runners about 5-10 seconds per mile faster than the average required split to bank time while the temps are still low, energy is still high, and runners aren't questioning the wisdom of entering a race with so many hills yet.  This bit of reserved time almost always gets used up once the heat of the day emerges, hills happen, and energy is sapped.  Then, as I stated above, I like to push my runners in the last couple hundred meters to leave me in the dust.  Frankly, leaving that last bit of energy out on the race course always boosts your pleasure at meeting your goal because you know you put everything you had into it.  And then, I try to loop back with as many of my group runners as I can find for high fives and "you rock"s. 

So, Lara, thanks for once again calling on me to serve as a pacer and to Lululemon for supplying the pacing team with great tops!  Come find me next time at the Annapolis Ten Miler in August!  Happy trails!!!

2017 miles to date:  719 miles

Observations:  I took a few days off from running after Zooma to heal a couple injuries that have been plaguing me this spring - both on the left side of my body.  As I launched into my own marathon training this week, I didn't want to be staring down at overuse injuries too early in training.  While the time off was helpful, I'm still watching the tendon near the calf and the tendons in the foot (last year's injury that landed me in a boot after Ragnar).  If they get any worse, I'm going to consult a sports doc to ensure I'm training safe.  No goal is worth laying yourself up for days, weeks, or even months....if need be, I can always defer the BQ to next year (I already deferred it from last year due to getting out of the boot only a week before my goal race).

MARATHON TRAINING WEEK ONE:

Monday - 5 mile repeats (completed on Tuesday)

Tuesday - 6 miles easy (ended up being 6 miles sustained hill workout Wednesday)

Wednesday - 5 miles tempo (turned into 5 easy on Thursday to compensate for two effort days)

Thursday - Off (well, you know I ran because I had to take Monday off)

Friday - 3-4 miles easy

Saturday - 10 mile long run

Sunday - Off