It's summer, and that means it's time to start updating Calluses again.
It's going to be difficult, seeing as how I'm finally scraping off the calluses I have, literally and figuratively. (Reading back over that, it sounds a little grosser than it did in my head.)
For eight years I have competed on the cross country and track teams at Warrior Run High School and Bloomsburg University, and on Saturday, May 9, I ran my last scholastic race. It was a depressing race, and a disappointing end to a disappointing career. As you can see, I changed my banner subheading from "seven years worth and counting" to "eights year worth. Could this be the end?" Since May 9, I have run once, and it was a mile long.
I like not running. Right now, I like not running. I do hope it is just for now.
I'm waiting to start missing it, and I think I do a little bit, but if I start running again, it has to mean something different to me than it has these past eight years.
Not that running hasn't been evolving for me all along. As a young high school runner, I was bent on being the best. I showed a lot of promise at that age, qualifying for the state cross country meet my freshman year, and I felt I wouldn't be a truly successful runner until I was "the best." What that meant at that time was becoming state champ by my senior year.
If you know me, you know I always fell depressingly short of that goal. By my senior year of track, I was a bit more mature, and success for me was defined a little differently. It had to be, seeing as how I broke my ankle at the beginning of the season, and by the end of the season, I was just lucky to be running. Making podium at districts that year, in a time that was probably a good two minutes from even qualifying for states, was success.
My definition of success evolved even more in college. Again, it had to if I was going to find a reason to stick with the sport. I was injured, sick, and ill-trained most of the time, and although I started at Bloom knowing I had a sub-18 minute 5K, all-American status, and a national qualification in me, I began to feel victorious when I simply finished a race, was on the varsity team, or came close to all-Region.
I wrote about my "must-be-the-best" complex in The Runner's Gazette last summer, and the process of growing out of that phase. I wrote:
"It's cliche, but it's absolutely right that the truest form of success in running is to know that we've done our best, even when our best seems insignificant because some else's 'best' was better. We all have limits that are out of our own control. These limits are different from person to person, which means comparing ourselves against them is an unfair measure of success."
I wrote this going into my senior year of college. Looking back, I think I wrote these words to excuse what was basically seven years of never reaching my goals, and maybe to deceive myself about how important this last year of running was to me - my last year to achieve those goals.
That's probably it. If I achieved just one, magnificent goal in my final year, then those seven years of disappointment wouldn't be for nothing, and I probably knew that last summer.
I was creating my emotional cushion. The emotional calluses were already falling off.
Last night, I took a pumice stone to my calluses. In eight years, I haven't had feeling in my big toe. It's nice to have it now.
I hope I run again, but I need it to be different. Although I wrote those words last summer, I knew I still wanted redemption. I have to not care anymore about those lost goals and missed opportunities, and then I can run again.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Monday, October 27, 2008
"Runner's Gazette" - Read My Opinion Piece
Comparisons-We all make them, and when it comes to us runners they usually have something to do with speed, weight, or flat stomachs. When I report back to my college cross-country team in a month, I’ll undoubtedly catch myself watching my own teammates whom I love dearly, and become bitter because I wish I was more like them in one of these ways.
Making these comparisons seems an impossible habit to break. As runners, when we start gauging success by how we measure up against others, it becomes a losing battle because someone is always faster, lighter, or less flabby.
I want to tell you about the epiphany I had about comparing myself against other runners.
READ THE REST AT "Runner's Gazette"
http://www.runnersgazette.com/features/
Making these comparisons seems an impossible habit to break. As runners, when we start gauging success by how we measure up against others, it becomes a losing battle because someone is always faster, lighter, or less flabby.
I want to tell you about the epiphany I had about comparing myself against other runners.
READ THE REST AT "Runner's Gazette"
http://www.runnersgazette.com/features/
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Olympic Series --- Sold on Sell - Brian Sell
"I don't like to be a fair-weather fan," told Brian Sell to Amby Burfoot in a 2006 Runner's World interview. He's referring to his undying loyalty to the Pittsburgh Pirates, a baseball team who has had far from a glitzy history (or present, for that matter).
If the world was full of fair-weather fans, Brian Sell would not have developed the cult following that he has. For he, too, does not have as glitzy a past as his competitors.
His plan if he would not have qualified for this Olympic marathon was to go to dentistry school. This is all it took to sell me on Sell. He's a man who's not afraid of failure, and admits (publicly) that he has plans if he doesn't get exactly what he wants.
In the face of looming failure, though, he is not afraid to dedicate himself to his goals. Logging 160 miles a week, and tackling Hanson-Brooks workouts like 2x6 miles in under 4:50 pace, it is undeniable Sell's all-in attitude.
This willingness to commit, while recognizing that he is only human, is also evident in his 2004 Olympic Trials effort. A virtual nobody before that race, he took the lead at mile seven and held it until mile 22.
Sell committed that day, but where did it land him? He finished in 12th. He was willing to take a risk, but perhaps because up until that point, he had nothing to lose but his previous obscurity.
Before the 2004 trials, he was an unknown, establishing a personal best of 10:06 in the two mile in high school. To get an idea of where that would place him in the state meet by today's standards - Well, it wouldn't . Sell went on to compete at St. Francis University, a small division one program.
Compare these credentials with the likes of Dathan Ritzenhein, Sell's fellow US qualifier, who achieved in 2000 and still holds the national record for the 3200 for high school runners (8:41).
For Sell, he sees a line drawn between those like himself and those like Ritzenhein - Those who shine only after heavy mileage, and those with a sickening amount of natural talent. In April 2006, he told Men's Racing, "I’m training as hard as I can, and it’s tough when you see what some guys can do. Guys like [Dathan] Ritzenhein, it seems like they’re injured half the year, and then they come off that and run great."
Sell accepts that some other runners may have more talent than him, but he feels that his high mileage may help level the playing field (Elite Running). This man recognizes his mortal state, as well as the slightly less mortal-state of his competitors...and deals with it gracefully.
This man exudes humility and realist-qualities, but confidence and the ability to dream big, all at the same time. I'm sold.
Sell's Stats (as provided by USA T&F):
Personal Records ~
10 km: 28:36 (2002)
Half-Marathon: 1:02:39 (2006)
Marathon: 2:10:47 (2006 - Boston Marathon)
3rd at 2008 Olympic Trials – Men’s marathon
2007 U.S. 25 km champ
2006 USA Half-Marathon champ
2005 USA 25 km champion
2-time LaSalle Bank Shamrock Shuffle champ
http://www.mensracing.com/athletes/interviews/2006/briansell040506.htm
http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-243-292--10577-0,00.html
http://www.eliterunning.com/features/24/
http://www.usatf.org/athletes/bios/sell_brian.asp
If the world was full of fair-weather fans, Brian Sell would not have developed the cult following that he has. For he, too, does not have as glitzy a past as his competitors.
His plan if he would not have qualified for this Olympic marathon was to go to dentistry school. This is all it took to sell me on Sell. He's a man who's not afraid of failure, and admits (publicly) that he has plans if he doesn't get exactly what he wants.
In the face of looming failure, though, he is not afraid to dedicate himself to his goals. Logging 160 miles a week, and tackling Hanson-Brooks workouts like 2x6 miles in under 4:50 pace, it is undeniable Sell's all-in attitude.
This willingness to commit, while recognizing that he is only human, is also evident in his 2004 Olympic Trials effort. A virtual nobody before that race, he took the lead at mile seven and held it until mile 22.
Sell committed that day, but where did it land him? He finished in 12th. He was willing to take a risk, but perhaps because up until that point, he had nothing to lose but his previous obscurity.
Before the 2004 trials, he was an unknown, establishing a personal best of 10:06 in the two mile in high school. To get an idea of where that would place him in the state meet by today's standards - Well, it wouldn't . Sell went on to compete at St. Francis University, a small division one program.
Compare these credentials with the likes of Dathan Ritzenhein, Sell's fellow US qualifier, who achieved in 2000 and still holds the national record for the 3200 for high school runners (8:41).
For Sell, he sees a line drawn between those like himself and those like Ritzenhein - Those who shine only after heavy mileage, and those with a sickening amount of natural talent. In April 2006, he told Men's Racing, "I’m training as hard as I can, and it’s tough when you see what some guys can do. Guys like [Dathan] Ritzenhein, it seems like they’re injured half the year, and then they come off that and run great."
Sell accepts that some other runners may have more talent than him, but he feels that his high mileage may help level the playing field (Elite Running). This man recognizes his mortal state, as well as the slightly less mortal-state of his competitors...and deals with it gracefully.
This man exudes humility and realist-qualities, but confidence and the ability to dream big, all at the same time. I'm sold.
Sell's Stats (as provided by USA T&F):
Personal Records ~
10 km: 28:36 (2002)
Half-Marathon: 1:02:39 (2006)
Marathon: 2:10:47 (2006 - Boston Marathon)
3rd at 2008 Olympic Trials – Men’s marathon
2007 U.S. 25 km champ
2006 USA Half-Marathon champ
2005 USA 25 km champion
2-time LaSalle Bank Shamrock Shuffle champ
http://www.mensracing.com/athletes/interviews/2006/briansell040506.htm
http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-243-292--10577-0,00.html
http://www.eliterunning.com/features/24/
http://www.usatf.org/athletes/bios/sell_brian.asp
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Olympic Series ---Trading Culture, and Horticulture - Bernard Lagat
Right now, the only team trade we hear about in the news is Brett Favre to the NY Jets.
I'm not even a football fan, and I know about that. But with the Olympics going on, I've been thinking about a different kind of team exchange.
When I was reading the most recent Runner's World issue with tons of Olympic features, I came across an article stating that this summer is the US of A's best chance at our first ever gold medal in the men's 1500. The last medal that we won in the event was in 1968 when Jim Ryun earned silver. The man who hopes to do better is Bernard Lagat, Kenyan-born and raised, I couldn't help but ponder where the honor truly was in this golden opportunity.
World Athletics Championships 2007 in Osaka - Men's 1500 metres winner Bernard Lagat celebrating.
Wikipidia, Eckhard Pecher
Lagat, a native of Kenya, has lived in the US for the last 12 years attending school and running at Washington State University. His potential was evident 1999 when he was NCAA Champ in the outdoor 5000 and in the indoor 1500 and 3000. His career was marked by many other highlights, including World Championships, but he just missed the Olympic Gold medal in 2004 in the 1500 by 12 one-hundredths of a second. Four years earlier in Syndey, Austrailia, he earned Bronze.
Both years, he was representing Kenya.
My initial feeling about the US's best chance for gold - it was a gift that we didn't quite deserve. After years of a hardware drought in this event, our best chance is in the form of a Kenyan super-athlete who happened to make his way to the US.
I hope this does not come off as racially charged. It isn't, at all. Allow me to use a cheesy metaphor to explain:
You grow tomatoes. I grow tomatoes. For years, I've been entering my produce at the county fair, but lose every time. As a gift, you give me your largest one, and I take it to the fair and win the award for the Largest Tomato. I accept the title of Master Gardener; I get to hang up the winning banner on my front porch; I get the WINNER OF THE LARGEST TOMATO bumper sticker to put on my car.
Something doesn't settle quite right, does it?
The further I read the article though, the more I warmed up to the idea. In May, 2004 he achieved his US Citizenship (despite representing Kenya in the '04 Olympics; the duel citizenship almost cost him his silver medal). In the article he was quoted: "The Kenyans will be running for Kenya, and I'll be running for America. It's my one and only country now." Of the US's failure for a gold medal in the 1500 up until this point, he not only takes a stand but affirms his loyalty: "It's our time now."
I was talking about this switch-a-roo with a pretty smart guy, and his feelings are that America welcomes every nationality to our turf, offering the opportunity to achieve citizenship to anyone who wants it. Should our Olympic team not represent this, too?
Interestingly, all three qualifiers to represent the US in the men's 1500 are foreign-born American Citizens. Leo Manzano is from Mexico, runs for the Texas Longhorns, and gained citizenship to the US in 2004.
Lopez Lomong was born in Sudan and was a Darfur refugee. China, an investor in Sudan's economy and supporter of the war in Darfur, has close ties to the country. As a clear political statement, the US asked Lomong to lead the US athletes and carry the flag into the Olympic ceremony.
What I've read of Manzano and Lomong so far, it seems that they are proud to run for our country because of the opportunity we provided them with here - opportunity that is not available in their own countries - and representing the US is their way of giving back.
Lagat's been here 12 years. Perhaps this 'mato was not just a 'mato, but a plant. You gave me your tomato plant, and I nurtured him and fed him and finished what you began. He is proud to represent my garden now.
And we're proud to have him. Where is the honor, exactly? That Athletes such as Lagat want to be here.
Interesting Article on the Topic:
In an article in YAHOO sports, Jill Geer of USA Track and Field was quoted: “I don’t think of any of our foreign-born athletes as foreign. In USATF, no one considers them anything but American, and I’m not saying that just because it’s the right thing to say." The article continues discussing the message sent when supporting foreign-born athletes on our Olympic US team about immigration. That article can be found at http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/news?slug=ap-immigrantolympians&prov=ap&type=lgns.
I'm not even a football fan, and I know about that. But with the Olympics going on, I've been thinking about a different kind of team exchange.
When I was reading the most recent Runner's World issue with tons of Olympic features, I came across an article stating that this summer is the US of A's best chance at our first ever gold medal in the men's 1500. The last medal that we won in the event was in 1968 when Jim Ryun earned silver. The man who hopes to do better is Bernard Lagat, Kenyan-born and raised, I couldn't help but ponder where the honor truly was in this golden opportunity.
World Athletics Championships 2007 in Osaka - Men's 1500 metres winner Bernard Lagat celebrating.
Wikipidia, Eckhard Pecher
Lagat, a native of Kenya, has lived in the US for the last 12 years attending school and running at Washington State University. His potential was evident 1999 when he was NCAA Champ in the outdoor 5000 and in the indoor 1500 and 3000. His career was marked by many other highlights, including World Championships, but he just missed the Olympic Gold medal in 2004 in the 1500 by 12 one-hundredths of a second. Four years earlier in Syndey, Austrailia, he earned Bronze.
Both years, he was representing Kenya.
My initial feeling about the US's best chance for gold - it was a gift that we didn't quite deserve. After years of a hardware drought in this event, our best chance is in the form of a Kenyan super-athlete who happened to make his way to the US.
I hope this does not come off as racially charged. It isn't, at all. Allow me to use a cheesy metaphor to explain:
You grow tomatoes. I grow tomatoes. For years, I've been entering my produce at the county fair, but lose every time. As a gift, you give me your largest one, and I take it to the fair and win the award for the Largest Tomato. I accept the title of Master Gardener; I get to hang up the winning banner on my front porch; I get the WINNER OF THE LARGEST TOMATO bumper sticker to put on my car.
Something doesn't settle quite right, does it?
The further I read the article though, the more I warmed up to the idea. In May, 2004 he achieved his US Citizenship (despite representing Kenya in the '04 Olympics; the duel citizenship almost cost him his silver medal). In the article he was quoted: "The Kenyans will be running for Kenya, and I'll be running for America. It's my one and only country now." Of the US's failure for a gold medal in the 1500 up until this point, he not only takes a stand but affirms his loyalty: "It's our time now."
I was talking about this switch-a-roo with a pretty smart guy, and his feelings are that America welcomes every nationality to our turf, offering the opportunity to achieve citizenship to anyone who wants it. Should our Olympic team not represent this, too?
Interestingly, all three qualifiers to represent the US in the men's 1500 are foreign-born American Citizens. Leo Manzano is from Mexico, runs for the Texas Longhorns, and gained citizenship to the US in 2004.
Lopez Lomong was born in Sudan and was a Darfur refugee. China, an investor in Sudan's economy and supporter of the war in Darfur, has close ties to the country. As a clear political statement, the US asked Lomong to lead the US athletes and carry the flag into the Olympic ceremony.
What I've read of Manzano and Lomong so far, it seems that they are proud to run for our country because of the opportunity we provided them with here - opportunity that is not available in their own countries - and representing the US is their way of giving back.
Lagat's been here 12 years. Perhaps this 'mato was not just a 'mato, but a plant. You gave me your tomato plant, and I nurtured him and fed him and finished what you began. He is proud to represent my garden now.
And we're proud to have him. Where is the honor, exactly? That Athletes such as Lagat want to be here.
Interesting Article on the Topic:
In an article in YAHOO sports, Jill Geer of USA Track and Field was quoted: “I don’t think of any of our foreign-born athletes as foreign. In USATF, no one considers them anything but American, and I’m not saying that just because it’s the right thing to say." The article continues discussing the message sent when supporting foreign-born athletes on our Olympic US team about immigration. That article can be found at http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/news?slug=ap-immigrantolympians&prov=ap&type=lgns.
Saturday, August 9, 2008
Brooks Adrenaline GTS8 Review - Runs #4, #5, and #6
Thursday: 6ish miles with Ashley; all roads or sidewalks; lots of steep hills.
Friday: 7 miles on roads; some hills. A GLORIOUS RUN IN THE RAIN!
Saturday: 8 miles on roads; some hills.
A Success Story:
It's amazing how much quicker my runs seem to go by when I am wearing good shoes. I don't know if I'm actually running quicker - I haven't been running with a watch - but mentally I can break down the runs but more coolly. Take yesterday's run for example. When I think about starting that seven mile loop, I think that I must be coming close to East Jibip; early this summer, the run seemed intimidatingly long. Now, when I run in the Brooks Adrenaline, I feel so smooth. Every movement is not labored to a ridiculous degree.
(No, Brooks is not paying me to say these cheesy things. This is fo rel.)
The Conclusion of this Shoe Review:
Lightness. Smoothness. That's the two best features that these shoes have to offer. I am confident now that if anytime soon I feel beat during a run, it will be because of a tough week of training, and not because I'm wearing the wrong shoes.
The cusioning isn't so bad either. I won't lie though - There are some strange sensations I've been having in my feet this week. In my left, I still have that odd feeling in my middle metatarsal, and today the ball of my right foot was rather tender.
Then again, my feet are probably just confused. What? We're being nurtured now? We were starting to accept that we'd be living in Nikes forever. It's about time you smartened up, old gal.
My Left Foot give the shoes an A+. He's smart enough to know that this familiar metatarsal pain is nothing serious and was probably not caused by the Brooks because he was only living in them for two days before the strange sensation began. He has high expectations that the Brooks Adrenaline will only help the sensation dissipate.
My Right Foot gives the shoes a B+. Until the sensitivity in her ball-area began today, she would have been ready to give the Adrenalines an A, too, but now she's slightly suspicious. What about this MoGo? And this new and improved forefoot cushioning she's heard so much about? To be honest, she says, she expects today's new achiness to subside soon, and she is most bitter about the blister on her backside (heel) and on her inner arch. The Right Foot usually takes a beating when it's time to break in shoes. (Not that she would admit it, but she is slightly wider and pronates more than The Left Foot.)
Friday: 7 miles on roads; some hills. A GLORIOUS RUN IN THE RAIN!
Saturday: 8 miles on roads; some hills.
A Success Story:
It's amazing how much quicker my runs seem to go by when I am wearing good shoes. I don't know if I'm actually running quicker - I haven't been running with a watch - but mentally I can break down the runs but more coolly. Take yesterday's run for example. When I think about starting that seven mile loop, I think that I must be coming close to East Jibip; early this summer, the run seemed intimidatingly long. Now, when I run in the Brooks Adrenaline, I feel so smooth. Every movement is not labored to a ridiculous degree.
(No, Brooks is not paying me to say these cheesy things. This is fo rel.)
The Conclusion of this Shoe Review:
Lightness. Smoothness. That's the two best features that these shoes have to offer. I am confident now that if anytime soon I feel beat during a run, it will be because of a tough week of training, and not because I'm wearing the wrong shoes.
The cusioning isn't so bad either. I won't lie though - There are some strange sensations I've been having in my feet this week. In my left, I still have that odd feeling in my middle metatarsal, and today the ball of my right foot was rather tender.
Then again, my feet are probably just confused. What? We're being nurtured now? We were starting to accept that we'd be living in Nikes forever. It's about time you smartened up, old gal.
My Left Foot give the shoes an A+. He's smart enough to know that this familiar metatarsal pain is nothing serious and was probably not caused by the Brooks because he was only living in them for two days before the strange sensation began. He has high expectations that the Brooks Adrenaline will only help the sensation dissipate.
My Right Foot gives the shoes a B+. Until the sensitivity in her ball-area began today, she would have been ready to give the Adrenalines an A, too, but now she's slightly suspicious. What about this MoGo? And this new and improved forefoot cushioning she's heard so much about? To be honest, she says, she expects today's new achiness to subside soon, and she is most bitter about the blister on her backside (heel) and on her inner arch. The Right Foot usually takes a beating when it's time to break in shoes. (Not that she would admit it, but she is slightly wider and pronates more than The Left Foot.)
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Brooks Adrenaline GTS8 Review - RUNS #2 AND #3
Runs: This morning, I met Erin for a run that was almost 6 miles of constant rolling hills; all paved or gravel roads. This evening, I ran 3 miles (the JesVic 5K course - http://myweb.bloomu.edu/smhoffma/Index.htm) on paved roads and sidewalks with one major uphill and downhill.
Morning Run Reaction: My legs were beat. I don't think I can blame this on the shoes though; last night was my longest run yet this summer, and the hills on this morning's jaunt were relentless.
Evening Run Reaction: I felt tired as expected, but it was also FUN for no good reason at all. It's a special shoe that can cradle my exhausted feet and legs enough to help make a run when I'm this tired fun.
Other Reactions: What impressed me most today was the way my legs felt after my two runs. For as worn out as I felt during the workouts, my legs felt relatively refreshed when I was finished.
Other Concerns: After my evening run, during my bare-foot form drills, I noticed a funny feeling in my left foot in the area of one of my center metatarsals. I would be surprised if this is from the shoes, though, since I've only been wearing them for two days. Also, the Adrenalines have major forefront cushioning, so I'd imagine my metatarsals should be in safe hands (if shoes had hands).
Morning Run Reaction: My legs were beat. I don't think I can blame this on the shoes though; last night was my longest run yet this summer, and the hills on this morning's jaunt were relentless.
Evening Run Reaction: I felt tired as expected, but it was also FUN for no good reason at all. It's a special shoe that can cradle my exhausted feet and legs enough to help make a run when I'm this tired fun.
Other Reactions: What impressed me most today was the way my legs felt after my two runs. For as worn out as I felt during the workouts, my legs felt relatively refreshed when I was finished.
Other Concerns: After my evening run, during my bare-foot form drills, I noticed a funny feeling in my left foot in the area of one of my center metatarsals. I would be surprised if this is from the shoes, though, since I've only been wearing them for two days. Also, the Adrenalines have major forefront cushioning, so I'd imagine my metatarsals should be in safe hands (if shoes had hands).
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Brooks Adrenaline GTS8 Review - RUN #1
Tonight I went out the door not really knowing how far I'd run.
I just banged out 10.11 miles.
It's these shoes. They're just what the doc ordered.
Run: 10.11 miles; mostly flat with just a few hills; paved roads or sidewalks the whole way.
Initial Reaction: The first few steps felt a bit heavy, but the Adrenalines have more control than I have used this summer. Even the Nike Trail Pegasus hasn't been that great of a stability shoe, considering the quick rate it broke down at.
400 Meters In: It didn't take long to find a rhythm, and to truly appreciate the lightness of this shoe.
Overall Run Experience: This is the best I've felt all summer. Even my "good" runs this summer could not compare to tonight's run. I did start to feel a bit tired at about a mile and a half, but I felt no worse at nine and a half. The shoes created a smooth ride the whole way. I easily convinced myself to add a loop with a nice hill to my typical eight mile run because I felt that darn good. The slight pain I normally start feeling on the inside of my right foot/ankle, especially in the Oberons, did not occur tonight. Well, I did start to feel a bit of a strain on the inside of my right ankle, but that was because my sock fell down in the last two miles and was rubbing the back of my heel and I started running funny. (There was blood...saweet!) I had a fair amount of get-up-and-go, even after sharp turns and hills, and at the end of my run I felt smooth and powerful, not clumsy and desperate like I have been lately.
Post-Run Feelings: My feet feel relatively good, though I do feel a little bit of tightness in my right heel (remnants of a bout with plantar fasciitis (http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/plantar-fasciitis/DS00508). The real test will be tomorrow morning when I wake up. It's been typical for me to not be able to walk normally when I first wake up, or after sitting for a long period of time, not just because of heel pain, but due to achiness in my entire feet. My legs feel refreshed and like I could go out for another five.
What May Have Made the Shoes Seem Too Good to Be True:
1. Self-fulfilling prophecy - I expected these shoes to work magic.
2. I always feel my best running at night.
3. I took the past two days off.
What May Have Tainted Tonight's Running Experience:
1. I cross-trained late this afternoon and did some light leg lifting.
2. The venison burger I ate but an hour and a half earler
They already have lost that New Shoe Smell. (I apparently have powerful foot odor.)
I just banged out 10.11 miles.
It's these shoes. They're just what the doc ordered.
Run: 10.11 miles; mostly flat with just a few hills; paved roads or sidewalks the whole way.
Initial Reaction: The first few steps felt a bit heavy, but the Adrenalines have more control than I have used this summer. Even the Nike Trail Pegasus hasn't been that great of a stability shoe, considering the quick rate it broke down at.
400 Meters In: It didn't take long to find a rhythm, and to truly appreciate the lightness of this shoe.
Overall Run Experience: This is the best I've felt all summer. Even my "good" runs this summer could not compare to tonight's run. I did start to feel a bit tired at about a mile and a half, but I felt no worse at nine and a half. The shoes created a smooth ride the whole way. I easily convinced myself to add a loop with a nice hill to my typical eight mile run because I felt that darn good. The slight pain I normally start feeling on the inside of my right foot/ankle, especially in the Oberons, did not occur tonight. Well, I did start to feel a bit of a strain on the inside of my right ankle, but that was because my sock fell down in the last two miles and was rubbing the back of my heel and I started running funny. (There was blood...saweet!) I had a fair amount of get-up-and-go, even after sharp turns and hills, and at the end of my run I felt smooth and powerful, not clumsy and desperate like I have been lately.
Post-Run Feelings: My feet feel relatively good, though I do feel a little bit of tightness in my right heel (remnants of a bout with plantar fasciitis (http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/plantar-fasciitis/DS00508). The real test will be tomorrow morning when I wake up. It's been typical for me to not be able to walk normally when I first wake up, or after sitting for a long period of time, not just because of heel pain, but due to achiness in my entire feet. My legs feel refreshed and like I could go out for another five.
What May Have Made the Shoes Seem Too Good to Be True:
1. Self-fulfilling prophecy - I expected these shoes to work magic.
2. I always feel my best running at night.
3. I took the past two days off.
What May Have Tainted Tonight's Running Experience:
1. I cross-trained late this afternoon and did some light leg lifting.
2. The venison burger I ate but an hour and a half earler
They already have lost that New Shoe Smell. (I apparently have powerful foot odor.)
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