Let's Talk Shoes!

Well, the running writers of this blog got together and came up with the idea of talking about the stuff that helps us with our running.  This is the Part I of a series of group posts, where we discuss what we use and why we use them.  Today's topic...SHOES!  This is an often-debated and little-understood yet vitally-important piece of running equipment.   

Feel free to comment with your own ideas or ask questions in the comments section!

With that, here we go:


Brad:

Shoe: Brooks Pure Flow

I have used Asics Gel Cumulus for the past 4 years. The shoes were durable but my feet began to feel heavy as if they were dragging behind me. I've experimented with Vibram Five Finger KSO's during training cycles and enjoy the freedom of having feel that feel lightweight. I visited my second home which is known as Inside Track and began trying on shoes that were closer to something on the minimalist s Le. I was looking for lightweight, flexible yet sturdy with very little heel to toe drop. My last shoe had a significant drop, I wanted less. I stumbled across the Brooks Pure Flow and was sold! The Brooks Pure series is geared more towards the minimalist movement. I found a sturdy shoe with a nice wide toe box and very little heel to toe drop. The shoes provide strong support. The upside is that the shoes are ridiculously bright green and yellow. The downside is that I only get 300 miles to a pair versus 500 with the old Asics.



Chris:

Shoe: Asics Gel Foundation 10 and 2160s

Being a new runner, I had no idea where to start with shoes.  I went to the local shoe store  Often Running), where they watched my step and recommended a strong support shoe (the Evolution).  It was a little too overcorrecting, so we went with a little less support (the Foundation).  The 2160s were my idea after a year of running to go with moderate support but weighing a little less.  I go with 4Es on the width, and the Asics fit really well, so I'll stick with them!  Since I still weigh more than an average-sized grizzly bear, the support on the shoes tend to go out after 150-175 miles, though I hope my weight-loss will help with this cause.




Jorge:

Shoe: Saucony Omni 10

Buying shoes for me is a real pain in the neck. Here in Mexico you can get all brands of running shoes, Brooks, Saucony, Asics, Nike of all sizes but..... you can only find one width size, Standard. So for people like me with very wide feet it's impossible to get a proper pair of running shoes.

I have to cross the US border to get a decent pair of shoes. And don't think that just crossing the border solves the problem. the closest US cities are McAllen or Laredo texas and they don´t have specialized stores for runners. If you want to go to a decent runners store you have to go all the way to San Antonio Tx (Thats a six our trip by car). That has given me lots of trouble regarding running shoes. I got a pair of Asics GT-2140 a couple of years ago and they worked great, the best thing is I could find this type of shoe in Academy or Sports Authority stores, they have those stores at McAllen and Laredo so no need to get to San Antonio. The bad thing came when Asics changed the GT-2140 to the GT-2150. when I bought the 2150 after a couple of months I began feeling pain on my left foot, later I learned it was Plantar Fascitis.

Since I didn't have any other pair of running shoes and at time I couldn't travel to the US I stick to them. Then Asics changed the model to the GT-2160, I got them and the pain increased.

So after deciding that my plantar fascitis was due to the change of models Asics did I decided to get a pair of Saucony Omni10. The bad thing is that Saucony widest shoes are not wide enough so whenever I ran more than 13 miles I get blisters at my left foot arch.

So right now I'm on the search of a new pair of shoes. i've been doing some research and it seems like the Brooks Beasts are going to be my next pair of shoes. It seems they are great for, overweight runner, low arch, over pronator, with current foot injuries and for long running sessions.

Being so difficult finding the right shoe I think I will need to buy them online and pay the high custom rates the governemnt charges. I will let you know how it goes.

Rob:

Shoe:  Mizuno Enigma

I got these shoes back in late January - just in time to break them in for the Disney Half Marathon.  So far, this has been my favorite pair of shoes.  I was wearing the Mizuno Wave Inspires (which I also really liked), but the big difference with the Enigmas is that - for me - it's a little wider in the front.  What this means for me is that I no longer get the blisters on the sides of my big toes!  Lots of room and good padding.  Plus they're predominantly black so they look bad-ass!  I'll more than likely get another pair of Enigmas when my current pair runs out.

Free Beer After Races!

Yeah, just another catchy title to get your attention!

But the past two half-marathons I did this past month were both giving away free beers.  Two at each race, to be exact.  But I'm still chicken to drink beer right after a race.  Not sure how it will feel in my stomach.

Well, it's been a loooong couple weeks for me between running two half-marathons, training runs, and coaching.  To put it all in perspective, the coaching is going great, the halfs went okay, and the training went kaput the past couple weeks.

Both of the half-marathons really had me thinking afterward about how I want to approach my next long race.  I've always wanted to be able to run a half-marathon or full marathon completely from beginning to end.  Just something I've always wanted to accomplish.  I came really close in Frederick, but succumbed to achy calves and wound up stopping around mile 11.5 to stretch and walk for about 2 or 3 minutes.  I than went to a 2-min. run/1-min. walk ratio for a couple cycles, and was able to run in the last .75 miles or so.

I came relatively close in Williamsburg.  I felt great until the "turn-around" at mile 8 on the Colonial Parkway.  Was actually on PR pace until that point.  As soon as I turned around - whoosh! - a bit of a head-wind caught me off guard.  I was okay until I hit a nasty hill (although it wouldn't have seemed that nasty at mile 2 or 3) that just sucked it out of me.  For some reason, my legs were still a little dead from the Frederick half.  And the hot weather didn't help.  I only got in two training runs total between half-marathons - one each week. 

So, after contemplating and reflecting after each race, I'm seriously leaning toward re-incorporating the run/walk routine into the remainder of my long races.  I set my personal best of 2:30 in the half using a 4-min. run/2-min. walk ratio for my very first half-marathon five years ago.  And the closest I've come to that time was Frederick a couple weeks ago.  And I don't think I was nearly in as good as shape five years ago as I am today.  Maybe after another year or two, I'll re-think my "racing" strategy again.  So from here on out, I'll continue to completely run my week-day "maintenance" runs of 4 to 5 miles, and incorporate the run/walk for anything over 10 miles.

As far as anything else, lets just say it's time to re-dedicate myself.  Now that the races are out of the way, I'll probably take this week pretty easy  Maybe get in a maintenance run on Friday and a longer run on Sunday or Monday and take it from there.  Also time to start adding the weighlifting back into my routine.  I've gotten away from it the past couple months. 

Here's a little poster I think we can all relate to in one way or another.  I posted it on my Facebook wall a few months ago, but I think it's too funny not to share...

My tip for the "blog" - when in doubt, rest...

Mea Culpa...

For having been away from the blog for so long. Sometimes life gets in the way of writing for the sake of writing. Anyway here is my long awaiting update (he says sarcastically). Things have been going really well. My running, weight loss and weightlifting have all seen improvements. Of course one could argue they are all related, but you and both know they are not all mutually exclusive to each other. So lets go point by point.

Running…

After having dealt with so many nagging issues since last October I have really scaled my miles back and I only run 2-3 days a week. In fact my weekly mile totals have only recently begun to creep back into double digits. Sure it sucks that as of May I only have 140 miles for the year… but I DON’T HURT. My pace is also improving. I chalk a lot up to that to 1)weight loss and 2)a focus on form. Although I have not made my transition to minimalist running yet, I am constantly focused on a midfoot strike and attempting many of the principles discussed through CHI RUNNING. To give you an example of my improvement, on a 9 mile training run with hills and pouring rain for the duration I ran at a pace that would have put me under my half marathon PR. I also ran a 5k training run almost 4 minutes under my PR. Don’t get me wrong… I’m pushing it a bit, and its still hard… but it is fun to get home and look at your times. Of course I still have shitty runs too but we won’t talk about those.

Weightlifting…

 If you are a runner and you don’t lift twice a week… you need to start. Think about it… stronger arms lead to better pumping and form, stronger core leads to better endurance and form, and stronger legs lead to making hills your bitch. Sure it also feeds a sense of vanity a bit (I won’t lie about that). I don’t know one guy that would turn down arm definition. But in two months I’ve added 50 lbs to my bench, 80 lbs to my leg press and 50 lbs to my leg curls. I’m still not throwing up big weight but its cool to see the improvement. I am still following a similar circuit plan that I mentioned a few months ago, although I have cut back a bit due to the extra running.

Weight Loss…

So I adopted the Wheat Belly approach to diet. I essentially consume no wheat or processed grains with the exception of my “beer night” which is when I allow myself one evening to partake in the nectar of the gods. I also use recipes that would be found using the Paleo approach as well. I will admit I cannot make the full jump to Paleo. Its hard enough giving up the grains… but cheese too?!? No way. I know some of you will read a description of Wheat Belly or Paleo, see the guidelines and assume “its another Atkins” simply because its low carb. It is so much more than that because it not just saying no carb, its clearing out the processed crap we all assume to be safe. Think about it… our bodies have evolved over thousands of years and our food has been morphed and modified in the last 50 years. Did you ever think you just can’t seem to lose those last 10 lbs because your body doesn’t know how to? Sure I miss sandwiches, spaghetti and eating a whole slice of pizza and not just the toppings. But you know what? I am not sluggish through the day and I hardly ever eat in the middle of the night (and when I do its usually after a cheat day when my body immediately craves the carbs). I have not consumed a single energy drink or gel pack on a run either, just water. And I am down 12 lbs since March. So something is working. Thanks for stopping by.

 Until next time…

Why Do I Run?

"Hey Rob, why do you run?"

That's a question I get asked a lot when people find out I run half-marathons and the occasional marathon.  Some people are just making small-talk, others are genuinely interested, and still others are just being polite.  Than of course you have the occasional knuckle-head who always has a wise-@ss comment, such as "I don't drive that far!" or "Man, you're crazy!" or one of my personal favorites:  "Why, don't you got nothin' better to do?"  And each sarcastic comment is always followed by some sort of sarcastic guffaw.  Yuk, yuk, yuk!  Just imagine you're best red-neck laugh.

Laugh it up, fuzzball...

So, why do I run such far distances?  Especially since I come from a track background?  Is it about the "bling?"  No.  Well, maybe a little bit about the bling.  Okay, you got me.  Yeah, part of it is about the cool-looking medals you get when you finish.  Very colorful, big, and shiny.  Like a new car...  Is it about the cool tech t-shirts you get?  Sometimes.  The Baltimore Running Festival is sponsored by Under Armour, so that's usually a nice looking, well-constructed shirt.  I was very jealous of the ones I saw during the Frederick Half a couple days ago.  And the Baltimore 10-miler held every June also has a sweet race premium.  A couple years ago I got a nice, heavy jacket.  The next year, I got a nice half-zip warm-up jacket.  But for the most part, I can care less about the shirts.  Don't get me wrong - the Disney long-sleeve tech shirts are my favorites.  But the other ones that I collect that are short-sleeved, I'll wear maybe two or three times before they go into my collection of old jogging clothes.

So why do I run?  I run mainly for my health.  When I graduated high school, I was 145 pounds and able to run a 5K in the 18-minute range.  I wound up being the #4 runner on my Cross Country team.  Not bad for a sprinter/jumper.  When I graduated college I was around 180 pounds.  I discovered something called weight lifting my junior year in college.  And of course, when I stopped lifting all that muscle turned to fat.  Back in March 2007, I was 205 pounds.  And my cholesterol was through the roof.  Five years later, I'm down to around 184 pounds as of this past week-end.  Not sure about my cholesterol, though.  Have to get that checked out in a month or two.  More than likely, I'll be back on the Lipitor again.  I must have my pizza and chicken wings occasionally.

So the next thing I'm usually asked is "Why don't you just run?  Why do you do the races?"  Good question.  You see, I've tried "just running" in the past between 1993 (when I graduated college) and 2007.  I would run for a few weeks or so, and stop for a few years or so.  I lacked motivation.  I figured if I had something to work towards, i.e. a race or something, it would keep me more motivated.  It would keep me honest.

Why half-marathons, 10-milers, and marathons for me?  Because of the challenge.  With all due respect to the 5K and 10K runners, I'm not trying to slam you guys.  But like I said earlier, I ran Cross Country in high school.  So the 5K distance to me is pretty much "been there/done that."  And the 10K distance, we'd run a couple times a week to train.  Again, I'm not trying to belittle the 5K and 10K distances.  It's just that the challenge wasn't there for me.  The half-marathon and marathon distances offered me a new, unique challenge.  I once read somewhere that less than 1% of the entire world's population that has existed since the year 1 A.D. has run a marathon.  That's pretty exclusive company.  That's something I wanted to be a part of.

You also can't beat the camaraderie and the feelings you experience with yourself and other runners in a marathon.  Especially after mile 20 of a full and after mile 10 of a half.  Really, it's too hard to explain.  It's something you have to experience for yourself. 

It's taken me a couple years to realize that I'll never be a fast marathoner.  I used to get frustrated when I saw people I went to high school with running faster times than me.  I would often say "I used to run circles around that guy/gal."  I often wondered what people I've known for over 20 years thought of my times.  And that took awhile for me to come to terms with.  And you know what?  It's okay.  I look at the weight I've lost over the past few months and that's my motivation.  Heck, my big goal is to finish in the middle of the pack and around the 50th percentile of my age group.  If I can do that, I will be happy.  But so long as I can maintain my health, that will be enough for me.

My Zip-Ah-Dee-Do-Dah Tip of the Week:  It wouldn't be a bad idea to stash some toilet paper in your fanny pack during races.  I actually did this for the Frederick Half a couple days ago.  You never know what the port-a-pots will be like after the half-way points..

I promise...I Actually WILL Talk About Running on This Running Blog Soon!

It has been a couple of weeks since my last post, and I actually do have some good news on the weight loss front.  I no longer see a "4" in the second digit of my weight...the scale shows 237, which is down 19 lbs in 2 months of dieting!  I actually topped out at 261 in mid-March, so I'm unofficially down nearly 25 lbs since my heaviest this year.  I've dropped 2.5 inches off the waist, 3 inches off the chest, 1/2 inch around the neck, an inch around the arms, and 1/2 inch off the thigh.  The #@$^(^@#$!#@$%&& Easter Bunny has not been kind to me with all the chocolate over the past 3-4 weeks (I've heard that hasenpfeffer low in carbs...you've been warned, wabbit!).  The clothes are definitely fitting a little better, and there is a slight change in the way I look.  I'll post a pic when I'm down 25 lbs!


I was planning on taking around 3 months off of running to rest the IT band as well as to get around 20 lbs off - that's NOW, so I'm hoping to start pounding the pavement (hopefully without cracking it this time) in the next week or 2, so long as I survive the last couple weeks of the semester.  I'll be posting my running on Daily Mile (profile is at http://www.dailymile.com/people/cemushr ... feel free to link me up over there if you haven't already done so...I'd LOVE to track your progress, too!).  My 7-year old wants to do the local 5K again in July, so that will definitely be the motivation to get back out there.




Oh, and for those wondering how Tory (from my last post) did at Boston...it was a finish, even with the (REALLY) hot conditions out there...9:38 pace, which is awesome...congrats!