Status check….
So training is coming along well. There have been some growing pains/soreness as expected. Listening to my body I have backed off a bit on some exercises or mixing things up with something different. It was harder for me a couple years ago to go off of my schedule and feeling oddly guilty about changing things up. That is probably how I over trained and hurt myself once. Road work is going well. The 3-miler is clocking in around 21 minutes & my 6miler was just a tad bit over 40 minutes. I’m happy with the pace but I know that that is just one piece of the puzzle. I don’t think my legs have ever been this strong before so that is good for the confidence level. Leading up, I think I should get a massage. I often have a hard time doing things like that for myself but I think its best for me to go in relaxed and not as tight and sore. So that is on my to do list. There is no gear or clothing to get as I already have what I need. On that note…
Shoes I am working out in these days
Road shoes
These days I am a fan of the Nike Zoom Pegasus line. I got a “lightly loved” Pegasus 31 a year or so ago and put a good amount of miles on it and I had them on in San Francisco at the Men’s Health Urbanatholon. Recently I got the puppies in the picture above. I have narrow feet so I feel like they support my feet well, firm enough and the cushioning is just enough for me. I have switched to other shoes like some by New Balance but think I have found my line. If i have to jump on a trail for just a bit they have enough traction but I prefer them for logging miles on the road. They are light, breathe well and have alot of reflective material on them for those early morning runs before the sun is all the way up. The price is not too much especially since I have found some great deals online. I got these brand new puppies for around $75.
Trail Running shoes
I have gone through different New Balance shoes. My last pair were nice but pretty bulky and heavy. I believe they were old 980’s. I scoured trail running & OCR blogs, magazines and articles to see what other enthusiasts wore. Innov8 is one that came up alot so I decided to give them a chance. These are the Roclite 243’s. I saw alot of competitors in Spartan and other races that involve alot of mud and dirt going with this brand. I decided to give them a shot. I was not ready for how light they were. I really liked that. Also they are really flexible, minimalistic and meld well with whatever terrain I threw at them on the trails. The grip was great and no rocks have inflicted any pain on my big toe thanks to a good toebox nor the bottom of my feet. Also they fit tight and comfortably. I can’t vouch yet how well they do in mud especially going up an incline. But so far I am happy with them. I’m 99% sure ill run in these at the end of the month. Most of the race is on dirt so it wouldn’t hurt to get as much traction as I can.
Sandbag work & whatever-else-I-decide-to-do shoes
Originally I purchased the New Balance MInimus MT20 a while ago to run on trails. That.Was.A.Bad.Idea. After one run on the trails my feet were so tender afterwards I had to take a couple days off the trails. No bueno. They also didn’t really have enough traction to provide either for the trail. After I kept reading how lifting or squatting with running shoes was not good for you I decided to wear these when doing squats or whatnot that did not include running. They are perfect for this. Sure I am not at the gym doing powerlifts but I may as well try to get to most out of my squats with the sandbag and whatever else do with the bag. Not much traction but just enough and I feel as if my narrow feet are well supported with the Vibram soles. So on days when I have a trail or road to run before I do other exercises Ill just throw both pairs in the backseat. Over time have frayed and have small holes on top where the shoe bends at the toes. Other than that they have been great.
So that is it. Sure I could have used my road shoes on the trails. I however feel more confident on the trails with a bit more traction. Also with shoes for different things it should spread out the time spent on them so I won’t wear them down as quickly.
