Devolution

Asics Gel 1150

Saucony Kinvara

Merrell Trail Glove

Huaraches

This is more of a proof of concept than a serious attempt at making huaraches.  For an investment of $3.00 (Walmart flip flops and some cord from my garage) I was pleasantly surprised at the result.  I did take them for a quick run up and down my street and they were comfortable and stayed firmly affixed to my feet.

 The flip flops are more than double the thickness I need and way too spongy for serious running, although with use they may compress.  I have some ideas for some “found” materials that might make a better sole.  If they don’t work, Vibram Cherry Soling seems to be the preferred material and can be had for about $25 a sheet.

I like them enough that I plan on doing some experimentation, after the Marine Corps Marathon of course.

. . . . and yes, I am aware that I have now officially gone insane.

I'm a Check List Geek

Shoes: Asics Gel 1150 – Check!
Socks: Thorlo Experia – Check!
Shorts: Reebok Relay w/pockets – Check!
Shirt: WVR – Check!
Spibelt – Check!
Cell phone – Check!
Ziploc for phone – Check!
Cash – Check!
Water Bottle Holder: Nathan Quickdraw Elite – Check!
PowerBar Gummies – Check!

Toe nails clipped – Check!
Body Glide liberally applied to thighs – Check!
Band-Aids on nips (Here's why, if you're wondering) – Check!

All fueled up? – Check!

Run 20 miles – CHECK!!!!!

Final Stats
Distance: 19.96 miles
Total Time: 3:18:54
Average Pace: 9:58
10 Mile splits: 1:40:36 (10:05 pace) and 1:38:18 (9:51 pace)  Negative split - yeah!

I don’t have a GPS record of this run, but here is a link to the route I ran from a prior run. I did two, ten mile loops.  This was a WVR run we call the Swamp House Grill Run that traverses some beautiful back roads.  I have to say that it is great to have friendly faces waiting for you at the end, Gatorade in hand, even when you are the last one to finish.  They do an awesome job supporting runners on these long runs.

What was the most painful part of the run?

Removing those damn Band-Aids (and more than a few chest hairs) from my nipples and then crawling into this:

My training is peaking and it feels good. Next weekend is the Daytona Half Marathon. The week after that is a repeat of this weeks training schedule, including another 20 miler. Then all that will be left is the taper until the Space Coast Marathon on November 28.

Saucony ProGrid Kinvara – First Impressions

I decided to risk straying from my usual support running shoes and try a more minimalist shoe. After a lot of research and several recommendations, I chose the Saucony ProGrid Kinvara.

As you can see, I opted for a little flare.

I was unable to find a local source for this shoe, so this was also the first time I ordered shoes online. I ordered them from Running Warehouse for only $65 after a 15% discount (thanks again Jim). That great price even included free 2 day delivery.

My current favorite shoe is the Asics Gel 1150, classified as a support shoe. I was fit for these using the traditional treadmill gait analysis for pronation and they have proved reliable and comfortable. I was happy enough with them to buy a second pair. With well over 300 miles in them between the two pairs I have no complaints, but probably like most runners, I can’t help but wonder if there is something better out there.

The Kinvaras are classified as performance neutral. They are very light, weighing in about 4 ounces under my Asics. That is the first thing you notice when you try them on. They offer some cushioning, but noticbly less than my Asics. They also are much flatter with a smaller heal rise (4mm as compared to 10mm on my Asics).

I think this shoe runs a little narrower than my Asics. The fit was a little snug wearing my usual thick Thorlo running socks on my size 11 dogs. When I switched to thinner Experias, the fit was perfect. The Experias could become my new favorite sock if they prove to be as durable as the thicker Thorlos.

I wore the Kinvaras for the first time on a 4 mile run this morning. There is a lot of hype about these shoes online, and about minimalist shoes in general, but I tried to keep my expectations reasonable.

I was very pleased with the feel of the shoe while running. My online buddy and fellow DoppelLaufer Virtual Racer, JimDo64 from the Active.com running forums, described the sensation as being able to “feel the roadness,” eloquently stated and I don’t think I can improve on that description.

Will these shoes automatically improve my running form? Probably not, but the shoes did make me feel more aware of my form. It was easier to feel my footstrike and to therefore make adjustments. I didn’t miss the extra support at all, but time will tell whether this will still be true during longer runs.

I ran the first two miles at a fairly comfortable 9:00 pace and when I pushed that up to 7:41 for the third mile, the shoes performed really well. The faster pace did seem easier, but that could be equally attributable to cooler temperatures. Still, I’m excited to try these in a race.

I am looking forward to testing these on longer runs and if they work well, I may even wear them for the Daytona Beach Half Marathon at the end of the month.

More to come.

Head to Head to Head

Looks like we have another entrant in the DoppelLaufer Virtual 5k Challenge. dwm082 a/k/a Don threw his hat in the ring yesterday.

Here is the new lineup:

With his weakness for ice cream and potato chips I really don’t consider Don much of a threat, unless of course Ben & Jerry’s sponsored his race and is offering free samples at the finish line. He does seem to have won the heart of our head cheerleader, but I think that’s only because his profile picture hides the spare tire he’s carrying around his waist from eating all that junk food. I also think that’s a rug on his head.

Don’s running in the Mississippi Mudds 5k in Buffalo, NY. Looks like it’s FL vs. IL vs. NY with state pride on the line.

Jim has graciously offered me a few training tips. Apparently applying a thick coat of Icy Hot to the nipples, upper thighs and groin area just before the starting gun virtually guarantees a PR. Makes sense, I think I’ll give it shot.

The shenanigans are escalating here.

I picked up my race packet yesterday at Track Shack. I’m bib # 1363. They were having a 20% off sale so I picked up a new pair of Asics. This will probably be the pair I wear in the Space Coast Marathon. I broke them in this morning.

Video Gait Analysis

I had my first experience with video gait analysis today and the experience was totally cool (excuse the 80’s colloquialism – I can’t help myself).

Armed with my credit card, and my current running shoes, I headed out to my local running store, Front Running Sports in Lake Mary, Florida. The sales person first took a video of my feet while running in a neutral shoe on a treadmill and then let me watch it in slow motion. My pronation was slight but easily noticed. She then had me try on a pair of Brooks (Defiance, if I recall correctly) and had me run on the treadmill again. Watching the second video in slow motion I was truly amazed, the correction was instantly apparent. Armed with this knowledge she was able to recommend four different shoes from four different manufacturers, Saucony, Brooks, Asics and Pearl Izumi. I tried them all on and she encouraged me to take them outside for a test run.

I walked out of the store with a new pair of Asics Gel 1150’s, $20 under my budget, and very satisfied with my purchase. I am excited to try them out and will post a review after I have a few runs in them.

I had my pronation correctly diagnosed by a salesperson at another well respected store in the area several years ago and all of my shoe purchases since then have been based on that diagnosis. Without the benefit of the video analysis I was left with the impression that the diagnosis required some kind of voodoo magic. I am now much more confident about what I need in a running shoe.

I could tell even from the short run I took in front of the store that the source of the knee pain I have experienced over the past few weeks was my worn out running shoes.  I can't wait to get back to a regular running schedule.