Shoe Re-calibration

Much overthinking follows in this post...be warned!!

As a practitioner of kaizen, both personally and professionally, I usually make small changes and evaluate.  Lots of small changes, regularly.  The big move??  Not so much.

Yet, sometimes kaikaku is more appropriate than kaizen.  Kaikaku means making a major change, well considered, a step which fundamentally alters a process.  And knowing the difference between the two is the key.

All this applies to running shoes, our most fundamental piece of equipment.  I've had two kaikaku moments surrounding shoes in the last 8 years. I may have had my third last Saturday.

When I started this era of running in May 2004, I had no clue about current running shoe technology, having not run regularly since 1990 or so.  After some false starts, I first visited a real shoe store in Indy in November, 2004, discovered Brooks and got into a pair of Adrenalines.  See the story here.

Those shoes worked wonderfully for me until the late fall of 2006.  After running the Portland Marathon that October, I locked up with regular ITB pain in both legs.  In February, 2007, I made another visit to a different running store and discovered the big, honkin' Brooks Beast.  See this story here.  The behemoth of running shoes, it gave me the super control I needed and cured the ITB issue.  I've gone through 14 pairs of Beasts since, with no injuries.  It worked.

Recently, however, I wondered, are the assumptions I made six years ago still valid?  The biggest change in that time is the weight I lost in 2010.  I was at 205+ lbs when I got the Beasts.  I've been at 175-178 since August 2010 and I can tell the difference.  Amazing how well running can go when you leave two bowling balls at home.  The Beast is designed for big guys.  Am I still "big"??  

With this on my mind, I made another trip to a specialty running store last Saturday, a local shop which opened this spring just a few blocks from my house.  I lugged in three old pairs of shoes, two pairs of Beasts and my one remaining pair of Adrenalines.  Once more, the owner of the store spent a lot of time with me, not in a hurry, looking at my shoes, looking at me running barefoot on a treadmill, talking first and trying on shoes later.  I deeply appreciated the attention and care.

We observed two important things.  First, my pronation (inward foot roll) is now hardly observable.  Running barefoot showed a nearly neutral landing on my left foot and only a touch of roll on my right foot, despite my high arches.  Secondly, my foot measures to a size 10 shoe.

The first fact indicated that the Beast may indeed be too much shoe for me now.  The second fact indicated I probably had the wrong combination of shoe size and sock. I've been wearing size 12 Beasts and two pairs of socks--a thin liner sock and a very heavy outer sock.  As the owner pointed out, the "cushy" sock contributed to  more foot movement, somewhat like running on a sandy surface.

So, we dismantled these things and, after a lot of iterations, I returned to Brooks Adrenalines once again, this time version 12.  And, importantly, size 10 1/2.  A full size and a half smaller.  Wow...what difference will the mere size change make??

Inside the shoe, I am trying a very thin sock, the Balega UltraLight, size L.  I found the thin sock inside the smaller shoe worked.  It's also kind of a funky sock, in that it has a left and a right sock in each pair.  Further, the sock is made in South Africa, the place where I began running in 1978 and did my first two marathons in 1979 and 1980.  Gijima, bonkosi, gijima!  (Zulu for "run, people, run!")

This experiment will extend through this summer.  I have two marathons in the next three weeks...following the maxim "nothing new on race day", I'll wear the Beasts in both.  From that, we'll see how the new system rolls out on longer runs.

I warned you this post had some extreme overthinking.  Thanks for riding along!!

Persevere.  Shoot, you already did if you are still reading!!!


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Running Safety

She didn't see me at all.  And nearly plowed right into me while I ran a couple of mornings ago.  The closest call I've had in years this morning.

Many of us have to run in the dark to get the miles in. I've learned a few things in my years in the dark.

I don't usually worry too much about traffic coming towards me.  I can see it clearly, I wear reflective gear, year round, if I'm running in the dark and it lights up nicely.  I also don't worry too much about traffic coming from behind...I always run on the left side of the road, the reflectors light up and I also have a flashing LED clipped to the back of my belt.  I've not had close calls in these settings.

But, dark corners in a quiet neighborhood...that's a different story.  Virtually every close call I've ever had has been in this configuration.  A sleepy driver, seeing no other headlights, desperately seeking Starbucks and not expecting a runner rolls through an intersection, turns and, wham, there is a guy running.  Which means, as it did this morning, the guy has to be watching.

And ready to leap to the side.  And yell.

Run defensively.

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Gear: Heavy Duty Head Fleece

In the midst of winter, it's good to keep warm.  And earlier this winter, I picked up one of the best pieces of winter gear I've found in a long time.

It's a heavy duty fleece with a long tail I can tuck into my collar.  Not a great looking fashion statement but who's worried about that when the wind chill is in negative figures??

Persevere.

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Galloway Run/Walk Method: Update on 5 Years Experience

In September, 2008, I wrote a summary post on my experience to that date using Jeff Galloway’s run/walk approach to distance running.  Recently, several folks have asked me to update my experience and it seemed useful to do so as a reference.  

Jeff Galloway has suggested for some time now most of us mere mortal runners can go longer and farther by interspersing walking with our running.  I’ve been doing this since January, 2007.

It works. And I'm still enthusiastic about this approach to running.  

I run/walk virtually every training run I do.  It is simply second nature for me now.  The mechanics just are part of how I run. I don't think its a coincidence I can’t recall a single injury in the nearly 5 years since I started which has caused me to stop training.  And, in that period of time, I’ve finished 20 marathons/ultras and a lot of shorter races.  Given that I’m not anticipating a spot on the US Olympic Team, that’s all I could ask for...to be able to run, enjoyably, injury-free, year round.  

Why does this method seem to hold injuries at bay?  Jeff has long held breaking up a long run with regular walks is worth a lot.  I agree.  So many times, especially during marathons or long training runs, I’ve felt fatigue or discomfort start to set in.  Amazingly (and it still truly amazing to me), I’ll go to a regular walk break, collect my thoughts, perhaps extend it by 10-15 seconds, and the situation improves.  Often, after one or two more of the regular walk breaks, I’m back to normal.  It’s happend too many times to dismiss as mere coincidence.  The variation in pace/muscle/jostle/mental rhythm is restorative.  

In addition to this, I’ve come to appreciate other benefits of run/walk in the past few years.  

Run/Walk allows for real fine tuning during a race or run.  On several occassions, I’ve been deep into a race when weather or fatigue simply causes the run to start to head south.  If I was simply running, I’d be forced to slow down.  But, as the mind gets mushy during a long run, that can be hard to do.  It’s been much better to throttle back to a lower run/walk ratio.  The shift from a 4/1 (run 4 minutes/walk 1 minute) to a 2/1 is invigorating, as odd as that may sound.  It allows a much more precise improvisation as the need dictates. The associated precision builds confidence. And confidence is huge, mentally.

At a macro level, run/walk also allows specificity in training.  For example, last summer, as I planned out the race calendar for this fall, it became evident that the Veterans Marathon on November 12 might be a chance for a “quick” marathon for me.  As a result, I began to train towards running a 6/1 pattern for that race...doing most of my training at 6/1, mentally preparing for the running sequences longer than my base ratio of 4/1, constructing some intermediate time windows for this pace. And, in this case, it worked.  With that race under my belt, I’m now looking at a series of maintainance races during the long winter months.  Time is not a big concern in these events, so I’ve dialed much of the training back to a 4/1, content to simply get the miles in and keep running.  And I might even run two of them at a 3/1 or 2/1. Looking farther ahead though, I just signed up for a race in May which may led itself to a 6/1 or 7/1. I can mull the plan during the long cold runs in the next few months.

Yet, what about racing?  Can you ever go “fast”?  Are you doomed to slow running?  Here’s how I’ve made sense of this.

For half-marathons and shorter, in moderate temperatures, I usually run continually.  Over the past 13 months, I’ve set PRs at the 5K, 10K, 15K and half marathon distances.  How does this work??  Again, I’m not entirely sure, but I think part of it is the fact that using run/walk in all my training allows me to pack on more injury-free miles.  And the larger mileage base allows me to run the occasional race hard.   Put another way, it keeps my legs fresh enough to go hard.  Functionally, I set the pace for these races according to what I can comfortably hold through the run segments of my normal training--it’s not like I can suddenly do 6 minute miles.  Yet, with a decent training base, you can go hard for shorter races.  And it’s kind of amazing to me that I can even consider a half marathon a “shorter” race.  

How do I keep track of running and walking?  Do I stare at my watch all the time?  No way..that would be awful.  I simply use the Timex Ironman 100 lap watch.  It has an interval timer feature in which I can set up my walk and run breaks.  Geek note-- I always set my walk time as segment one, my run time as segment two and set the watch to loop back continuously.  Why?  Because at the end of segment one, it beeps for two seconds, whereas at the end of segment two, it beeps for 10 seconds.  When I’m running, I need a stronger reminder, as my mind often is off on some other topic.  While walking, usually for one minute, I don’t need much of a signal to begin to walk again.  End of geek note.  

Hope all of this is helpful for you.  If you have questions, feel free to get hold of me.  

Persevere.  Whether running, walking or both.


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How to make your own energy gel

Last winter, long-time running pal Eric posted a link to some ultra buddies of his who had experimented with making their own energy gel. These guys wanted to find an alternative to paying $1.25 for a 1 oz foil pouch ($20/pound)which also generates litter. My interest in processes coupled with my general tight-wadded-ness let to curiosity and experimentation. Their posts provided a rough idea of how to emulate the ingredients in many of the popular gels but it weren't repeatable. So, I experimented and here’s the exact recipe you can use right now.

The Specialized Ingredients

The key ingredient in most gels is a carbohydrate called maltodextrin. This base material is sold under a number of trade names, often at nutrition or health food stores. I found one, CarboGain locally. Do your own search. The key thing is to check the label and make sure the content is 100% maltodextrin. It’s a white powder that looks a lot like flour and has virtually no taste to the tongue. This is THE main ingredient. A 2 pound jar will last you quite a while. It cost me about $12 plus local tax.

The other ingredient you’ll need is fructose, often called “fruit sugar”. It’s different from normal sugar. You can often find it near the maltodextrin in the nutrition store. You may also find it in some grocery stores. It sells for a dollar or two per pound.

Maltodextrin, Fructose

The other items you already have or can find at any grocery store.

I've worked up two versions of what I call, for fun, "JoeGel". One flows easily, the other is more pasty, like the gels we buy in foil packs.

The Recipe—Fluid Version

Here’s how you make 4 oz of JoeGel.

½ Cup Maltodextrin
2 Tablespoons Fructose
¼ teaspoon Salt
¼ Cup plus 1 Tablespoon Water
½ teaspoon Vodka or Gin
¼ teaspoon Lemon Juice or other flavoring

Combine Maltodextrin, Fructose and Salt in a bowl. Stir well with a fork to eliminate any lumps. Put water in a small saucepan. Heat water until it steams but do not let it boil; reduce heat to simmer once it steams. Add about 1/3 of the dry contents to the water; stir with fork until all lumps disappear. Add vodka/gin and flavoring. Add another 1/3 of the dry mix, stirring until all lumps disappear. Add the remainder of the dry mix, stirring to dissolve all lumps. When dissolved, remove from heat, pour into a coffee mug and refrigerate. When cooled, the material should flow with the thickness of warm honey. Transfer to final container.

The Recipe—Gelatinous Version

½ Cup plus 1 Tablespoon Maltodextrin
2 Tablespoons Fructose
¼ teaspoon Salt
½ teaspoon Pectin
¼ Cup Water
½ teaspoon Vodka or Gin
¼ teaspoon Lemon Juice or other flavoring

Combine Maltodextrin, Fructose, Salt and Pectin in a bowl. Stir well with a fork to eliminate any lumps. Put water in a small saucepan. Heat water until it steams but do not let it boil; reduce heat to simmer once it steams. Add about 1/3 of the dry contents to the water; stir with fork until all lumps disappear. Add vodka/gin and flavoring. Add another 1/3 of the dry mix, stirring until all lumps disappear. Add the remainder of the dry mix, stirring to dissolve all lumps. When dissolved, remove from heat, pour into a coffee mug and refrigerate overnight. When cooled, the material should have the consistency of cool molasses. Transfer to final container.

How the recipe works

Once you make JoeGel, you’ll see it is merely a suspension of a lot of carbs into a small amount of water. It’s amazing to me just how much dry ingredient dissolves into such a small amount of water. By varying the ratios a bit, you can dial in the concentration best for you. The vodka/gin acts as a stabilizing agent and removes any lasting bitterness. The flavoring simply adds some taste. I like the taste of lemon best; I’ve also tried strawberry and nothing. Others have used almond, vanilla and other fruit or vegetable flavors. Experiment and find something you like.

I find it takes me about 15 minutes to make a batch, from getting the ingredients out to finishing the clean up.

I have not experimented with how long JoeGel will stay "fresh"; I've always used it within 4 or 5 days of making it. Since it is so easy to make, I just make what I'll need for a race or long training run and don't bother to keep it around.

How to carry it

This turned out to be the biggest problem to solve! How do you get the gel into a leak-proof, reopenable, compact form to fit in the pocket of running shorts? Sealing foil pouches just isn’t practical. I tried little plastic pouches for the gel version but couldn't make them handle well.

I ultimately opted to use the fluid version of JoeGel because I could easily put it into one of two carriers. For short runs, I picked up a small 3 oz shampoo travel container at a local discount store. For longer runs, I fill as much as I need in one of the 10 oz bottles on my water belt. A nice benefit of this is the complete lack of litter. The bottles also clean up easily.

I never have found a container to carry the gel version in a way I can also eat easily while running. If you find something, let me know, I'll add it here.

I’ve found I use about 1.5 oz of JoeGel per hour of distance running. Your mileage may vary.

Types of Containers for Fluid Version

How to modify JoeGel

I give you a starting point. If it looks like fun, play with it. I’d suggest the first thing to do is experiment with the flavor. By changing the kind and amount of flavor, you can get most any type and strength of flavor you’d like. If your stomach is sensitive, play with the carb mix…less fructose, more malt or vice-versa…thinner or thicker. My guess is you can find some proportion which will work for you.

Let me know how it works!

I hope this is helpful for you. Let me know how it works, either here or direct to me (see the sidebar).

And, as always, persevere.

New Balance--Harrisburg; Part One

ORN:(Saturday)    11.6 miles, 2:04:45, R2/W1, 10:46/mile

 

An ongoing professional and personal interest of mine for the past decade is understanding the fundamental shift in business communication as a result of the Web.  This prompted me to start a blog in 2002, read a lot on the subject and to attempt to see the impact on my company. 

 

Central to this whole matter is a concept called "permission marketing".  Traditional marketing is called "interruption marketing."  You watch a TV program, a commercial interrupts the program, you watch the commercial, and then go back to the program.  It is so "normal" we've quit noticing the interruptions.  Permission marketing, on the other hand, asks you if you are interested in a good or service and asks "permission" to connect with you.  The Internet has enabled this in a whole new way; if you've ever done a Google search and noticed ads that seem to relate to your search on the sidebar, you've seen this.  If you've ever "opted in" for email updates from a company, you've participated. Blogs are a key part of this strategy, in the thinking that if regular folks talk about a product, it has more relevance than if marketers do.  Seth Godin is a prominent writer on the subject and has helped me understand it better.

 

I explain this to describe my interest when a digital marketing representative of New Balance of Harrisburg, PA emailed me a month ago.  Her offer was fascinating; if I'd post a link on my blog to their store, she'd send me a free pair of NB shoes to evaluate.  We corresponded a bit on the offer.  I explained I was a committed Brooks shoe guy and I have a high standard of running shoe stores, due to my excellent experience at Naperville Running Company.  I'd write just what I thought about the NB shoes, good or bad.  She said that was OK, so I agreed on the deal.  I posted the link on April 7, to her specs (thus the typo...they wanted it to say "mens" not "men's" ...all to do with search engine optimization ).  And I started my observation and evaluation.

 

The first problem was which shoes to request.  I know virtually nothing about NB shoes...the last pair of NB running shoes I wore was in South Africa in1980 for my first ever marathon.  My calves ached for 3 weeks after that race and I assume NBs are a lot better now.  So, I asked the rep to put me in contact with someone at their store who could recommend the best NB running shoe for me.  I gave her the data on my current Brooks Beast size, my age, height, mileage, overproation issues.  You tell me, I asked, which of your shoes would be best?

 

That was two weeks ago.

 

She tried to get someone from the shoe side of the store to respond.  No one did.  She asked me to email their sales folks with the same question.  I did.  No response.  Finally, she sent me the link to some NB USA shoe analysis pages for overpronators.  Figuring I was pretty much on my own, I set out to find the best shoe myself yesterday, with no real knowledge base.  It was a bit circuitous.  NB has lots of shoe models.  Lots of places sell NB shoes.  Reviews existed but not on all models.  I found a couple of pairs that seemed to mimic the Brooks Beast well.  But the Harrisburg store didn't have those models.  Round and round I went late Saturday afternoon, spending over an hour trying to settle on the right model, by myself.  My wife told me we had about 3 minutes until supper, and I decided I had spent enough time already.  

 

I ordered a pair of size 12 New Balance 1123 shoes and then sat down to delicious beef enchiladas. 

 

Their web site worked perfectly.  The coupon code the rep gave me worked perfectly.  I have a free pair of shoes coming my way this week, with a UPS tracking number arriving today.

 

Those you who know me will accurately predict "this all got me thinking".  Just what is important for a company selling running shoes?  Is it the shoe?  Or is it the contact, the advice, the service? 

 

Seth Godin makes the point, repeatedly, that the Web has made "commodities" out of almost anything we want to buy now.  I can do a Google Shopping search and find 20+ sources for the identical shoe.  If I am only shopping on the web, why would I choose one store over the other if not based on price?  To make yourself remarkable, to rise above mere "commodity", you have to do something the Web can't do...which is listen, respond and make a solution truly delightful for the end user.  

 

I entered into this agreement to see if this store could do this.  So far, no dice.  I have a pair of shoes coming my way I think ought to be OK, but I really don't know.  

 

Contrast this with a question I posed in this blog post last November...check out the very first comment.  The owner of Naperville Running Company somehow read my post, popped in, answered my question about shoes and offered to help me find a pair of discontinued Brooks Beasts.  He did, I ordered, I paid, I promote their store here.  I actually wore the pair he found in my long run yesterday.

 

Godin also points out with the ubiquity of the Web anyone can comment on customer service.  Very little happens in private.  

 

Like this post. 

 

Thanks for listening.  I'll keep you posted as the story continues.

 

Persevere.   

Product Review: SofSole Anti-Friction and Cushion Socks

ORN:  8.6 miles, 1:23:44, R5/W1, 9:45/mile, no pain

 

Last week, investment guru Warren Buffett published his view of the current economy.  While pessimistic overall, he suggested it is still wise to buy "quality stocks and quality socks." 

 

Now I don't know if the good folks at SofSole have enlisted the Oracle of Omaha to evaluate their running socks.  Further, I doubt the fact that I, too, am a native of the wide-open state of Nebraska influenced their decision to ask me to evaluate their products.  Nevertheless, they sent me a box full of goodies to evaluate and blog about. And this entry will look at their quality socks.

 

I need to tell you at the outset, I'm really finicky about socks. And I don't think SofSole realized this when they plucked me out of the blogosphere for evaluation.   I was trying to remember just when this started and I think it was in seventh grade football, in the mid 60's.  Good sports shoes had yet to be invented; we just wore the "Johnny Unitas" black leather high-top shoes.  And my feet always hurt.  I blamed it on the socks.  As I went through high school, I developed a fussiness about socks...finally settling on one or two brands that seemed to make my feet hurt less badly.  It was really bad in my favorite sport of baseball, where socks are a Big Deal and have been for a long time.

 

Fast forward to this, my last five years of renewed interest in running.  As I figured out the right shoes to wear, I also struggled to get the socks right.  Being 6'1" and just under 200 lbs, I beat the daylights out of everything on my feet. Coupled with the fact my feet are a size 11 3/4 and thus always between a "perfect fit", I settled into wearing a size 12 shoe with a thick pair of socks. That worked OK while I was doing low mileage and races at a Half Marathon or shorter. 

 

But, when I started training for marathons in 2006, I found blisters became a bigger deal.  So, I added to this podiatric mix a very thin pair of liner socks.  That combo seemed to work and I've stuck with it. 

 

So when SofSole sent me two styles of their performance sock; the Anti-Friction and the Cushon, I realized I needed to try them as liner socks...otherwise, my big shoes just wouldn't fit.  

 

I've really come to like the Anti-Friction sock.  It has an unusual ribbed pattern on the sole which, at first blush, seems counterintuitive.  But it really does seem to work.  I particularly like the very thin nature of the top part of the sock; there is only material where it is needed.  I've found them very effective.

 

It's a little less good with the Cushion sock.   My foot is just the wrong size to make this sock work well.  As a liner sock, it added too much bulk and made my shoes too tight.  By themselves, there wasn't enough bulk.  Yet, they look well made.  "Quality socks" as Mr. Buffett might say.

 

I'm guessing a really good sock for me would be their Lite sock; it would likely be a perfect liner sock for me. 

 

In both models I tried, the various parts of the sock are fitted together perfectly.  They just fit well on the foot.  You can tell they are "designed" not just stamped out.

 

So, if you are looking for socks, it's worth checking these three models to see what works for you. 

 

Persevere.  And do it in quality socks. 

What to do with the shoe

ORN, Saturday: 20.7 miles, R2/W1 (mostly), 3:57:44, 11:30/mile

The long run three weeks ahead of a marathon is intended, among other things, as a final shake down for race day. Yesterday’s long run (intended to be 28 miles) fit that description but not all as I anticipated.

The good news was I did a final, satisfactory test of Salt Stick tablets. I popped one at the top of each hour. They sat just fine on my stomach and I had no cramping, wooziness or tingles in my feet as I do when I start to lose electrolyte balance. They will be quite simple to haul along on race day. I also reaffirmed my geeky practice of labeling Gu packs, mistake-proofing the time to eat each one.



I also had two cool “unexpected” fun parts to the run. The first was an active screech owl prowling one of the woods I run through. Wow, what a sight and sound. The second was seeing fast runners. The NCAA Regional Cross Country championships were going on at 11am Saturday at the Purdue Cross Country course, right next to the trail I run on. The timing was such that women’s teams from Indiana, Miami (OH), Ohio State, Purdue and Wisconsin were warming up on the trail just as I came through. What a contrast…these young, tiny, graceful, fluid college runners next to the big, lumbering 55 year-old slow guy. Ah, but we were all running and that was cool.

But the big news of the run is about shoes.

Nearly two years ago, I came to grips with my floppy, overpronating feet and shifted my shoe to the huge, clunky and very effective Brooks Beast. After moving to that shoe in February, 2007, I’ve had virtually no problems with my knees. I’ve gone through five pairs and just recently received my sixth pair.

And thus the problem.

Pair #6 was the “new model” of the Beast. Same general look but when I first put them on, I knew they were different. The sole was different, the posts were different and in my early short runs in the new shoes I just didn’t feel the same stiffness. The first five pairs worked wonderfully (and hard) to keep my 195 pound frame from inwardly rolling my feet on every step. They kept my IT band lined up and happy.

Saturday’s long run was the first lengthy outing in pair #6. The first ten miles went fine but as I headed out on the (intended) loop around Purdue, I noticed a twinge in my right knee. Will it go away, as it often does after a few run/walk cycles? It didn’t. It gradually got worse. At mile 17, I realized it wasn’t going to get better. So I shortened the course, heading back home. Around mile 19, I throttled the cycle from 2/1 to 1/1 and held that all the way home. But the left knee now hurt and continued to hurt all day. As I write this on Sunday, they feel better, but I won’t know for sure until I head out on Tuesday to run again.

In the short term, I’m OK on shoes through the Memphis Marathon on Dec 6. This due to a nice bit of advice from David Haywood as we sat in a hotel lobby the night before the Rocket City Marathon a year ago. David described for me his method of alternating shoes, always having a higher mileage shoe and a newer pair on hand at all times. I started doing that early this year and, as a result, I have my pair #5 of “good” Beasts which will serve me well through most of December. Luckily, on Sunday afternoon, I did a quick tour of the local sporting goods stores and found ONE PAIR of the old model at one store in my size. And on discount, as they wanted to move them out. So, I’m set through March 2009 or so.

But what to do beyond that?? I’m thinking I need to find out what other really good stability shoes are out there and then get somewhere to give them a good test run. I’m just a long way from a good running store, so “shopping” is a hassle. I recall from my trip to the Naperville Running Company in 2007 there was a pair of Asics that were very close to the Beast. I’ll have to check that out.

And I welcome advice from any of you.

In the overall scheme of things, this is a minor blip. If I was talking to a guy who just lost his job in the recession or was looking down the barrel at foreclosure or had a major health problem, I’d feel pretty sheepish carrying on about the subtleties of shoe design. So take this bit of chatting for what it is…just some thinking out loud to folks who can understand the criticality of shoes for injury prevention. The fact that I can go out and run 20 miles, even in bad shoes, is a huge gift. And it is those simple gifts that sustain us.

Persevere. With or without stability shoes.

Up and Over the Front Range

ORN: 20.25 miles, 3:44:08, 11:04/mile

When I laid out my current training schedule to build to Rocket City Marathon on December 8, it was obvious to me that last week and this week’s long runs would be crucial. Given the ITB injury from last winter, the build up in mileage was a question mark. These two weeks represented the “front range” on my hike to the target race in December.

And, amazingly, we’re over the ridge and moving on.

Today’s 20 miler went well and really quite unremarkably. Pretty much, I just went out and did it and kept moving for nearly four hours. I was encouraged that I had no pain at all from my left foot, the one that suffered from my inattention last week. The tightness I’ve felt in both legs on recent long runs never happened. I was tired at the end of it but had no discomfort.

I did branch off the pavement a couple of times onto rough trails when I had opportunity. It was a simple and quiet nod to Rob who is doing a full 100 miles, by himself, on single track trails this weekend at the Plain 100. I’m awe…hope it went well, Rob.

I discovered one very useful thing this morning. I’ve always had blisters on certain toes anytime I run over 10 miles. I had to use paper tape to prevent them from forming. About a month ago, I bought a super-thin pair of wicking sock liners which I now wear inside my big fluffy Thor-Lo running socks. And now, not a hint of blisters, hot spots or anything at all on my feet. A significant improvement. Shoot, I might even call it Kaizen, but then that would be like me, wouldn’t it??!!

I appreciate all the suggestions I got last week on “what to eat while running.” I have a list and I’ll try them all this fall. Today’s banquet came from Wes, the cooking expert and triathalon dude, who found a high-energy trail mix on the Food Network. I used it (to the amazement of my wife, who walked in while I was surfing the Foot Network web site…she just shook her head and walked away) and found it useful. I kind of liked the crunchy stuff while I was running. Plus, the nuts get stuck in your teeth, so provided additional food for a while after munching.

During the run, I thought back to my first 20 mile training run on March 18, 2006. At that point, it was a major new distance record for me. Today’s run was not nearly as intimidating to think about. Just a step I needed to do to get set for the fall races. Amazing.

I keep hiking, with two weeks in a lower mileage valley before going over the next ridge of 23 miles on Sept 29. Then two more weeks in the valley and then the Indianapolis Marathon as a “training run with a medal” on October 20.

Persevere.

Of Gloves and Gatorade, Gu and Gummie Bears

ORN: 18.0 miles, 3:12:22, 10:40/mile, R4/W1

Life is complicated. Witness Darrell trying to find a doctor to see him when he happens to be in town. Witness David trying to manage the hectic end of a school year. Witness your own life. It’s nuts. It is often too complex.

So, I was in a receptive mood to read Money-Saving Tips for Runners from the Complete Running Network last week. There were some good simplification tips in the money saving ideas as well.

I really like my $1 cotton gloves from the hardware store. I was out the door this morning at 6:20am in calm 51 degree temps with my Portland Marathon Finisher's Shirt and my $1 gloves. It was perfect. I have a pair of $15 polyester gloves with a cool logo on them and I really like the simple gloves better. And if I lose them, so what???

I have mixed my own Gatorade for a couple of years now and suggested that as an additional money saving tip. Why buy water? Plus, I can make the concentration that works for my stomach. I strapped on my Thunderbolt belt with 20 oz of Gatorade and was off.

With the bounce-back process I’ve been working on, I haven’t done a lot of really long runs. A year or so ago, I always packed a Gu or two to gulp down along the way. But the CRN article got me thinking about if this was necessary. Nearly two years ago, I remembered the Running Chick wrote about her secret weapon; Gummie Bears for sugar input. I decided to pull those in, rather than the $1/pack Gu.

And the simplification worked, at least today. The schedule called for 17 miles. I messed up figuring my turn-around point and ended up with 18 and glad of it. I did a consistent 4/1 run/walk ratio and felt very good. I took a couple of swigs of Gatorade every other walk break. I popped a Gummie Bear about once a mile. I ended with gas in the tank, even though I was about 25 seconds/mile faster than what Galloway specifies for long runs; I could have easily done a few miles more. Further, this evening I umpired the plate at a Little League game tonight and the legs felt fine. Amazing. What a gift to run pain free. I am so grateful.

Two weeks to the Sunburst half marathon. Speed work next Saturday, then a short taper and we go for a sub 2 hour halfsie.

Persevere. And simplify, where possible.

Cheap, simple neck warmer

ORN: 4 miles, 39:37, R4/W1, 9:49/mile

I'm always on the lookout for ways to stay warm in the winter...preferably without spending much money in the process. And with winter refusing to release it's icy grip on the midwest, I'll share my latest trick.


One of the keys to staying warm is to cover your neck and head. But doing this effectively in a cold wind while running is tough. Often the air just leaks into your jacket, even if you are wearing a tutleneck shirt already.

Several companies sell really neat neck warmers for $8-20. I wondered if I could do better. And an idea hit me.

I stopped by a local discount store and found a generic knit cap on sale for $1.00. Yep, just a buck. I brought it home and proceeded to simply rip out the stitches in the top of the cap. I didn't even try to be too neat with it. I just hacked away. And out they came.

When I was done, I had a knit tube, not a knit cap. I now use it to pull over my head and adjust it up and down around my neck and face depending on how cold it is. I put the ragged edge down, so the finished edge is up around my face. And it works great.

I've found that the simple knit polyester tends to stay put, whether I pull it up over my face or just pull it below my chin or roll it down to a super turtleneck. This is handy, as I can adjust it up when going into the wind and down with the wind at my back. I can also pull it off easily during a run and stick it in my pocket if I'm overheated. This morning was a good example, as I ran into the wind for a couple miles, but then had it to my back on the way home.

If you are in a warm climate, just have a good laugh at us Northerners. But if you are still cold, like I am, try a one dollar solution to stay warmer on those chilly winter runs.

Persevere.