Strange Coincidence

With cycling training winding down, I decided it was time to get some new Kicks. I made my way to the San Diego Running Institute (SDRI) to try and find that magical pair of running/walking shoes. Long time readers will may remember the Shoe Saga from my marathon training.

I was helped by a friendly, strangely familiar looking young man, Allen. He asked about my experience with my last pair of shoes. I told him I wasn't particularly happy with them but they got me through the Dublin Adidas Marathon last October so they must be OK. We started talking about international marathons and he said that he was going to start competing internationally. I told him the only reason that I don't do it more often is because of the cost to travel and take time off of work, etc. He then said that he is regularly invited to compete internationally by various race organizers since he is "pretty good". That got my curiosity piqued so I asked if he ran in local races such as the La Jolla 1/2 marathon that I recently helped with by leading out the runners. Yup, you guessed it, he's the guy who I was assigned to during the race and "won" it. We talked a bit about the controversy and his general thoughts on running. He was a very nice, positive fellow and I wish him luck in the future.

I continue to be impressed with SDRI, who are avid Team in Training supporters. By purchasing a pair of shoes, I am eligible for a consultation with the owner, Dr. Runco for an extremely discounted rate. I've made an appointment to see him about my foot problems after I get back from Tahoe.

Oh, I ended up going back to the Asics Gel-Cumulous 9's.
















This is the first shoe I started out with and was extremely happy with. When I bought my last pair of shoes, I couldn't find this one anywhere so I had to change models.

...and the rain came

You know you're getting a little cocky when 14 miles seems hardly worth getting out of bed for. This weekend's walk started at Ventura Cove and proceeded along the Mission Beach boardwalk for 14 total miles. I really felt like sleeping in but had to suck it up and get my butt down there for the 6:30 am start time. It was gloomy and overcast and smelled like trouble.

We were supposed to take a group photo but it was raining as I pulled up and it looked like a pretty sparse crowd. We sat in our cars for a few minutes until it let up and then gathered around for announcements. Bad news was no group photo that day. Too many people had bailed because of the weather. Good news was that I have reached 75% of my fund-raising goal of $6,500! After a few slaps on the back and some stretching we hit the road.

This was the first real workout for my new shoes. I was a little worried about taking them on the longer mileage having just gotten them the day before but I powdered up, cinched tight and crossed my fingers. We caught a break in the weather for the first 5-miles then BAMM, it was pouring rain. I got soaked to the skin in about 30 seconds but we kept trucking along. I was very grateful of my trusty baseball cap as it kept the water out of my eyes. The restaurant patrons along the boardwalk looked at us like we were crazy but a few cheered, which was nice.

Walking in the rain is a real mixed bag. On one hand, if there is no wind, it keeps you cool. On the other hand it makes shoe traction difficult, particularly when walking across metal grating. I wouldn't choose it but it honestly wasn't that bad. Thinking about it, it was probably good practice for Dublin as there is a good chance we'll see some rain there. Once it cleared up, the performance clothing I was wearing dried remarkably quickly. Makes sense since it designed to wick away sweat from your skin and cool you via the evaporative process.

Didn't time myself this week but I did very well making it back to home base first along with super-quick Johanna. Feet were OK, although the big blister on the bottom of my foot from a few weeks back threatened to make a reappearance. Definitely going to use Mole Skin next week.

Signing off....

Shoe Saga

Not to completely understate it, but shoes are very important to a marathon walker. Duh. During the course of a normal TnT season, a person will usually go through two pairs of shoes. Most good quality walking shoes have about 300 miles of walking in them. After that, they may still look to be in good shape but they lose their supportive qualities and can negatively affect your performance and/or cause injury.

Shoe #1 : I got my first pair at Movin' Shoes. They are Asics Gel-Cumulous'. I tried on a few other types of shoes but this one seemed to be the one that supported my feet the best. I bought them at a 8-1/2 size which is a 1/2 size smaller than I usually buy my shoes. The guy helping me out swore up and down that they were big enough. I did have a bit of extra toe room but they were a little tighter at the widest part of my foot than I was used to. For the most part, they have served me well. When I started getting to the longer mileage, I would get a small blister on the tip of my "index" toe. My thought was that as my feet swelled, the tip of my toe was rubbing on the end of my shoe. This is a good solid shoe for me and it has served me well. Not perfect but serviceable. I used them on Tuesday nights training and it is obvious that they are played out. Step in...




Shoe #2: Picked up the ole' Asics Gel Nimbus VIII's. I decided to go up a 1/2 size to a 9, which is my "normal" size. They were definitely roomier and felt pretty good in the store. I used them twice during shorter mileage mid-week training and they felt good. Then the train walk... Blister city. Blogged about it and everything. Dealt with the blister and tried them one more time during short mileage. No go. My foot was sliding around in them. They had to go. So onto...







Shoe #3: Brooks Radius 7's in an 8-1/2. Picked them up this last Thursday. Didn't get a chance to train in them Thursday night and wore them today. Guess what, had to take them back today. They have some stitching right at the widest part of my foot and it felt too snug. I loosened up the laces, but that seemed counter-productive. Took them back in today to SDRI and swapped them out for...




Shoe #4: These are Brook's Glycerin 5's. I tried several more pairs on but these were the ones that were wide enough up front so that it didn't feel tight. Also no problematic stitching along the front squeezing my feet. Baptism by fire tomorrow with them as we are doing a 14-miler. I'm so glad I paid the extra $25 at SDRI for the membership. It allowed me to refine my shoe selection until I think I finally got something that is going to work well.

Training Log (September 17-23)

Monday: Balboa Park. 3 Miles of hills. Tried the new shoes again and they definitely have to go. My foot is slipping inside them and there is no way I wouldn't get a blister on a longer walk. They go back this week.

Tuesday: Lake Miramar - 5 mile walk with 1/2-mile sprints followed by 1/4-mile fast paced walking. The 1/2-mile sprints are something new for my training program. I was doing the 1/2 miles in just under 6 minutes. Sprinting for the 1/2-mile is a real workout and I pushed myself pretty hard. Those following along will remember that I was very fast the last time I did 1/4-mile sprints topping out at 2:41 quarters which is just under an 11-minute mile. The pace for the 1/2-mile was just under a 12-minute mile. Very respectable.

Wednesday: Had my HMR class tonight and even skipped my usual Wednesday lunch walk to have lunch with a colleague.

Thursday: Nada for exercise. Went back to the SDRI and talked to them about my shoes. I bought the membership when I got them a few weeks back and was able to swap them out with another pair. I had gone up a 1/2 size to account for swelling during the walk but it was too much and my feet were nearly swimming in the shoe, causing all kinds of friction. I settled on some Brooks back at my normal size that run a bit longer than other shoes that size. I'm going to have to give them a good workout in the next couple of days. I'm debating whether to use them on Saturday's 14-miler. Did some online fundraising selling stuff to other nerds like me.

Friday: Nada

Saturday: 14-Miles Ventura Cove. See separate entry.

Sunday: Recovery day. 'bout 1/2-hour walking around.

Getting Ready

Big day tomorrow. 18-Miles and I have to be in Solana Beach by 6:15am. Bought my train ticket today and started laying out gear.

Checklist:


Adidas Climalite Tee. This is made of a special fabric that wicks the water away from your skin so that it evaporates quickly. It helps keep you from overheating.














New shoes: The aforementioned Asics Gel Nimbus VIII's. Must remember to transfer emergency contact velco thingee from old shoes to new shoes.












New Cool Max Toe Socks. These keep your toes separated so that you don't get blisters between your toes. They are also made of a special material that pulls the sweat away from your feet to keep you cooler and blister-free.










Ultimate Direction "Uno" Water Belt












GU: "Expresso Love" Energy Gel with 2X Caffeine. You eat this gel on the go with a swig of water and you get an immediate burst of energy. I'm going to eat about 4 of them during tomorrows walk.











BlisterShield Foot powder for socks.













Band-Aids for my nipples. Yes, you read that correctly. Not very glamorous but it is very common for men to have to do this as they tend to get rubbed raw by the shirt on such a long session with the constant repetitive motion.







Other stuff:

Baseball Cap
Sunblock
Sunglasses

Speedy Gonzales

Had another great training session at Lake Miramar today. I got great sleep the night before, which for those that know me, realize how rare this is. I also prepared by drinking lots of water of the last few hot days and did a lot of stretching of my shins throughout the day. This was also the first tryout for my new kicks, the Asics Gel Nimbus VIII's.

Lake Miramar is a 5-Mile loop and the regularly scheduled Tuesday night training session involves alternating 1/4-mile regular fast-paced walking with 1/4-mile sprints. Today I clocked in at my fastest speed ever. I had three consecutive sprints of under 3-minute quarters. The times were 2 min 49 sec, 2 min 45 sec and finally 2 min 44 secs. This is less than an 11-minute mile! I'm pretty sure that is a new land speed record for Mexicans!

I got great feedback from Coach Peggy and really felt pumped up after the session. It feels great to make such good progress. Last week, I struggled to break the 3-min quarter (ie 12-min mile). I have a week to bask in glory as Coach Peggy is now going to increase the sprint distance to 1/2-mile segments next week to work on my endurance. Yow.

Training Log August 27- September 2

Monday: Balboa Park ~ 3 Miles. Training cut a bit short for the sake of the picnic.

Tuesday: Lake Miramar. Interval training with Coach Peggy. This is the best session of the week for me primarily because I get personalized instruction from one of our top coaches. This is a5 mile loop around the lake and we alternate normal walking with "sprint" walking every 1/4 mile. Today, with a lot of help from Coach Peggy, my sprints were 3.0 minute quarters or 12 minutes per mile! This shatters my previous personal speed record of 13.5 minute/miles. It took a while for me to warm up. I think I've discovered why I have been having such a hard time on Thursday night training. My shins are extremely tight after the course of a normal day, which maybe why I feel so uncoordinated and that I'm "plodding". Started out the same way, and mentioned it to Peggy so we stopped and did some stretching exercises and then resumed. I noticed a dramatic difference right away. Everything just flowed so much better when I was getting good extension in my legs. Definitely something I will keep doing.

Wednesday: Class night so workout limited to 25 minute walk at lunch.

Thursday: 20 minute walk at lunch and about 15 minutes of walking to and from the trolley stops associated with hitting the Padre game. I also ran up every set of stairs I could fine much to the amusement of Christine.

Friday: Rest day in preparation for tomorrow's 13 mile session. Friday afternoons are my only time to run errands lately so I hit the grocery store, the bank, the post office, did some laundry, paid some bills and submitted some donation paperwork to the L&L Society.

Saturday: Mileage was shortened to 12 miles due to brutal heat and humidity. The mileage actually measured out to only 11.5 miles according to the various GPS watches people were carrying. We started at 6:30 am and got on the road shortly after 7:00 am and it was already uncomfortably warm. I did the 11.5 miles in just 1 minute shy of 3 hours for a pace of 15.6 minute/miles. Not too shabby. We took some really long rest stops at the aids stations to hydrate which really affected my overall time. Along the way, I ate 3 salt packets, 3 Gu's and assorted aid station junk food (cheez-it's, pretzels) for energy. I managed to sweat completely through my baseball cap to the point where I actually was able to wring it out. Today was the first day where I really felt that I hit a "wall". The distance was very doable but the heat just sapped all the strength out of me. I was pretty beat when it was all said and done.

Also, after much trepidation, I decided to have a massage session with David the masseuse who attends all our training sessions. Those following along know that I've had a persistent knot problem in the meat of my left calf muscle. Well, David, found it, pinched it and got it to go away. It hurt like blazes for a good 30 seconds until it finally released. Best $10 spent ever. Well except that one time in Tuscon but I don't want to get into that right now.

Lastly, picked up some new kicks today. I'd really worked my existing pair of shoes quite hard so they weren't giving me the support I needed any more. I also had been getting blisters on the tips of my toes. I went to the San Diego Running Institute which is a great place to buy shoes. They were very scientific and measured my feet with calipers and pressure pads that show on a monitor how my feet carry my weight. Really cool. I picked up some
Asics Gel Nimbus VIII's. These are very similar to the shoe I had been wearing, providing neutral support, but they are a little sturdier. Apparently the shoe I have been wearing is meant for people that weigh around 150-160 lbs which could explain why the support didn't last as long. The news shoes are meant for those weighing 180-200 lbs so they are more appropriate for me. Can't wait to try them out.