One foot in front of the other.
Date: 2/12/09
Consecutive Days Run: 43
Runner: Brandon Wood
Shoes: Newton AW Trainers
Location: New York, NY
Type of Run: Quickie
Time of Day: 6:28 PM EST
Distance Run: 2.01 miles
Time Run: 00:16:39
Average Pace: 8:17 per mile
Weather Conditions: Cold (34 degrees Fahrenheit), Windy, Sunny
Disposition: Good
Link to Run Detail: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/24538745
About the Run: If you are reading this thinking I have some super secret coverage of the Vancouver Olympics, I am sorry to disappoint. Rather, this is my own tail of clumsiness and the generous outpouring of not-giving-a-crap by the wonderful people from the New York City Sanitation Department.
I headed out this evening, planning on getting in a nice easy run and then coming in to settle down and watch the opening ceremonies of the 2010 Winter Olympics. I expected to see plenty of snow and ice on sidewalks as we live in a neighborhood that is not quite as busy as Times Square and thus, probably falls a bit lower on the list of priorities.
I didn’t run into anything significant until about the .5 mile mark. As luck would have it, this is also the point in my usual route where I hit the first of a few hills. I shortened my stride and made sure to stay safely on my forefoot, as always, and ran across everything from loose snow to snow that had become compact and turned to sheets of ice…without a problem.
As I came down the hill on Staff St. (see details link above) and went to turn right on Dyckman St. my right foot went out from under me. I fell hard on my right knee and onto my shoulder, rolling into the street. As I pulled myself together and began to stand, I noticed an SUV from the Department of Sanitation parked about thirty yards away from me, with two men inside. I cannot say whether or not they saw me fall or if they even saw me picking myself up, regardless, nothing was said. I then turned to see, only about fifteen yards away from me, a large bulldozer that was being used to move snow, lights on and pointed directly at me, idling, with someone at the wheel. Again, not one word of, “Are you ok?”.
I looked down at my leg to see that the right knee of some of my favorite tights, my Sugoi Firewall 220’s, had been torn wide open. My knee underneath didn’t look much better. I could already see it becoming slick with blood. I stood for a couple of minutes, realizing that I was FAR more upset about my tights than about my knee, and then I headed home with my tights torn, my ego bruised and a confirmed sense of loathing toward any and all New York City agencies, especially those with powerful and abusive unions.
Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional nor do I play one on TV. This post is based solely on my experiences. Always seek the advice of your doctor if you are sick or injured.
This is the time of year where many people start to get sick and/or injured. The weather in NYC Metro area is starting to get cooler and many of us are coming down with colds, respiratory infections, flu, and other illnesses. Runners training for fall marathons are at the peak of their training. Their mileage is high, most have already done at least one 20 miler and have at 2 or 3 left on their plans. Many are also picking up the intensity of their training, doing speedwork, tempo runs, and hill repeats at least once a week. With this increased mileage and intensity come aches and pains. Some are minor and some are more serious that could change your fall racing plans. I’d like share some thoughts (see disclaimer above) about dealing with illnesses and injuries.
Illnesses:
The rule of thumb we runners go by is if the illness is in your head it’s OK to run. If it’s in your chest, don’t run. This is usually sound advice. That means if you have a cold, it’s OK to run. Sometimes a good sweat will make you feel better. Mrs. Ansky, RD also has me take extra vitamin C when I have a cold. Vitamin C does not prevent a cold but it has been known to shorten the length of one.
If you have a fever, chills, or are coughing up stuff from your chest, chances are you have an infection and should not run. Rather you should see your doctor and get the infection treated. Ask your doctor when it OK to run again.
Injuries:
For those of you that read (and if you don’t, I suggest you do) my blog (runanskyrun.blogspot.com), you’ll know that I recently fractured a rib while out on a group run. A Rib fracture is a unique type injury since the only thing that heals it is time. It cannot be put in a sling or in a cast. My doctor also said not to tape it because the taping will constrict airflow to the lungs. If the lungs do not get enough oxygen, I could develop pneumonia or, even worse, a collapsed lung. My doctor said that a fractured rib can take anywhere between 4 – 8 weeks to fully heal. As for running, he said to let the pain dictate what I can and cannot do.
But enough about me. I’ll write more about my plans on my blog…dealing with injuries is hard. It takes time for the injury to heal and then, depending on the injury, there might be some physical therapy involved before you’re cleared to pound the pavement again.
If you get sick or injured you’ve probably experienced all sorts of emotions. Anger, despair, etc…. how you deal with this setback will determine if you comeback weaker or stronger. Here are some other things to keep in mind while you recover:
It’s great to be back guest blogging for Brandon. Hopefully I can be more consistent. As always, if there are topics you would like me to write about or for Brandon to talk about on his show, please let us know by either leaving a comment or clicking the contact link at the top of the page.
Newton Sir & Lady Isaac Review
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I’m not sure of the exact date when I discovered Newtons, but thanks to this site, I can tell you the first time I spoke about them on my show. It is BMP #16 at about 29 minutes in. From that point, much of the research I did on the shoes themselves was done away from Brandon’s Marathon. I did however, talk some about the technology of the shoe and how it works. I also encouraged people to go to their website rather than hear the information secondhand from me. I STILL encourage everyone to do this.
The first time I tried Newtons was in October in Richmond, Virginia when I was picking up my race packet for a sprint triathlon I was doing. The store where the pickup was located was also a Newton dealer. I asked and they happily allowed me to take a pair of trainers for a spin around the block. They were exactly what I was looking for and felt amazing. Before anyone suggests that they felt “amazing” because I wanted them to feel “amazing”, I made a promise to myself when I began this website that I would be as transparent with my audience as possible, sharing every feeling that I had (though not necessarily every event). I have kept that promise, and not in the way our government is “transparent”, rather, for real.
Due to the fact that Newtons do cost a bit more than many running, a fact which does not escape me or my wallet, I could not immediately get my hands on a pair. Also, I wanted to wait because at the time, Newton had announced a new, all-weather shoe, that would be more appropriate for running in New York City in the winter, which would not be shipped until the end of the year or early the following year. For my birthday (December 2) my father and stepmother gave me my first pair of Newtons (which wouldn’t be in my hands for a couple of weeks, but what can you do?)!
My Newtons arrived on December 15, 2008. I know it seems excessive that I know when they arrived, but again, thanks to this site I have a record. Before then, I had been slowly transitioning to forefoot for a while and my legs were more than ready. As luck would have it, I had a race about five days after getting my Newtons, however, Mother Nature intervened and dumped a ton of snow on the city and Central Park was a cold, slushy, snowy, icy mess, so I opted for my Vomero’s. With the exception of some extremely snowy or disgusting weather runs, that was the last time I would go Newton-less.
But, WHY did I switch? The answer to that question has a few layers. First, as I said earlier, I was blissfully unaware of what running actually was. For me it was something where I just went out and did it to lose weight or to look better, but now I was doing it because it was fun! Yes some of the long, boring mile remained long and boring, but they were not so laborious as before. Keep in mind that I did not all of a sudden get my Newtons and begin forefoot/midfoot striking, I had been doing it for a while in my existing shoes. Newtons, due to their minimal heel-toe drop (about 1/6 of an inch), allowed me to use a much more “piston-like” (up and down) action with my legs rather than having to force my toes down to overcome the giant wedge of my Nike’s.
Second; I wanted to go farther and longer. This part is less about Newtons, “the shoe” and more about the technique which they use and promote. Over time, I had come to discover, through trial, that forefoot running, with a shorter, more efficient stride, allowed me to go longer with minimal fatigue. It also allowed me to get up hills, where before I had to walk, I could now run up no problem. I know that this, again, may sound like a bit of, “hey mom! look how I can run faster and jump higher in my new shoes!!” syndrome, but again, this is NOT about the shoe, but about the technique that they promote. As I said before, I am not a small, lanky runner type of guy. I am tall and big and can bench-press about 275 lbs. (or could before I began trying to lean out for my Ironman). I have not had a single injury, save for ITBS which was existing, since running in Newtons. Not shinsplints, not plantar fasciitis, not knee pain, nothing.
Third; when you go to Newton’s website, you will notice that, while they are a shoe company, they are less about the shoes themselves and more about running healthy. On their YouTube channel, there are seven videos talking about the shoes themselves but EIGHTEEN videos that are about running technique and testimonials. In my experience this embodies what Newton is all about. They are taking a stake in the general health of the world around them and promoting running healthy, shoes or no shoes. When the guys from Newton came to New York this past June and did a running clinic, about half the people there were wearing Newtons and the other half not. While they definitely told us about their shoes a bit and why they were different, not ONCE did they say, “Now go buy our shoes!”.
I wear Newtons because they work for me. I wear Newtons because they promote a technique that I believe in. I wear Newtons because when I wear them, I’m not “getting through” a run, I’m just running! If you have never tried a pair, try them! What do you have to lose? If your shoes work for you and you have zero problems, don’t try them. But don’t knock it until you try it.
I don’t work for Newton, and everything I’ve said in the parts of this article are how I feel. When I run in my Newtons, or barefoot with the same technique, I feel alive. I feel like I want to run, not like I have to.
If I recall correctly, the first time I heard anything about forefoot/midfoot running was in an article in Men’s Health in 2006 in an article entitled, “The Men Who Live Forever”, by Christopher McDougall. Thus, it was quite something, when three years later Christopher McDougall became the first interview on my podcast for his book, Born to Run. The paragraphs in the article that caught my eye were:
One of Hartmann’s star clients, marathon world-record holder Paula Radcliffe, has been training in the Nike Free, a new, minimalist slipper designed to mimic the range of motion of a naked foot. Alan Webb, America’s best miler, also works out in the Free. Webb had been hobbled by foot injuries early in his career, but after he started barefoot exercises, his injuries disappeared, and his shoe size shrank, from a 12 to a 9. “My foot muscles became so strong, they pulled my arches up,” says Webb. “Wearing too much shoe prevents you from tapping into the natural gait you have when landing on the ground.”
Perhaps this was what I had witnessed while trying to keep up with Alejandro. Watching him run, I was surprised to find that instead of the long, galloping stride I’d expected, he never stretched out his legs at all. He kept his knees bent and his forefeet padding down directly under his body, as if he were riding an invisible unicycle.
“Exactly!” says Ken Mierke, an exercise physiologist and the creator of the barefoot-modeled Evolution Running technique. “That’s why they don’t get hurt.” Mierke believes there is a perfect, Tarahumara-like footstrike that can guarantee you will run longer and faster, and drastically reduce your chances of injury. The key is to stay off your heel and to use your leg as a pistonlike shock absorber.
“You wouldn’t jump off a ladder and land on your heels, right?” Mierke asks. “Same with running. If you land on your heel, your leg is straight, and the impact is smashing into one joint after the other. If you land on your forefoot, however, with the leg bent, it absorbs shock using elastic tissues instead of bone.”
A while later, I stumbled across an article in the New York Times from 2005 entitled, “Kick Off Your Shoes and Run Awhile”, funnily enough, also by Christopher McDougall. By that time, I was a few month into Brandon’s Marathon (both the site and podcast) and was sharing my trials and tribulations with an online audience. With both of McDougall’s articles fueling my curiosity, I took to the treadmill.
At first, I was landing much too far forward, literally on my toes. I was also attempting this new form of running in shoes that had all but taken away my ability to strike the ground with my forefoot due to the heel-toe drop (again, the difference in height between the heel and the toe). Even my first ungainly attempts at forefoot running, with my toes taking a beating and my feet WAY too far out in front of me, I could already feel what I was looking for, or rather didn’t feel. This was in September of 2008. You can hear me talk about all these discoveries in Brandon’s Marathon Podcast, Episode 16.
I was hooked.
I discovered, the hard way, that to change to a forefoot/midfoot technique takes time. Newton says this very clearly on their website. I had very sore calves and even a touch of achilles tendinitis. So, I slowed down and began to take my time, doing a little bit of forefoot running mixed in with my runs…which kept getting longer.
As soon as I heard about forefoot running for the second time, I began to Google it (as is the custom it seems). and THAT is when I found Newton Running.
A skeptic recently asked me, “Why did you switch to Newtons?”. If you’ve heard earlier episodes of Brandon’s Marathon Podcast, or if you’ve followed this site by reading many of my articles, then you have probably heard or read about my running evolution which brought me to Newton Running. Now, however, I am going to lay it out.
I was not a runner. This is a very important point, I feel because it gives perspective to how innocent and blissfully ignorant I was of running and all the trappings that come along with it. Yes, in high school I ran the mile like everyone else had to for the Presidential Physical Fitness program. Due to the fact that I was in insanely good shape from swimming (my sport of choice in which I was nationally ranked), I was able to get on the track for the mile and crank out a respectable 4:40. But, I was not a runner.
When I was in college, I stopped swimming on a team due to the fact that my school, VCU, did not have a team. I also discovered beer and loved it! This made for a not-so-great physique, which I did basically nothing to work on. I would lift fairly consistently, but this did little for my cardio health or weight loss.
After college (2002), I went to work as an apprentice artist with Virginia Opera (I am a singer, you see). Part of my job was touring around the state and giving concerts and recitals. This meant a great deal of time in hotels and a lot of eating out. Around Christmas of that year, I overheard someone at the opera house say that I was beginning to “look like a real tenor”. This was not a compliment. Tenors, well, most singers for that matter, have the well deserved reputation of being a little less than in shape. When I heard this statement, I knew something had to change. I weighed 240 lbs.
I began working out by getting on an elliptical machine because I believed, “my knees can’t take running”. I coupled the elliptical with some swimming (stick with what you know, right?) and lifting as well as watching my diet…sort of. I began to lose weight, coming down to a svelte 215 lbs. I think it is important to note that I am a heavily muscled person, and I’m 6′1″ so weight is relative. To give you an idea, in THIS picture, I weigh 201 lbs.
Eventually, I began to run a bit. In the summer of 2005, I was working at Santa Fe Opera and was living very close to the gym. So, I began to run on the treadmill about for about twenty minutes at a time. This was the first time I really “ran”. I think I was wearing some Reebok or Adidas shoe that I probably bought because it looked cool. My running kind of came and went for about the next year. In December of 2006, my wife (who is also a singer) and I were working in Osaka, Japan. We both got really excited about the then new Nike+ system and we each got a pair of Air Zoom Moire+. This is a very flexible, lightweight, slipper-like shoe. I began running in them quite a bit and they really felt great. However, my runs were always about two miles and rarely more than three. That’s about the point where my legs would begin to break down.
I kept up running pretty consistently, never pushing my body or trying to find out how to do more. Then in February of 2008, I was inspired and decided I was going to enter the lottery for the NYC Marathon (I won’t go into the details of all the races and things, please read older posts for that). At the same time, I had been running in the same shoes for what I was told was far too long. So, I went to Nike’s online store and chose a new pair of shoes. Because they were so narrow, these hurt my feet a lot (again, read older posts), so I exchanged them for a pair of Nike Air Vomero II’s. My reason for going with Nike was because it was what I knew, and it seemed to be working well enough.
The Vomero’s were literally like running on marshmallows. There was a HUGE heel-toe drop (height difference between the back and front of the shoe) which emphasized my heel strike which felt ok for a while because of the insane amount of heel cushioning. I also began increasing my distance, mostly on a treadmill, and then my knees showed up to the party and everything went to hell. I had it in my head that my knees were not built for running and that I would have to get through my marathon on muscle and will (which partly came true, but only due to injury).
To be continued…
Brain Surgery Frees Runner, but Raises Barriers
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No, this isn’t going to be an entry about me recommending shoes. What I do want write about is this….I’ve had a few people ask me “what type of shoes due you recommend?” I usually answer with “that depends.” I know that seems vague but it really is the truth. Let me tell you a story…..When I first took up running, I went to my local Modell’s, a big box sporting goods store in the NYC area, and picked out a pair of shoes simply based on brand recognition and what felt comfortable. As I got more into running I started speaking to other runners about shoes. I bought my next pair of shoes from a local New Balance store. I told a person working there that I was training for my first marathon. He went to the back and gave me a pair of shoes to try on. They felt comfortable and lightweight so I took them. As my training progressed, I started to get shin splints, my toes started to bleed, and I developed some blisters. At this point I became friendly with some serious runners who told me to check out a specialty running store in a town next to mine. I go to the store and the next thing I know someone is analyzing my feet and I’m on a treadmill with someone video taping me running. After that ordeal, the person emerges from the back with 3 or 4 pairs to choose from. I found the one that like, and I’ve been buying that shoe ever since.
At this point you’re probably asking yourselves, what’s the point? My point in sharing my story is this: if you are serious about running, it’s important to wear the right shoes for you. Just because I wear a neutral cushoined shoes doesn’t mean you can. One reason many running-related injuries occur is because people are wearing the wrong shoes. Get yourself a gait analysis at a specialty running shop and get fitted for the right shoes. It will make a world of difference.
I apologize for not guest blogging in a while. I’ve been very busy at work and just came back from Florida. I celebrating Passover with my family in Boca Raton. I’ve blogged about the challenges Passover posed in terms of running.
As I was catching up on some back episodes of BMP, I realized I haven’t posted here in a while. If you’ve been following my training, you’ll remember that I was having some calf problems before I left for Florida. At Brandon’s suggestion, I got myself a foam roller. I cannot thank you enough for that advice. It really loosened up my calf and I haven’t had any pain or discomfort since then. If you don’t have a foam roller, do your body a favor and get one.
I’ll be back later this week with another entry. Until then, you can continue to follow my training at runanskyrun.blogspot.com. If anyone is running the New Jersey Marathon or Half Marathon on May 3, please let me know. I will be great to meet you. I’ll be running the full.
AG
Brandon’s Marathon on Twitter!!
Buckeye Outdoors Podcasters Contest— JOIN MY GROUP!!!
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Brandon’s Marathon Gear Page!!!
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In the midst of all my IT band problems, I have been itching to test out my leg while at the same time, nervous about taking my first running strides. All that said, I just got in from going for a four mile test run, and guess what…….
IT FELT GREAT!!!
There was a bit of soreness in my ITB, but I just kept a close eye on my stride, being sure to not make any extraneous movements. I also did this run wearing an IT Band Compression Wrap (sometimes know as a cho-pat)
As soon as I returned from the run, I did a nice 15 minute stretch session, which included a foam roller. And the biggest shock…it STILL feels good. Ususally, my ITB acts up the most AFTER my runs, but as I sit here writing to you, it feels absolutely fine!
Anyway, all that is extremely encouraging, and I plan to do another 4 miler this Thursday, just to give the leg another stretch.
You Bars! (use discount code: Bmarathon)
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You Bar (enter the code: Bmarathon at checkout)
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Every year, thousands of runners and cyclists get injured and killed by motorists who either aren’t paying attention or simply don’t care. Last week, here in New York City, two joggers were hit and one of them killed by a driver under the influence of narcotics [Story].
Then yesterday, in an event that hit VERY close to home, a cyclist was struck on the very road, Route 9W near Piermont, NY, where my friends in the Saturday Morning Clown ride do our long rides. The cyclist remains in critical condition [Story].
Whether you are the motorist or the athlete, OPEN YOUR EYES!!! Please keep your eyes open and encourage your friends to watch out as well. My thoughts and prayers go out to the families of those injured.
Last night, I was forced to run on the treadmill at my gym due to weather here in New York. Now, I could have gone and run in the rain, but I would rather not have a cold for my first marathon! So, I was at the 50 minute mark, feeling really good! This is a little surprising because since I have been running outside mostly lately and I have come to HATE treadmills!
Back to the story, I hit 50 minutes and all of a sudden I felt a little, painful twinge in my high left achilles. I IMMEDIATELY hit the stop button and began stretching.
Today I feel pretty good. There isn’t exactly pain in my achilles, but it is a bit tight. So I have been stretching throughout the day and will continue tonight. I plan on going for a nice long easy run tomorrow down the West Side Greenway. I’ll keep you posted!
Richmond Sprint Tiathlon (Link to stats is on the page)
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Sorry to all the faithful out there for my lack of posting. I will be recording a new podcast episode very soon. A little food for thought though is my heel that I bruised BADLY on Monday, October 20th.
I had always heard about athletes having a bruised heel and thought that it sounded like such a cop out injury…until I bruised MY heel. I was in the pool on a training swim. The pool had just had the bottom redone and in the process the wall, which is topped by a steel gutter, had been made about 2 inches longer, and thus not flush with the gutter. I went to do a flip turn and the fatty part of my heel, the part where your foot lands when walking, struck the corner of the gutter, full force.
After my workout, I limped back to the locker room, got changed and immediately went home to ice and epsom salt my foot. Luckily, because I have become and advocate of forefoot running of late, my running the next day was not terribly effected. However, because I was having to walk around New York City, putting ALL my weight on my forefoot ALL the time, my foot rapidly became sore and almost too much to bear.
After taking it easy for a few days, and doing about seven miles on Friday, my foot is now getting much better, and I am aiming for a solid ten mile in Central Park this evening. I will, of course be talking about this and much more on the next BMP, so check back soon!!
Gebrselassie’s World Record Marathon
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Here are the details:
First; about 3 days before the race I was riding a bike to the store. The bike has SPD pedals, but I was wearing flip flops because it was just to the store and back. Somewhere along the way the pedal rolled and I cut my the high part of my heel (almost near the bottom of my achilles). No real damage, but there went any hope of not wearing socks.
Days before:
I kept up regular, but lesser workouts up until the Friday before the race (race was on sunday). During the day on Saturday, I went to the check in/clinic they had for the event. Got to take a look at the course and so on. On Saturday night I had a big plate of penne with pears in a gorgonzola cream sauce. Went to bed at 10 pm.
Race day:
I woke up at 5 am, had two eggs with cheese and a banana. I wanted to be checked in and in the transition area by 6:15, but made it at about 6:20. I had plenty of time to set up my transition area just right. I was wearing a one piece tri suit by TYR, and a Zoot Fuzion, full wetsuit (which I will never do again, I’ll explain later). I had two bottles of water set to hose the sand off my feet and everything ended up working out just right.
The start:
The day was overcast, so not so hot and the water was about 62 (f-ing cold). I was in the 3rd wave, which I think was the biggest (34-14 y/o). I got near the front of the group.
The swim:
Had a clean start and got into the mix right away catching multiple feet hands and elbows to my face and other parts. I am sure I also returned the favor. It took me about 5 minutes to pull out in front of the big pack. There was one guy that just took off and ended up out of the water about 30 seconds ahead of me. I pulled way out and I think I was third out of the water for my wave. The reason I will never wear a full sleeve wetsuit again is that it created resistance to my stroke. I had to work harder to get my arms out of the water and this ended up killing my breath. And let me tell you, I am feeling it today.
Coming into the breakers was fine. I caught a couple nice wave that gave me a great push, but I also caught one that broke under my legs and almost flipped me. Once i was standing, I had about 20 yards of water to run out of, which was SOO hard. Once out of that, I had about 75 yards to go to the transition. The real problem was that the entire run up the beach really was UP the beach. By the time I hit the boardwalk into T1 I was in so much pain. I got to my area ok, took a drink of FRS and got my socks and shoes and helmet, etc. on. I then tried to get on my bike before they reminded me that I had to run out of the transition. All in all, I think I was in the transition for about 45 seconds to a minute.
The bike:
I was riding a Cannondale R5 with Look Keo Sprint pedals. It is a road bike and not a tri-bike per se, but it did a great job, and since I train on my own road bike anyway, it is what I am used to. I did rather well on the bike and I believe I only lost about 4 places to guys that were definitely seasoned triathletes and riding $5,000+ tri-bikes. I took advantage of drafting and using it even passed one of the guys that had passed me. I made it into the transition very well and got my cycling shoes off and my running shoes/hat/glasses on in about 30 seconds.
The run:
I was using Yankz for my shoe laces so I saved a lot of time with that and the fact that I had socks on made my shoes go on even faster. The run was a 2 mile course, that was on a lot of boardwalk, which was nice and easy on the legs. However, running is by FAR my weak point and I lost probably about ten or so places to guys that were crazy fast. At mile one there was a set of about 5 stairs that burned like hell. Just beyond that was a water station. It was at that water station that I discovered the bad side of drinking water from a cup while running (I choked). I also dumped the remainder of my water on my head, forgetting the fact that I had a Nike Dri-fit hat on and it would push away any water that hit it! Oh well. The final 30 yards included a hill (up) which sucked and then a nice sidewalk.
My official time was 52:48 and I finished 6th in my age group. I am not sure about my overall place, but I will let you know once they post that info (if they post that info). Overall, I was extremely pleased with my performance. I need to work on my running, no doubt, but I hung in there and it felt awesome to finish.
THE ARGYLE AVENGER!!
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SO,
Sorry for my extended absence, but I am now back and running…literally!!
After taking three weeks off I began running again on May 6th. I think that was a day later than I had planned but, I was traveling all day on the 5th and thought that I would give my body, which was still recovering from TWO simultaneous infections, the day off.
That being said, I have been riding pretty consistently during my running hiatus and thank GOD for it. What I have figured out, which I may have mentioned in my last podcast episode, is that it was my shoes that were hurting me. Not my running shoes, mind you, but my every day shoes.
I became very fond of my Vans slide-ons. They were easy and comfortable. They also had ABSOLUTELY NO ARCH SUPPORT!!! Thus, my arch was collapsing from being on my feet in those shoes for so many hours in a day. So, once I figured that out, I began wearing stiff soled shoes with plenty of arch. I don’t have a particularly high arch, as a matter of fact it’s pretty much right in the middle of flat and high. Since my change in footwear, ALL of my problems are either gone, or on their way out the door!!
Today will be my third run back and I am excited to get to it. It will be a treadmill run (gotta take it easy to get back) and I am aiming for about 35 minutes.
Check back soon for BMP: Episode 6!!
After a short absence… I’M BACK!! Running 30 min’s today, I am now SLOWLY rebuilding toward my previous runs. Check out the episode (number 4 even though I say number 3 at the beginning of the show) below.
Links to check out:
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I really do love being sore. I love it, that is, as long as it is a result of a nice, solid workout. Today however my feet are a bit sore. I think it’s because of the new running shoes that I just bought. They are Nike Zoom Jasari+. They really are extremely light and flexible, but for whatever reason my feet are killing me! The shoes I had before this were Nike Air Zoom Moire and I adore them. They were like wearing slippers. I have a feeling that I may have to return my new shoes and get a pair of the Moire’s, oh well!
Anyway, aside from that, today was a swimming day for me and a good break for my feet. It’s amazing how much swimming helps with every aspect of exercise! Running presents basically no cardio or breath challenge to me because of the work I put in in the pool. However, up to now, I haven’t run as much as a marathon, so I’m sure I WILL indeed hit a cardiopulmonary wall at some point.
Tomorrow, I am aiming for a 4 mile run. I’ll let you know!
Thanks so much for visiting my site! My name is Brandon Wood and I am an opera singer living and trying to make it in New York City. This site and podcast follow my adventures on the way to competing in and training for all kinds of endurance events, especially triathlon and running. Click the "About Me" tab for more info!
