Resolution Race Strategy

Okay, so today is the last day of 2009. I am going to go back to the Galloway run/walk/run strategy just to see how it works. I am going to use his recommended ratio for an 8 minute mile pace: 4 minutes / 35 seconds. That's 12.7% walking. I think this might be the ratio I use for the half marathon in March. From my perspective, there's no reason not to use the Galloway strategy in races. Again, the goal is a low time.

Boo! It's a Ghost!

I went for my first serious shoe purchase as a runner. The folks at Complete Runner near my office in Flint helped me tremendously. I seriously considered 6 different neutral cushioned trainers. First, it was nice to confirm that I do in fact have a neutral gait; they looked at my old Saucony Jazz and watched me on the treadmill. So I spent lots of time running on a number of shoes. The winner: Brooks Ghost.

True to form in running shoes, the Ghost has already been replaced by the Ghost 2. I got the first model. I paid $100, but that was well worth it given the help and selection I had at Complete Runner. When I got home, I found a second pair on Overstock.com for $60 and ordered them. Cool!

Here are notes about the other shoes I tried today

• Mizuno Wave Runner: The runner up. These are nice shoes, and I really liked the lower profile heel. But they were so light that they just didn't seem as substantial to me. If I find a cheap pair of these guys online, I might snatch them up. The heel design is really different, too.
  
• New Balance 1063: In the top 3. These were a very nice, tight fit but the heel just seemed gigantic! Had the heel been a lower profile, I think these guys would have won.
• New Balance 1064: Marilyn seemed to think the newer 1064 would be less comfortable for me than the 1063; I'm not sure why she was right. I was trying to narrow down the field, so I went with her recommendation. The 1063 and 1064 were the most expensive of the bunch.
  
• Brooks Defyance 2: For some reason, these guys just felt wrong. They felt like paddles attached to my feet. Instantly not a good fit--not sure why.
  
• Brooks Ghost: Took these guys to the dance. Overall the best. I wish the heel were just a tad shorter like the Mizunos, but this was the best combination of all of them.
  
• Asics Gel-Nimbus 11: I nearly bought a pair of these online based on reviews. Whoa, did I avert a disaster. These shoes were so pillowy that I don't think I could have run on them. They felt cushy and gushy. It's funny, as I was putting them on I thought to myself: "I really want these--good thing I get to compare them to other shoes." I instantly knew they were wrong for me.

I'm feeling good about my Saucony Jazz purchase back in the summer. They got me started and, as it turns out, they were great shoes that match my gait pattern. Now they are my winter "screw shoes." Perfect.

I am sorely tempted to go to the indoor track tomorrow to test these guys out on a fast 5K.

P.S. I just looked back at my July blog entries. Boy, I nearly purchased the exact wrong shoe back then. I was going to buy a Mizuno stability shoe; good thing I held out for the Saucony Jazz. Something tells me I am going to really like these Brooks.

UPDATE: Just did a quick 3-miler in these, and they are great. Obviously they will take some getting used to, but I feel a distinct cushion in the mid-foot where I strike--it feels like kind of a "paw," which is very cool. I needed to concentrate to relax my lower legs, but it seemed to work. I wonder if it's common to run faster than normal in new shoes. These guys get more air circulation, too--luckily it wasn't that cold out (28F). I think these are going to be a great pair of shoes for me.

New Tires

New Balance 790

I took my first run in the New Balance 790, a discontinued, minimal trail shoe that is popular with ChiRunning people. I decided to just go out for 3 miles and try something a little different: I ran with a 60bpm click track and ran at a cadence of 90 (that's what you get if you run in "waltz time" at 60bpm). Some thoughts:

• The shoes are not uncomfortable; the lack of cushioning is immediately noticable. I ran 3 miles and noticed more fatigue--not pain--in my upper feet and lower legs than I usually experience. It's been about 6 hours since the run, and my R plantar fascia is a little warm and inflamed (it didn't hurt during the run, and it's not really painful now).
• You can really "feel" the road in these shoes. I tried to focus on this because I don't plan to log lots of miles in these guys; I plan to use them on "form focus" runs where I want to feel the road. I had an interesting sensation during the run: it felt as though I was using my mid-foot to strike, but my toes and heel were also giving me information about the terrain. It almost felt like my toes and heels were acting like ski poles--they were not supporting my weight, but they were giving me information about the lay of the land.
• On this run, I also ran with the click track. This was odd at first. One thing I learned is that there is no way that I keep a steady cadence while running. I had to work to stay at 90 pretty consciously. Reflecting on the run, I can tell that I must increase/decrease cadence depending on my perceived exertion. This was a cool run because--for the first time--I could objectively notice my increase and decrease in speed. Running with the click track will be very interesting at Genesys. I had a moderate perception of increasing lean and stride length to increase pace, but I did not have a good sense of it. I mostly noticed these changes after they were happening. At Genesys, I will be able to monitor these at 426 yard intervals.
• The shoe seems fine for short runs, and will probably be ideal for work on the indoor track, especially when I want to feel more of how my feet land on the ground. I'll use these shoes to focus on my form.
• I always find myself doubting that I actually strike at the mid-foot. Part of me thinks (and I sometimes have the perception) that I am striking with my heel; however, I must be avoiding the heel enough to stop the intense pain I was getting in my lower legs.
  

In thinking about perceived exertion, check out the Perceived Exertion Scale. Here's a modified and simpler version:



So, I love being analytical about this thing. The "Borg Scale" might be a great way to work on different effort levels. From my reading of running magazines, etc. I have noticed that many runners have a 5K and 10K pace. I assume there is a corollary half-marathon and marathon pace. Off the top of my head, paces I would be happy with in the next 12 months are:

• 5K = 7:45/M (24:00)
  
• 10K = 8:17/M (51:30)
  
• 13.1 = 8:35/M (1:52)
  
• 26.2 = 8:50/M (3:51)

The pace chart I made for the indoor track will be a cool way to monitor this. Another great thing about that chart is that I can simulate different exertion levels and patterns (e.g. pushing it at the end of a race, etc.). I am actually looking forward to using the track in January and February.

I only have about 80 days before the half marathon. So I think that I will be "training" for the first time come January 2010. The Genesys track should help with that. I've also stabilized at 190 pounds. I think it's a reasonable goal to lose 10 pounds before the race. That is under one pound per week. Here are some diet ideas:

• No soda (Diet Coke at work)
  
• No fast food (McDonalds, Burger King, Halo Burger, Taco Bell, etc.)
  
• No candy (that means you Peanut M&Ms)

Frankly, those could be easy to stick to for 80 days. You might lose more than 10 pounds just by doing that. Add the running, and maybe you'll get to that magic 175 number. Who knows?

One thing is for certain: the race will be easier if you weigh less.









New Balance 800

I am contemplating a purchase of these:

A few days off

I did take my running shoes to Park City, and I did do one short run at 7,000 feet. I did an out-and-back with two fairly large hills. My guess is that I did 2 miles. Whew, running at that elevation is a challenge.

Mapmyrun is so cool--I just figured that I did 200 feet of vertical gain with a maximum grade of 8% (I guessed about 8% for that steep part--geez, that is rough going with light oxygen!).

Screw Shoes

Just finished a 1.5 mile test run in these in the worst conditions imaginable: partial snow, partial ice, invisible black ice, and exposed dry pavement. Solid snow would be better. These things are great. They are "crunchy" and I think I'll prefer them in hard-packed snow. But there was zero slippage on black ice, ice, snow, and pavement. Very cool.

I might get shorter screws--even though I shortened some of them, it's a little prickly. I'd rather replace screws on a regular basis than feel them poking at me.

Here's the shortest and coolest link on screw shoes.

More ChiRunning Thoughts

Well, my new 790s arrived today. Smokin' deal at $49.00, so I am anxious to take them to the track. It's a minimal shoe, so I want to take it easy at first. I also made a 60-minute click track of 60 BPM for a running cadence of 90.

Another Race... Lessons Learned

Well, I am not happy with my time from the 10K race today. It was a great race, though, and I did have fun. I think I'll post here about takeaways.

Positive

• This is the first race where I was really feeling "pain" at the end. Pain of an injury or being out of shape does not count here; by PAIN, I mean pushing myself to the limit. During that last 1.5 miles, by body was not happy with me. For the first time, I could feel the lactic acid in my legs screaming--NO MORE! STOP! I was winded. I wanted to walk. I slowed down a bit, but I would not let myself walk. I even kicked it up a bit duing the last quarter mile. I got cramped in my chest a bit, but I did not push myself to the point that I was worried about anything. If I am going to do races like this, I need to learn a lot more about this "pain" thing. I give myself good marks for a preliminary exploration. I shudder to think what the last stage of the marathon might feel like.
• I feel great now. This cannot be underestimated. I feel like I could go out and run another 10K race tomorrow, and that is excellent. I don't have a single twinge of pain or hurt in my legs, and I have had a very normal active day.
  
• I didn't walk once. Now, this is controversial. I think my time would have improved with a few walk breaks. But I think it was important to totally run this one.

Things I Could Have Done Differently

• I think if you want to finish in a certain time, you need to wear a watch. I figured I would just go as fast as I felt comfortable and see where that left me. Well, it left me with an extra 90 secons that I didn't want. I'm glad I ran the race this way--I learned a thing or two.
• In my previous 10K, I walked through every aid station and took a 35 second walk break. I think this made me faster. I should try to do a 10K with a run/walk/run interval.
  

10K @ 19F

Tomorrow, I run my second 10K race the frigid cold. It's supposed to be 19F when the starting gun goes off at Run Like the Dickens tomorrow. Still, I am worried about overdressing. I did a 5 miler in 22F wearing my regular stuff, so I think I should be okay. I bought a new pair of gloves. Apart from that, I think I should wear the normal gear.

I am going to try for my old goal: 52 minutes or less. I have a Stooges playlist that is 51:30, so we'll see if Iggy can get me across the finish line.

To get across in 51:50, I need to average 8:20/M. I can do that. I did 8:17/M in the 5K, and I don't think that was max effort. I could have done more. So I feel that I can make this goal.

51:44

That is the exact time of my Stooges running mix--I've run with it a few times. It's cool. Perhaps my goal should be to cross the finish line before the music stops. The song "Funhouse" comes on at approx. 24 minutes. Raw Power comes on at 32:00. My last 10K was a 51 minute Zeppelin mix.

The Night Before

Okay, so it's 16F out there now, and I have all my running gear on; it is so freakin' cold out there!!!! I don't want to overdress, but it would be terrible to underdress. My legs weren't cold at all, and I don't expect they will be. Here's what I am wearing:

• Layer 8 skin-tight, long-sleeve shirt
• ZeroXposur fleece (these two items are usually good into the mid 20s)
• Saucony Boston pants (again, good into the low 20s, warmish in the mid 50s)
• Non-cotton ski socks
• Gloves
• Running shoes
• SIMMS balaclava

This should be fine when running a difficult race.

56:01

Not great. But I went out and did it.

Black Diamond Sprinter

So far I can see pretty well in the morning, but I may need one of these some day.

90 BPM

The ChiRunning folks recommend running at 9 beats per minute. By this, they mean having one foot at 90 BPM. This feels fast for most people. I grabbed a drum machine and did a 10 minute clip of kick/snare at 90 BPM for starting off. It worked pretty well today. I've actually made a couple of click tracks. Just finished making one with an online metronome. This one is in waltz time @ 60 BMP (which will still be a cadence of 90 BPM if you alternate right/left--see the article in the first ChiRunning link).

Then I kicked into my new all-Stooges runnning mix. Man, running with Iggy is pretty fun.

Stooges Playlist

1. Down on the Street
2. 1969
3. I Wanna Be Your Dog
4. No Fun
5. Real Cool Time
6. 1970
7. Fun House
8. Raw Power
9. T.V. Eye
10. Loose
11. 1970 (Take 3--7 minutes of brilliance!)

I'm not sure that an entire run with a click track. The 10 minute track I have should work for setting tempo at the beginning (and I can return to it later in a run).

Heelstrike Revisited

Well, I am still doing it. The photo to the far right is from the finish, which is always a little helter skelter, so I suppose bad form will dominate. What is interesting is that extreme rotation in the back end of the stride.

Looks like I might not be striking on the heel in those earlier shots. And the one on the right might not be so bad--I am still an inch or so off the ground.