Tag Archives: Running

May 02 2013
11 Comments
Running Gear

A Serious, Long-Term Relationship With a Running Shoe

The first step is admitting that you have a problem, right? Alright guys. I’m addicted and have been for a few years now. The Saucony Kinvara certainly hasn’t been the only shoe to carry me in the past 2 years but let’s just say it’s been there for me through thick and thin. I bought my first pair in April or May 2011 when I started training for my first marathon. After a short transition period, they quickly became my favorite shoe. And they’ve remained a constant in my shoe rotation ever since.

My Addiction. Illustrated in race pictures….

Chicago Kinvara

First marathon. Kinvaras.

rnr dc

Rock ‘n Roll DC 2012. Kinvaras.

carmel 2012

Carmel, IN Half 2012. Kinvaras.

Bayshore_4

Bayshore Half 2012. Kinvaras.

batavia10

Batavia Half 2012. Kinvaras.

Twin Cities

Twin Cities 2012. Kinvaras.

Boston14Full

Boston Marathon 2013. Kinvara 4s!

Saucony was generous enough to provide me with the newest version of the Kinvara before it’s officially released on May 1st. I received them in the mail 2 weeks before Boston and was anxious to see if they could be my race shoe for the marathon.

So far, the Kinvara 2 had been my favorite version. When they released the Kinvara 3 last year, I quickly realized that I wouldn’t be able to wear them. The 3rd version had a higher ankle rise and it rubbed my achilles raw during a 12 mile run. I have a very short period to break in a fresh pair of Kinvaras because my feet and legs are so accustomed to them. But I knew that it was trouble if they bothered me on a relatively short distance run. [More details if you're curious about the differences between the Kinvara 2 and 3!]. Luckily, I was able to stockpile a few pairs of Kinvara 2s and track down a few more pairs with the help of Saucony when I could no longer find them online (super nice of them!). I guess you’re truly addicted with a shoe when you have to solicit the aid of the brand to find it…

The Kinvara 2s provided enough cushion and stability for my first marathon and I haven’t ventured too far from them since then. (The other shoes in my rotation lately have been the Saucony Fastwitch 5 and New Balance RC 1600s). Beyond the achilles issue, the Kinvara 3 was much more firm and didn’t respond to the ground the way I was hoping.

But my love affair continues….Loving the Kinvara 4! 

Kinvara 4 Blue

I put about 25 miles on the Kinvara 4s the week leading up to Boston. (I know, I know.  ”Never try something new so close to a race”.) But they seriously felt like a glove and I had no issues with the achilles rubbing in the back. The longest run in them before Boston was 12 miles and they felt great. The biggest difference that I can feel between the Kinvara 2 & 4 is the cushioning in the heel (due to the PowerGrid in the new version). The ride seems to be a bit smoother because of it. I pretty much consistently land on the midfoot and there seems to be less “bulk” in the 4s. Overall, they’re super responsive and light as a feather (just as they always have been). If you want more details on the specific changes Saucony made to the shoe, check out their dedicated Kinvara site.

Kinvara 4- Left. Kinvara 2- Right.

2013-05-02 19.04.43

Saucony stripped away a lot of the soft padding from the K2s but I haven’t had any issue with the achilles rubbing on the K4s. The heel is flexible enough that it bends when I flex my foot forward.

I couldn’t help snatching up a pair of the Limited Edition Boston Kinvara 4s before Boston a few weeks ago [SEE?! I AM ADDICTED!] I know they’ll always be a special pair…

kinvara 4 boston

Looking forward to an early Cinco De Mayo celebration and the Kinvara 4 Launch party at Fleet Feet on Friday, May 1st. [If you're in Chicago and want to attend, be sure to RSVP so they have enough food and drinks for the crowd!]

AND IF I HAVEN’T CONVINCED YOU OF THE SEVERITY OF MY ADDICTION…

I thought I only had a few pairs to donate but after rummaging around in my “shoe closet” (AKA underneath my bed) for a few minutes, I found more than a few pairs to donate to Step Into My Sole….

2013-04-30 15.14.51

-J

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Mar 11 2013
9 Comments
Boston Marathon, Marathon

Boston Bib!

Boston Marathon 2013 Bib Number

 

This made me happy today!

thirty-five days.

-J

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Dec 10 2012
5 Comments
Goals, Marathon Training, Running

A New Challenge

I’ve been struggling with one fussy left hip the past few weeks. I can feel it ache when I lay on my left side in bed, it’s vocal during portions of easy runs, and it, in general, feels like it needs some TLC. Like most runners, I don’t like to rest. I feel like that’s all I’ve done since the Twin Cities Marathon over two months ago. My mileage is somewhat laughable and enormously inconsistent. All I want to do right now is jump into a solid training cycle and challenge myself again. My heart says yes but (right now), my body is saying no.

So, this week. I am going to NOT run. I am going to cross train and strengthen. I went to a 90 minute vinyasa yoga class during lunch today and felt incredibly challenged. Lunges that I did two days ago are still locking up my quads and there are definitely muscles that needs to lengthened and strengthened. I feel like I’m going to go stir crazy, break down, and hop on the treadmill for “just a few miles”. I don’t want to. I want my hip to be kind to me and stop bumming me out.

I foam rolled and stretched right when I woke up this morning. Foam rolling the area seems to help for a bit, but then the muscles lock up again (I sincerely hope this is a muscular issue, as opposed to a skeletal one). I’m more conscious about how I sit when I’m working. I’m hoping this is something that a deep, sports massage can take care of.

Ok, I lied. I might go for a birthday run this weekend. But it definitely won’t be the 12-13 I was hoping to log.

Self-imposed challenge accepted.

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Oct 03 2012
2 Comments
Goals, Marathon, Marathon Training, Running

First Gold: Marathon Inspiration

I can’t believe I hadn’t seen this video before this week! If you or someone you know is running a marathon this weekend (ahem…) or in the future, you should definitely watch this. Talk about grit, discipline, and internal motivation to GET IT DONE!

-J

Tagged ,
Sep 04 2012
2 Comments
Marathon, Marathon Training, Runnerds, Running

Twin Cities 2012 Marathon Training: Weeks 7 & 6 Recaps

In the excitement of last week’s half marathon in Batavia, I totally forgot to write a Week 7 Recap so this week you get to read about TWO weeks’ worth, rather than one!

Week 7:

Week 7 was essentially a mini taper to prepare for Batavia.

Monday: 1 hour Yoga –this hasn’t been part of my routine this year, but I think it should be! After the previous Sunday’s 20-miler it felt really good to loosen up muscles that I didn’t know I’d been using.

Tuesday: 9.8 miles, 1200 m repeats! Ran 3 sets of 2 x 1200 with 2 min rest after each interval and an extra 2 min between sets. Started to really hurt on the 4th 1200 and had to keep it together for the remaining 2. Target: 4:45/ Actual splits: 4:48, 4:46, 4:46, 4:50, 4:43, 4:47.

Wednesday: 4 easy miles + core workout for 40 minutes

Thursday: REST!

Friday: 5 miles with 6 x 200 meter pick-ups to loosen up before Batavia on Sunday

Saturday: CARBO LOAD!

Sunday: Batavia Half! (See Race Recap Here!) 1:36:21 and 2nd place in my age group :D

Week 6:

This was a very different week for me. I realized early in the week that I’d need to stack workouts and run my 20-miler on Friday before leaving town to spend the weekend with family. I knew that I’d have a hard time fitting in a 20-miler and would run it on country roads that I wasn’t familiar with so I ran it Friday morning instead.

Monday: REST

Tuesday: Yasso 800s: Hot, sticky morning for a challenging workout. Started before 7, but had to stop at plenty of water fountains to beat the 86% humidity along the lake. Ran 2 mile warm-up, 8 x 800 Yassos with 3:00 recovery, followed by 2 mile cooldown. I reached my limit today, I think. Started to hurt after the 5th repeat, but shocked at the splits for the last few: 3:12, 3:13, 3:12, 3:13, 3:11, 3:13, 3:15, 3:06. I was really happy to be done with these!

Wednesday: Steady State Run:

Plan: 1 mile warm-up, 9 miles at 7:20, and 1 mile cooldown
Actual: 1 mile warm-up, 8 miles ~7:20: 7:21, 7:15, 7:10, 7:14, 7:11, 7:14, 7:16, 7:12, and 2 mile cooldown

I was pretty happy with this run considering the heat and the fact that it was a very ambitious tempo-ish pace. When I saw “9 miles at 7:20″ on my plan, I thought it was a typo but decided not to question it and head out to the lakefront that morning. I didn’t think I could stick it out for 1 more mile but decided to be happy with pushing 8 at that pace. Phew!

Thursday: REST–headed to Fleet Feet to stock up on Gus for the next day’s 20-miler. I bought a new pair of Zoot compression socks and lounged around in running clothing all day. I foam rolled in front of the TV for at least 45 minutes that night just to make sure my legs were fresh for the next morning. I’m sure non-runners would think we all look so silly when we’re rolling around on our foam roller. You have to achieve some seriously awkward positions in order to reach the right muscles haha!

Friday: 2nd 20-miler of the cycle! I ran a 3:00 min pick-up every third mile around 7:20-7:30 and focused on maintaining an 8:10 pace the rest of the time. This was harder than the first 20-miler two weeks ago, but that’s probably attributed to the heat considering it only reached 70 degrees at the end of the first 20. It was 81 degrees on the lakefront when I finished at 9:15.

Overall, the past two weeks have been really good. I’m proud of myself for a strong race in Batavia and getting the 20 done before the weekend began. I’m experiencing more fatigue lately than earlier in the cycle but compared to how I felt post-long-run last year, I’ve come a long way. My 20-miler was strong even despite the hot temperatures in the last 6-7 miles. I’m really looking forward to this weekend because we only have a high of 72 or 73 on both Saturday and Sunday. Bring on the cooler temps!

I’m struggling to be confident in my training because I feel like I should be running higher mileage at this point, but I have to keep reminding myself that it’s quality over quantity and that all of my runs have been strong & consistent—nothing to complain about!

 

I hit a monthly mileage PR in August by a long shot. It’s amazing how my 3-4 runs a week are still allowing me to run many more miles than this time last year. I peaked at 144 miles in September 2011 before running Chicago. Here’s to one more month of miles (and likely another PR) before hammering out my 2nd marathon in Twin Cities!

The big race is only a matter of weeks away at this point. I will not freak out. I will not freak out. I will not freak…out!

-J

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Jun 26 2012
6 Comments
Goals, Marathon Training, Running

Here We Go Again!

Today marks the first day of a 15-week marathon training plan toward Twin Cities on October 6th. It will be my 2nd marathon. I’m going to force my head to sit straight on my shoulders and do the following starting today:

I’ve been playing games with myself since Memorial Day weekend when I didn’t run the race I was hoping to run at Bayshore. I missed my goal by 1:16. It was the first half marathon since last April that I didn’t run a personal record. I knew this day would come. Before each half marathon, I’d ask myself (and others), “what’s going to happen if I don’t run a personal record this time?” and “how am I going to feel?”.  Yes, I assumed I’d be disappointed and that the first post-race beer wouldn’t taste quite the same if I failed. Bottom line: I knew that I’d get down on myself despite knowing that every race is a different beast to conquer and you never really know how the race will turn out despite a consistent training plan and whole heck of a lot of determination.

These past few weeks, I threw an internal temper tantrum and the only person it affected was me. I was bummed. I ran but I wasn’t happy about it. I went through the motions but didn’t enjoy the miles. I rarely experienced a “runners high” and my disappointment carried over into my work. Easy runs seemed really difficult because of my bad attitude. I found reasons to be unhappy about other things because running wasn’t giving me the kick I needed anymore. I’ve learned a lot about myself since running Bayshore.

I know this post probably sounds dramatic. So what if I missed my goal by a minute?! I still ran a great race! Jenny (Version 2010) would have smacked me in the face for not celebrating my accomplishment. But we all go through these highs and lows. It was just the first time that I experienced a “low” that caused my motivation to waver. I allowed my disappointment to get the best of me, but  I always know that I’ll get myself out of the funky part of not performing well. I’m hardwired to get back into action and stop pitying myself.

It just took time and a pep talk to make sure I’m ready and willing to have fun again. So that’s what I’m going to do.

I’ll run my first speed session of the training cycle tonight and see what my legs (and heart) are made of. I’ll push myself because I know that I can. And I’ll celebrate those small victories because they are what make the big ones possible. I can be an extremely impatient person, but running makes me patient. I’m going to “exhale ‘can’t, inhale ‘can’, and LACE UP” because I’m happier when I do.

When was the last time you were in a funk? How did you get out of it?

-J

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Apr 18 2012
7 Comments
Goals, Runnerds, Running

Taper Thoughts: Carmel Half Edition

T-A-P-E-R! You’re finally here. And I like you. I invite you into my life. Bring on the laziness, the hydration, the stretching routine, and the weirdness of running a lower mileage this week. Sometimes I don’t like you, but you’re my friend right now. The legs agree with me. They need a little down time because they want to HAUL ASS at this weekend’s half marathon. They know they can run a personal record, but only with some rest beforehand.

In all seriousness, I am embracing the rest this week. I’ve been eating well and indulging a little bit here and there. Yesterday, I spent the entire day in a Wicker Park coffee shop working and this chocolate croissant was just calling to me.

I couldn’t resist it. Buttery-chocolatey goodness and Intellgentsia coffee? = PERFECTION.

I tend to use a taper week as a time to do things I wouldn’t normally do. Given that I’m dedicating less time to running this week, I’m finding other ways to keep myself busy. A friend asked me if I’d go with him to Fleet Feet to get some running shoes and I, of course, say YES! I love helping others decide on the right gear and the folks at Fleet Feet know their stuff. Plus, I need to stock up on some Nuun and Gu before this weekend’s race.

I’ve also been trying to be consistent in my cross-training so that I can avoid injury as much as possible. I popped in a Rodney Yee yoga DVD (yes, I’m that nerdy) the other night at home and stretched out some muscles that really needed some love. And, in the process, I worked to strengthen others that have gone unused. The Total Body routine seriously worked my back with all of those back bends (upward bow and wheel poses). My arms are even sore from holding myself up!!

Taper’s always a good time to knock some things off the To Do list too. I did 3 loads of laundry the other night, went grocery shopping, and did some other things around the apartment that I’ve been putting off. Ok, so it’s less fun and exciting than eating chocolate croissants and doing yoga, but it had to be done!

Most importantly, I’ve been working on committing my race strategy to memory. I can get pretty technical with a pace strategy, but it seems to work for me and, in general, I don’t have a tough time sticking to the plan.

My pace for the end of the half = HAUL ASS

I segment a half marathon into 5k or 3-mile increments and decide on pace according to my goal time. I’ve consistently run a PR in the half marathon by using a negative-split strategy. And the race itself feels almost like a longer version of the progressive tempo runs that I do throughout my training. Sometimes I made adjustments if the elevation presents challenges at a certain portion of the race. For example, I give myself a target pace range during a hilly part of a race course rather than a hard pace target. That way, I don’t psych myself out and get discouraged that my pace is off target.

I have to say, I get nervous just looking at the pace targets above. I wasn’t nervous for the Rock ‘n Roll Half Marathon because I had just flown into D.C. from Madrid and I just wanted to run a good race. I told myself that if I ran a PR, I ran a PR but that it wouldn’t be the end of the world if I didn’t meet that goal. But this time around, I’m setting my sights on a strong 1:36, which is 2 minutes faster that my current PR.

It’s easy to think about these things and bury yourself in nervous anxiety. But then I think about the hard work that I’ve put into this training cycle and how much faster I’ve been running my speed workouts–and I realize, I have it in me.

I’ve worked hard. So here goes!

How do you keep your mind and body busy during a taper week? Do you have certain rituals or superstitions that help you prepare for race day?

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Mar 02 2011
3 Comments
Cibo

Kickin’ in Kinvaras

After a long awaited trip to Fleet Feet, I am finally sporting some new Saucony Kinvaras and I am head over heels happy with them. My ‘coach’ recommended them to me as a nice low profile, lightweight training shoe and he couldn’t have been more right about it. This was my first time buying shoes at Fleet Feet (I had only previously walked through their doors when picking up my race packets for other races I registered for), but I felt extremely confident in the fact that they would know what they’re talking about because of friends’ reviews. The last time I bought a new pair of running shoes was December of 2009 after returning from my study abroad trip to Belgium–I was determined to run my first half marathon the following May after being deprived of some sort of athletic culture and overindulging in Belgian fries and samurai sauce and delicious Belgian brews. My dad bought them for me as a Christmas present and I was all too happy to strap them on and hit the pavement. Since the Indy Mini Marathon last May I have continued to use the Brooks and probably should have bought a new pair months ago. [I'm not sure what their mileage count was but I can tell you from the shin and foot pain I was having, they had to have been long gone for plenty of miles now.] I walked out of Fleet Feet tonight after trying on some Mizunos, New Balance, Pumas, and finally the Saucony’s.

They felt so incredibly light that by the time I got on the treadmill I realized I was more motivated than I had originally planned to be. (Yes, some days I PLAN to be motivated. Others…not so much.) I was thinking that I would do an easy 5 mile at pace, but instead I did a tempo run with my fasted mile being at a 7:30 min/mile pace. I haven’t run that pace in an extremely long time. In fact, I probably can’t even tell you when that last time was! I had no tightness in my hips which is the first place to feel fatigue during an ambitious workout. I’m looking forward to more runs like this one–they’re the ones that keep you going. It’s funny how all of the struggle is relative; Mile 5 was at a 9:00 min/mile pace and it felt to drag on and on and on!

And when I got home I was happy to find my welcome packet to the ACS Team DetermiNATION with a nice training tank tucked inside. Nothing like some nice apparel to get you motivated, right? [Anyone else look forward to collecting race shirts as much as I do?]

I’ve found myself so distracted at work lately, just itching to lace up my shoes and go out there during the day when the sun shines through the office windows. One of these days maybe I’ll go for a run during lunch if time permits. It will sure be nice to run along the lake as the sun sets in a couple of months. :-)

-J

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