I'm almost 25% done with my training! Week 4 was great. I felt good and ran well. This was also my highest mileage week ever. I did find a big knot in my calf on Friday, but it doesn't seem to affect my running or walking. I've been trying to work it out with The Stick, but I'm pretty wimpy when it comes to that kind of pain.
My pace run this week was 6 miles, and I hit 9:02 pace—close enough! My pace range for the week was 9:02 (pace run) - 10:44 (hill repeats). Temps were between 28 and 46, and I ran in one crazy downpour (fortunately on a shorter run).
I should mention what I'm wearing on my feet. Right now I'm running in Brooks Ravenna 2 shoes with Sole insoles. I experimented with minimalist and low-drop shoes last fall during my training for the half, and that didn't work out so well. I love how those kinds of shoes feel, but I'm not sure they will ever work for me. I found out when I injured my ankle last fall that my right leg is kind of funny and I run on the inside of my right foot. My left leg is normal and my arches are normal, but my gait is strange and slightly lopsided. The physical therapist gave me insoles but they didn't work very well, so I did some research and found these. I'm so glad I did, because my ankle healed and I feel great. I think I'm one of those insole people now.
Although I love the insoles, I'm not as sure about the shoes. I'm thinking of either trying Brooks Adrenalines, or going back to Asics. I ran in Asics all of my life until last year, when I had two pair in a row that gave me bad blisters (Nimbus and Kayano). But since I'm running with insoles now, I think I might be okay in Asics. I like the Ravennas okay, but I'm not in love with the fit. I've also recently run in Brooks Trance 10s (nice but kind of heavy and stiff), Brooks Pure Cadence (really comfortable but my ankle tendon got sore), and Salomon Crossmax (they rubbed my ankle bones). I am a little tired of thinking about shoes so I'm glad the Ravennas are working for now.
Here are the details for Week 4 (Jan 23 - Jan 29):
Monday: 3 miles
Tuesday: 3.5 miles
Wednesday: 6 miles (pace)
Thursday: off
Friday: 3.5 miles
Saturday: off
Sunday: 11 miles
Next up: Trails vs. roads.
Awesome week and logging lots of miles!
ReplyDeleteI think about shoes way too much too - but they make such a big impact on your entire body, it's important to find some that work.
I ran in 3 different pairs of Mizuno Wave Riders and loved them - they're flexible and soft for a "stability" shoe (unlike the New Balances I bought after them) but now have been working my way into the more minimalist shoes. I'm not sure it's going well as I've got one foot wonky and frequently deal with ankle and knee issues. May need to switch back.
I love following your training - you're prepping me well for mine when it comes time!
Thanks for the encouragement! I need to try some Wave Riders on. I think Sean ran the VT50 in those and liked them.
ReplyDeleteBe careful with those minimal shoes! They are so comfortable and almost seductive, but I found that my legs aren't quite put together well enough to deal with them. I tried running in Brooks Pure Cadence recently because they were a little beefier than other minimalist shoes, but I recently shelved them because my ankle started acting up again. Well, hopefully you have better conformation than me. :)