Do These Shoes Make My A** Look Fast?

If you follow me on Instagram you probably already know I have a running shoe problem as of late.  More specifically, a neon running shoe problem.  And you know what?  I'm actually really okay with it.  BECAUSE IT'S AWESOME!

Love affair with Kinvaras
Okay, so here's the scoop.  Last year when training for the Desert Classic Marathon in Surprise, AZ I got a little serious about this whole running thing.  Don't get me wrong, I had been 'serious' before but this time around I was serious about being fast and racing a marathon (this was a relatively new concept for me).  And with this idea of going fast I got it in my head that I needed racing shoes.

With all the minimalist options out there I was perplexed/stuck/overwhelmed.  I wanted a shoe that was light but cushion-y enough to withstand 26.2 miles of pounding.  Off to the local running store I went.  I came out of there with a brand new pair of Saucony Kinvara 2s.  Now, I want to mention that I wear Superfeet inserts which of course received the long lecture from the store owner that the purpose of wearing a lower drop/lightweight shoe was, in fact, for 'the lower drop' and the 'lightweight'.  SURPRISE!  By adding Superfeet to the mix I was technically changing the drop AND adding weight. That said, the shoe was still lighter than what I was training in (Brooks Launch) and had a lower drop.  Yay for new racing shoes!

Being the somewhat tight a**, last minute person that I can be sometimes I was only 3 weeks out from my race when I purchased said new shoes.  So, I didn't ditch the Superfeet and I put in only a handful of long runs in them.  Maybe not the brightest idea but going into the race I felt comfortable with the shoes and was ready to test them out.  The result - no blisters, no hot spots, no real problems.  The shoes worked great!  My only complaint, and something I didn't notice until after the race, was that the bottoms of my feet felt slightly bruised.  Not bad but I could definitely tell that I ran 26.2 miles on pavement.  And with that, these became my go-to racing shoe.

Again, being the somewhat tight a**, last minute person that I can be... I didn't buy replacements for these shoes until a month before Boston this year.  Yeah, I wore those Kinvara 2s down to their last run.  And that, my friends is how I ended up with the Kinvara 3s.  Which, truth be told, I've only raced in twice - Boston and Fun with the Fuzz 5k that I did 5 days later.  Sure, I've worn them on the track and during tempos so I have somewhat of a feel for them but I'll be honest, they're different and I'm not in love with them like I was with the 2s.

A few differences - the toe box feels a little looser, the heel cup sits just a tad higher, and there is a bit more cushion overall.  Side note: I have no idea if they actually changed these things in the 3s, these are just things that I noticed.  Out of those three the one that takes some getting used to is the toe box.  My foot is fairly narrow and I like a snug fit so initially it felt off but after wearing them several times around the track and in races I'm getting used to it.  The cushion is really the true winner in this trio.  Post Boston my feet felt great.  They weren't sore, they definitely weren't bruised - so all in all they were well supported for 26.2 miles.

But... you knew there was a 'but' coming... while I was in Boston Jess showed me a sneak peek at the Kinvara 4s (let the shoe envy commence).  I may/may not have fondled her shoes (sorry Jess).  She explained the differences to me and I was kicking myself for not waiting (remember... tight a**... on a budget... must resist temptation to buy new shoes when I still have NEW shoes).  That said... if you follow me on Instagram you know that I'm now the proud owner of two very pretty pairs of Kinvara 4s.  :-}  I've tried them on and they feel FANTASTIC!!!  But I haven't actually run in them yet so stay tuned for the review.  Or, if you're too impatient for my post on it check out these reviews - Jess and Ellen.

Racing Flats
Now you know how much I love Kinvaras and they are an excellent all around shoe - from 5ks to Marathons BUT what's the deal with 'racing flats'?  No seriously.  When do you get to bust out those babies?  

As you may have noticed from the above paragraphs - I've never owned a pair of racing flats.  Not for road racing at least.  Side Note: I think technically my 'waffle shoes', or even my aqua socks (yes, I wore those for a few track meets) in the late 80s/early 90s would have been considered racing flats.  And with the whole 'I want to go sub-20 in a 5k' I felt like purchase of said racing flats was legitimized (see what I did there?).  With that, I present you with the Type A5s.  

Pre-Boston I was afraid to wear these.  I didn't want to risk injury breaking in a new shoe/new style so I haven't put really any miles in them.  Technically these shoes aren't a ton different from the Kinvaras.  The drop from heel to toe is the same.  It's in the cushion where you see the real difference.  Meaning - there really isn't a ton of padding and thus these probably aren't the BEST shoe for longer distances.  So, in theory, I could have rocked these for my tempo and track workouts before the race but I also needed to break in the new Kinvaras so... there's that.

Anywho, I did bust these babies out a few weeks ago when I ran the Haggen to Haggen 5k.  Nothing like trying something new in a race right?  Hey, some races are meant for experimenting.  Result - LOVED THEM!  They were so incredibly light and responsive.  I felt like I was wearing 'just enough' to feel stable and protected but still extremely light on my feet.  There's no extra cushion to weigh me down, no extra material in the upper to make the top of my feet feel hot and heavy - simply put, it's like I'm wearing a well protected sock.  I am looking forward to putting these shoes to good use - tempos, track workouts, 5ks, 10ks?

And lastly, there's the Fastwitch 6 - the latest addition to my shoe fetish.  I'm not entirely sure where these little guys fit in although I hear they are another form of 'racing flat'.  Maybe when I just feel like mixing it up on a tempo run.  Or when I decide these are my 10k shoes - because apparently I have that luxury at the moment (snob and a half, I know).

So I guess this post is really just a brag about how many different pairs of running shoes I have at the moment.  Or maybe it's an 'I have arrived' post that simply declares I'm legit enough to warrant different types of shoes.  However you read it just know that there are, in fact, different shoes for different purposes and the investment is worth it.  Your feet are your tool in running.  Take precious care of them and keep them outfitted appropriately.

On Running And Training

I have no schedule right now and part of me is going crazy, wanting a plan, wanting a goal, but the other part of me is digging the down time.  I can go for a run when I please and for however long.  It really doesn't matter.  I've been playing with different shoes (more on this in another post), enjoying runs with friends, and LOVING the weather.  

Side note: I've had a few people ask about my 'gimpy' comment from my Eugene post.  No, I'm not injured.  I had a tweaked toe (it's happened before) and it took a little longer than expected to straighten itself out (literally).

So what kind of running have I been up to?  Well, mostly easy miles but this weekend was kind of special.  Friday afternoon I got a text from Gina asking if I could pace her to a PR in the Haggen to Haggen 5k.  Done and done!  I've never really been an official 'pacer' before so I was kind of nervous I'd screw it up but I was super flattered to be asked.

The race was yesterday (Saturday) and we headed to the start early so we could register and get in a good warmup.  A mile-ish easy jogging then over to the start line for more jogging and strides.  We meandered up to the front and then chatted with other friends before the start.  Seemed like a lot of folks were gunning for a PR that day.  The race plan (this was all in my head, I didn't want to make Gina nervous) - keep it in check for the first little bit (holding low 7s) then drop it down as we descend into town and hit the flats.  I told Gina to go Garmin-less and that I would just keep us on pace.  That seemed like a good idea.

I won't go into the full blow-by-blow as I'm sure Gina will write her race report at some point (and you can find my old race report here if you're curious about the course).  I'd say the first 400 meters were fairly conservative and then I kind of let Gina dictate the pace.  I ran next to her in that first mile, trying to reign her in just a tad since we were clicking off mid 6:40s.  I was listening to her breathing and I could tell she was working hard but I didn't want to stop her momentum so I let that first mile just play out.  

The second mile I could tell she was settling in.  Her breathing slowed and she was running comfortably.  This is also the mile with the most descending so she didn't have to work as hard and yet still ticked off a 6:35.  Solid... now to just get through that last mile.  We were slowing a bit but I didn't want to push her until I knew it was a small enough chunk to mentally suck it up and throw down serious speed.  With a half mile left I scooted in front of her, charged past a group of guys and told her 'Let's go!  Half mile left, only two laps around the track!'

She followed, right on my heels.  I kept yelling words of encouragement - 'last little uphill then it's all downhill to the finish', 'final turn, dig deep', 'you can see the finish, give it all you've got', 'let's catch that girl!'  I'm sure spectators thought I was crazy since it probably looked like I was talking to myself.  But Gina was responding, digging deep and right on me.  

She crossed the finish line in 20:49 - almost a minute and a half PR.  WOOT!!!!  So proud.  If y'all don't know this girl she's legit.  Training for Ironman, running on dead legs after a podium finish in the Duathlon Nationals last weekend, and killing a 6:40 pace in a 5k.

Post race goodies - how did I miss this last year?!

Meeting Nuunies.  Thanks for hydrating us!

So that was my Saturday... and today, well I kicked off Cinco de Mayo right with a solid 12+ mile long run with my friend Ari.  Gorgeous weather, legs ready to run and to run long, and good company.  Couldn't have asked for a better end to my weekend.  Who knows what's in store this week!!  Maybe I'll start 'training' again.  I was kind of eyeing a race in early June but we'll see.

This view does not suck.

Beer Me, Plank, Cheer, Repeat

I'd like to say 'there are no words' for this past weekend but then we'd all know I was lying since I tend to be a bit verbose.  Instead of giving you the blow-by-blow of every amazing minute (because they really were all amazing - #amazeballs) let me present the highlights in bullet form.

• Teammates.  So many teammates.  Birds that flock together... are simply awesome!
• Nuunies.  I love these people and their funny little tabs of fizzy joy.
• Awkward family photos.
• Sharing beds with strangers/new IRL friends.  I have to mention that I did sleep around.  I slept in every bed in the house and with three different people.  I'm not sure if you should be jealous or feel sorry for me.
• Chip salad.  If you don't know what this is, you're missing out.
• The Beer Stein.
• Local IPAs - yes, plural.
• Planks.  I think I got in at least 60 minutes of planking this weekend.  That's some serious core work.  Some even involved one-handed cowbelling (that's a new verb) or one-handed drinking.  It's a toss up on which one wins.  Why planks you ask?  Because we couldn't run.  Must.Burn.Energy.
• Track town.  #HugeEug I <3 you.

Now, what you were all expecting - the barrage of picture craziness that was my weekend. 

Wednesday (ok, technically not the weekend but still part of the master plan)

I think I already knew how my weekend was going to go.  Making 5 dozen cupcakes and drinking the first IPA even before leaving Bellingham.

Friday

Watching the Drake Relays and hydrating at the house in Eugene.

Saturday

Blogger/Oiselle/Nuun shake out run - turn walk for this gimpy runner.

Power walking with a side of photo stops and jazz hands. (Emily's photo)

Emily's first introduction to The Beer Stein (best place in Eugene).  "Ummm, I think we're going to need boxes." (Emily's photo)

The liquid selection

Awkward family photo take 1: Kristina, Sarah, Emily, Robyn

Round 1 - why shower first? (Emily's photo)

Christmas in April! Nuun made sure we were well hydrated all weekend and in between rounds.

 

At the expo - I take really good pictures...

 Because Robyn and I missed the full Oiselle team photo op, we made our own.  It works.

Back to the house - #chipsalad and Round 3

At this point we're 12 minutes in on the planking (3 rounds, 4 minutes each)

 Round 4... don't ask, I don't know. (Emily's photo)

Round 5 with dinner (Cafe Yumm of course!) at the other house. (Emily's photo)

Recruiting new plank buddies - Abby

Last round at Ninkasi. (Emily's photo)

Late night shenanigans with Chicken and Pirate Banana.

Sunday

I think the runners really appreciated the planking cowbelling routine

 #motherflockers cheer squad (Jacquelyn's photo)

It's like a Dr. Seuss book - planks here, there, everywhere.

 Oh historic Hayward! (Emily's photo)

Awkward family photo take 2: post race.  Add Kelli and ditch Kristina and Robyn (I don't know where they were).

Awkward family photo take 3: Post race (for Sarah) / cheering (for Emily and I) round 1.5 (those two cheated and went to the Beer Stein without me). (Emily's photo)

Awkward family photo take 4: Kristina's departure.  Please notice the pouty lip.

 One handed push-up attempt... #fail.  Because planks sometimes aren't enough.

The team that planks together, stays together.

If you plank at one brewery, you should probably plank at the other - Rogue Brewery.

Last plank at Off the Waffle.

Oh wait... THIS is the last plank, all by myself, at Nuun HQ.

Fun with the Fuzz 5k 'Race' Report

Record crowd of just over 1,200!  

Arlane - who also ran Boston last week.

Super fast kiddo that I secretly took a picture of.

The Fun with the Fuzz 5k race was this last weekend.  Every year I volunteer and every year I debate until the last minute whether or not I'm going to run it.  Last year I was just coming back from injury so I was playing it safe.  This year I was just coming off a marathon - yeah, what the what?!?  But I WANTED to run.  I NEEDED to run.  So of course I threw on running clothes underneath my 'volunteering' layers, snagged the Garmin and money for the 'just in case'.

And of course I did it.  I planned on running easy.  Seriously!  I SWEAR!  Easy turned into... 'let's negative split because that would be fun', turned into 'let's catch those people', turned into 'well I only have a half mile to go I might as well pick it up'.  Note to future self: If you're supposed to be running 'EASY' like SUPER EASY, don't enter a race.  Meh.

Smiling at Sam after running through bubbles (thanks for the photo Sam).

I don't really have a race recap because technically I didn't race but I enjoyed every single moment of this 5k which you don't typically hear about.  I loved feeling like my legs wanted to run.  I loved seeing my marathon goal pace clicking off like it was where I was supposed to be.  I enjoyed running next to the 8 or 9 year old who was breathing way too hard.  I had a blast running through the bubbles at the Klicks stand around mile 2.  I thanked every single volunteer out there on the course and thanked the few spectators.  And I finished with a fat grin on my face.

 Umm, yes that's a smile.

And the kicker - I had a course PR for me.  Oh how so much has changed.  It feels fantastic!  21:32 overall time - 6:56 pace - 2nd in my age group.  I'll take it.

Don't mind the Nuun tattoos... those were there from Monday... yes, I shower, I promise!

McCrampsalot

The medical tent:
I've cramped before in races - you've read about them, you know - but NEVER have I cramped so bad and had it been so incredibly painful.  After crossing the finish line I proceeded to grab water, grab a space blanket and grab my medal.  I was walking just fine albeit slowly.  I was freezing (buns surprisingly don't keep you all that warm - kidding) and shivering out of control.  

The wind in downtown had picked up and the space blanket was definitely not keeping me warm.  I think the shivering is what made the cramps start.  My left calf seized and I stopped to stretch it out - crouching slightly to get a good soleus stretch.  And then... my hamstring seized and I reacted by standing up quickly unfortunately making the front of my leg cramp - my toe pointing down, frozen in place.  I remember screaming in pain and falling backwards on the ground - my left side completely locked from a** to foot.

I reached for my foot to push it back, to make the cramping stop but that made my side cramp.  There was absolutely nothing I could do to make it stop.  A gentleman wrapped in a space blanket rushed to my side, frantically asking what I needed. I just told him to push on my foot.  Unfortunately I didn't tell him which direction and instead of pushing my foot back towards me he pushed it down, causing the cramp to deepen and shoot further up my leg.  I screamed at him then (I'm not proud of that), yelling 'no, no, the other way!'.  My body stiffened in response, causing my other leg to cramp.  Another runner rushed to my side and asked what I needed.  She instructed the gentleman to push against my feet and to massage my calfs.  It relieved some of the pain, enough for me to stop yelling/screaming.

The woman got someone to grab a medic and a wheelchair and they lifted me gingerly into it.  Cramps still coming and going, tears flooding down my face.  Another runner rushed up right before they wheeled me away and handed me two packets of mustard.  I sucked those down as fast as I could and I think they helped a bit (vinegar for the win), at least enough for me to coherently thank the people that were helping me.

Once in the wheelchair I tried to stay as still as possible.  I couldn't bend my legs so instead I had them awkwardly pointed into thin air, holding myself in the chair (I was barely on the edge of the seat) with my shaking arms.  The first woman that helped me still had my right leg in her hands and she walked with me, massaging my calf, as they wheeled me towards the med tent.  

I was wheeled to a cot and then lifted onto it by several people, cramping as I laid down.  Immediately, someone was attending to me.  Massaging my calfs and just trying to get them to relax.  I was draped in more space blankets and heated cloth blankets but my shivering and my cramps continued.  I tried to relax.  I tried to breathe through the cramps.  Several volunteers were hovering around me, taking my temp (I was slightly hypothermic with a temp of 95*), my blood pressure and handing me hot cups of beef bullion.  

I don't know how long I cramped for but at some point they subsided enough for me to sit up and 'think' about walking out of there.  The only thing holding me back was getting my gear bag and once that came I was all set to go - discharge instructions and all.  And because I know you're curious, according to phone calls that I made, I left the med tent 9 minutes before the explosions and made it half a block in that amount of time - disoriented and stiff.  It took me another 20-25 minutes to make it to the pub only a mile away and mostly because I took the most indirect route (again, disoriented from my exertion during the race). 

I am so thankful to everyone that helped me that afternoon.  The pain was excruciating and everyone did their best to make me comfortable. 
  
The days after: 
Tuesday morning I woke up early to send Jess off for home.  I didn't want her to leave but was glad she was heading home to her family.  I went back to bed for a bit, trying hard to get some sleep since I was going on 3 hours at that point.  A few hours later I was up and at 'em.  The plan - hop the T and head out to Kim for a day out of the city exploring.  BEST.IDEA.EVER!

Kim picked me up at the T-stop near her house and we headed out to Newburyport.  We spent the late morning/early afternoon browsing the shops and eating on the waterfront.  It was a gorgeous day and it felt great to shake out my legs walking around the town.

From there we headed south through quaint little towns to Halibut Point State Park - a gorgeous park right on the coast.  A perfect backdrop for jumping pictures!  Well, those and other random pictures of us climbing around the rocks near the water.  Side note: Jumping on marathon legs is hard.

 

That evening I got to meet Kim's fiance Aaron and we all went out to dinner in Salem.  Fried pickles, fish and chips, and beer!  FINALLY my post-race meal!!  It was fantastic!  Kim dropped me back in Boston late that night and all I had left to do was pack and sleep (or pretend to sleep).  Three hours in bed and I was up again trying to figure out a cab to the airport (since my street was still guarded off).  All of Wednesday was spent flying/driving/reflecting.

This will be my last post on Boston.  I'm sure there are still unanswered questions, unwritten thoughts but I'm done.  I'm home, I ran this weekend and it felt incredible, I have a full weekend of marathon spectating ahead of me in Eugene and I'm already scheming my next marathon.  I wonder how I can carry mustard packets or pickle juice in buns... Where there's a will, there's a way.  ;)