Training: October 20 - 26, 2008

Self-Definitive Comment Posted

I posted this comment after reading this at Scienceline.com:

I am a lifelong running-boom runner, starting at age 14 in 1977. Back then we ran in Tiger racing flats all the time. Over the last 35 years, the running shoe industry has flourished, inflating soles and prices to where a top technical shoe costs over $100!  

For the past 4 years, I have been running 20-50% of my 30-50 miles per week barefoot. It has changed me from a heel striker to midfoot striker, raised a flat arch to a normal arch, negated chronic ankle twisting, allows me to run fast with less intervals, and just feels better than running with shoes. When I do wear shoes, they are minimal cross-country flats. I also go about my daily life as barefoot as possible to support my foot strength for running. It goes against everything the shoe companies ever told us over the last 35 years.  

The research has suggested and will continue to conclude that shoes are overrated and over built, often causing more injuries than they are meant to correct. Perhaps this is a self-induced market reset, just like what is happening on Wall Street.  

Run fast and light and as barefoot as you can!

Workouts: October 13 - 19, 2008

Training: October 6 - 12, 2008

I also pasted my month of training so far at Alpinezone.com, where I am a regular forum poster.  The thread is "The 08-09 Workout Thread".  Another regular poster responded, "you are a maniac."  I wish I was - more long runs are needed, as well as some strength workouts.  I responded:

Thank you, GSS! 

Everything is relative. Multiple daily workouts can become a grind and a distraction to productivity in other areas of one's life. I try and fit them in, commuting by bike, running during my kids soccer practice, for example. I have been an endurance machine for 35 years (16 marathons, countless shorter running & multisport races). It is almost discouraging when you realize you have to put in at least a moderate workout everyday just to maintain the fitness level you are at, while aging conspires to pull you down. AZers looking forward to ski season might take motivation from realizing the more "out of shape" a person is, the easier it is for them to make visible gains.

My training lacks strength workouts right now. I usually cut them in after running a fall marathon, and continue through the ski season.

I really believe that for recreational skiers, endurance trumps strength any day. Because here is what I see: Typically, when out west, I am at the bottom of mogul runs waiting for people who have to stop every 100 yards to catch their breath. In the east, at the end of the day, I am the one taking the last chair when my friends and family have legs that are toasted by 3:30.

10 Miles or so

Ran 10.6 this afernoon to try and make up for not running yesterday.  I need to make my runs longer than 5 miles.  Not enough longer runs for the Philly Marathon, as I have stated before.  I ran a loop to Middlesex and back.  I wore training shoes.  The second half of this run is mostly on sidewalk.  That feels much too hard.  The next time I run it I need to run is in reverse.

As I was running past a driveway to a local laundrymat, I was almost struk by a guy pulling out.  I had seen he never looked to his right, the direction I was coming from, so I had already given him some extra space.  He was on the cell phone.

The Most Comfortable Shoes Ever

I picked up a pair of Sanuk shoes for half price at a ski store a couple weeks ago.  I am wearing them all day for the first time.  They are no doubt, the most comfortable shoes ever created.  They are so comfortable, they really promote a happier attitude when walking around doing your daily business.  If everyone on Wall Street was wearing them, they would make the Dow soar!

Workouts: September 29 - October 5, 2008

I am kinda disappointed in my running mileage this week.  I need to do more long runs in preparation for the Philadelphia Marathon.  I have not done anything remotely "long" since last Sunday's half marathon.  It took me until about Thursday to feel recovered from that effort.  I needed to do a long run on the weekend.   Waited too long, as usual, thinking I could do it after the race I volunteered at on Sunday - but the post-race visit to The Grove dimished my motivation to do that.  Hopefully I can get two long runs in during this week.  That is my goal - along with increasing sleep.  So here are the workouts -

By the way, I have been creating these workout summaries by taking screen captures of the Zelky Workout Tracker application on Facebook.  I wish there was a way to load them right into blogs via a web widget.