Sunday, March 24, 2013

Recovery Run? I think not.

Good morning, Mini Cow Harbor.



The winds being 20 miles an hour less this morning, I decided to take a trial run of a race coming up in a few weeks. It's to help support the family of a young boy battling neuroblastoma. He is the nephew of my hairdresser. 

The run is tough. I planned it so that it would be a recovery run from the Wizard of Oz run I battled yesterday. I knew about the elevation before going in to it. 

I thought, "Ok, take it slow, forget about pace, just tackle it. Remember, it's a RECOVERY run".

Come ON.

My legs just really have a mind of their own. It felt like the time flew a lot faster than I expected it to. I thought as a recovery run, it would have taken me about 40 minutes with the hills and walking. I walked 2 times. I saw two other runners who waved and smiled. I practiced my breathing. My kick. My posture going up hill, my posture and arm swing going downhill. I listened to music for the first time since January 20th. (Did I mention that I have stopped listening to music on my runs?)

I followed the route posted by the organizers of the run. Runmeter had it right, but the Magellan wanted me to go another quarter mile.
Meh. I'm so disillusioned with the electronics.

I wore the new shoes again. Brooks Ravenna 4. They claim they are somewhere between a neutral and support shoe. I normally wear a neutral shoe - but I read advertising somewhere, I don't remember - that said this shoe would be more responsive for promoting a forefoot strike and preventing arch pain. (I've been having problems with my plantar fascia)  It also has an adjustable 'band' (re: gadget?) that adds additional support to the instep. When adjusting it, it feels like it helps prevent your foot from sloshing around laterally inside the shoe.

The first time I wore them, I had pain (soreness, actually) under the ball of my foot, bilaterally. Today, after adjusting them and attempting hill and dale, there is no soreness. I also wore my compression capris again, so the two new arsenals for my '13 training seem to have made friends with each other.



 I think these shoes are keepers. So now, I need to find another pair so I can rotate like everyone else does. Do I get a different type of shoe altogether, or another pair of Glycerins?
I guess I'll have to do some more research. I'm thinking I'd like to try a lighter shoe, now that I have a year of running behind me. 

Ok. I think that's all I want to say for now. I'm still considering this technical run, I haven't registered for it yet. I'll probably try it one more time before I decide.

I was supposed to run the Bethpage Restoration run, but it was switched to a day I am working. If I decide to do this Mini Cow Harbor, it will be in 2 weeks.




4 comments:

  1. HAHA Wizard of Oz run!!! That is exactly how those winds felt!!! LOL

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  2. Right??! OMG, I hope I don't have to race in conditions like that again any day soon.

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  3. If you are looking for a shoe that facilitates a mid-foot strike you might consider Brook's Pure Connect rather than the Ravennas. The Pure Connect has a lower ramp angle (height difference from front to back) than the Ravenna while still providing good cushioning. The Ravenna is more built up and it has stability features that add weight and provide little benefit to neutral runners.

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  4. I'm concerned about how much it flexes. I don't know if that would contribute to my plantar fascia issue. I think I'd have to find a place I could try it on. I've already sent back the Pure Flow and the Pure Cadence II because of my high instep. I'm spending $$ on return shipments!

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I appreciate you taking the time to read my musings! Thanks for commenting!