New Personal Record

Prior to this year my personal best for distance running was 12.4 miles when I was in high school. Two weeks ago I beat that with a 14 mile run and this Sunday I was set for 16 miles. I made it – 16 miles – and I actually beat my time for 14 miles that I ran 2 weeks ago. Sunday was perfect weather for running and the run itself was very comfortable even though I had some knee pain the last 5-6 miles. Hydration was very good, my pre run weight was 164 and so was my post run weight (a first for me on a long run). I continue to use Gatorade on the long runs (I spike it with extra sodium and potassium to match Gatorade Endurance Formula – I can never seem to find it on sale).

Sunday morning and afternoon I was a bit worried due to feeling a little nauseous but I think now I was just worried over the run since my 14 miler 2 weeks ago was excessively hard. That Sunday (7/8) began very hot and I had to wait until about 7:30 at night for it to cool off a little so I could start my run. In addition to the heat I made one tactical mistake on Saturday (7/7) that led to that Sundays run being so difficult – I spent about 3 ½ hours digging and moving dirt in my backyard in the middle of the afternoon which used up a lot of energy and I also ended up with a sunburn (yes I did use sunscreen) which also sapped my body of a lot of energy. Even though I ran extra slow that Sunday it ended up being very difficult. I am happy to report that I made none of the mistakes that I made on my 14 miler and as a result felt great running 16 miles this weekend.

As my runs are getting longer it is becoming harder and harder to find courses that are long enough and safe to run on (we seem to have a lack of paths in Plainfield as well as lighted roads that are safe for running after dark). If anyone knows of any longer courses please email me at meehantp@netzero.net and I’ll post them on this Blog.

Choosing the right shoe

Choosing the proper shoe for you is important whether you are a seasoned runner or just starting out (if you are just starting a running program your first step should be choosing the right shoe for you).

Overuse injuries are the most common injuries for runners to suffer. A well fitted shoe will help you maintain alignment in you foot, ankle and leg and as a result will help you decrease your chance of injury to your feet, ankles, knees, hips and even your low back.

Your best bet for getting the correct shoe is to go to the Naperville Running Company (or similar store specializing in running shoes), they have knowledge of the shoes available, what features they have as well as being able to analyze what you need so they can match you with the right shoe. Before going out to get fitted for a pair of running shoes I suggest you read this article: http://www.vpshoes.com/bestrunningshoe.htm

If you aren’t able to get to a specialized running store you can use the link below as a starting point for selecting the right shoe. Be sure to try on many different shoes to ensure comfortable and well-fitted shoe.

http://runnersresource.com/articles/shoeselection.htm
Provides a list of shoes based on your arch and body size.

Below are some general tips on choosing the right shoe as well as caring for your shoes once you have them.

• Try on shoes near the end of the day or at least after a lot of walking or better after a run (your feet are larger at the end of the day due to you’re being on them awhile).
• Running shoes should feel good when you first wear them, they don’t need to be broken in.
• Wear your running shoes only for running; if you want to wear running shoes during the day buy a different pair to walk around in.
• Unlace your shoes to take them off; don’t kick them off with your other foot (damages the heel counter).
• Replace your shoes at least every 600 miles (or 6 months), if the soles of your shoes are starting to break down then you are well overdue for new shoes.
• Washing your shoes in the washing machine can break them down faster so don’t do it, same thing goes for drying them in the clothes dryer (let them air dry if they get wet).

http://www.physsportsmed.com/issues/2005/0105/aspund.htm
Technical article on making a shoe prescription based on numerous factors. This article provides you with information to determine out what features you need in a shoe but doesn’t provide you with shoe names. Some of the links in this article are blind due to the age of the article.

New Shoes

I’m very satisfied with my training for the past week – I was able to get everything in plus a little more (started up training some boxing again). My Sunday run was a bit short, 5 miles instead of 6, but at a faster pace (about 10:40 miles). If anyone else is following Galloway’s training program you might be wondering why I didn’t run 14 miles this past weekend. Well, aggravating my foot a few weeks ago forced me to change the program for a few weeks and as a result I’ll be running 14 miles next weekend (soon to be my personal record).

Due to my foot (Morton’s Neuroma in right foot) I decided to go for it and get some better shoes. Before my Sunday run I headed over to downtown Naperville to the Naperville Running Company, the best store in this area for running shoes and attire. I knew I’d be paying a bit more for shoes but I also knew that they would be better shoes and more specific for my feet and my unique problems. The clerk who helped me asked about the kind of training I was doing as well as the problems I was having and how long I was having them. He then proceeded to look at my current shoes for wear patterns. From this information he picked out about 5 different shoes to have me try on and walk around the store to determine which fit best and gave the best support. All and all I was probably there for about 30 minutes but the shoes I left with felt considerably better with last nights run (even with the faster than usual pace).

I will post some helpful hints on choosing your own running shoes Tuesday or Wednesday this week.