OMG! It is worse than I thought! I knew I had not written a blog post in a while, but since May? Of last year? Yikes! Time flies! I am way behind. I can’t believe it! Although I do/did have a draft ready to go, quite frankly, what’s the point in that post? It’s old news. So I will give a quick update and try not to make this post too long. And then, I need to commit to my blog! I do love blogging. I love writing and reliving all these life’s events and memories.
I completed the Yuengling Shamrock Marathon this past March (recap) and returned to training soon after. I have been training and trying to outrun the injury cycle since 2017. I was tired. Chicago Marathon was coming up in October (2024), but I wasn’t up to turning around and training for another marathon. I have missed many family activities during our annual summer trip to Idaho over the last few years because of training runs. I just wanted to take a break, enjoy the trip, and have more time with my family for a change.
After taking the summer off with just a run here and there, it was tough getting back into it again. However, I had not accomplished my goal of qualifying for the Boston Marathon, so I needed to get back at it. First, I had to decide on a qualifying marathon. And believe it or not, I decided to return to the Yuengling Shamrock Marathon. It just made sense. I have family nearby and know what to expect (mostly). And with Sonja as my support again, we know where to go for everything we need.
And here we are already in the last week of peak training. The last long run of 20 miles will be this Saturday. I have only missed maybe 2 or 3 runs during this training stretch; none due to injury. I was sick a couple of times, and then one day, it was too cold and the roads were icy. It was impossible to even get down the driveway safely. I don’t own a treadmill, so if I run indoors, it is at The Dome, where I completed several runs on the track this winter.
Training in Alaska during the winter is just hard! And it hasn’t been any easier this winter with the crazy weather, although there have been more warmer days than usual. A few days in Hawaii were amazing, but I think I was more depressed after I had to come back home! Also, this winter I have suffered more knee pain than last year and I have been having quad pain on some of my runs. The quad pain was more noticeable on slow, easy, or long runs when I wore my Saucony Endorphin Speed running shoes. But, I could do speed work in those shoes and feel great. After any run, I have had difficulty walking up the stairs because the pain in my quads was intense with every step.
Something was wrong. My first thought was the shoes were getting worn out and needed replacing. That didn’t prove to be the case. After a 17-mile miserable run in a new pair (after a few shorter runs) with significant quad and foot pain, I decided these shoes had to go. Returned! I learned that the nylon plate in this shoe (v4) was more rigid than previous models. I don’t know if that was the contributing factor, but I knew I could not run in these shoes again.
I also ran some recovery days in the New Balance 1080 v13. I liked these shoes, but after about 7 or 8 miles, I would get a burning sensation in my toes on the left foot. It was very painful. Interesting, I wore this shoe in the marathon last year and had no issues. So what to do? At this point, the marathon was only three weeks away.
Does anybody remember the days when you would buy a pair of running shoes, train in them, and use them for the marathon or any race for that matter? Maybe it’s just me, but running shoes have become so complicated. There is a shoe for speed work, another for recovery/easy runs, one for daily/long runs, and a separate shoe for the race. Crazy! There is also stack height, heel drop, nylon and carbon plates to consider. And all of these things could potentially lead to injury if you don’t have the right shoe.
I finally decided on a pair of Asics to replace the Saucony— the Novablast 5 (definitely very different types of shoes). After running in them a few times, I think they will be okay for the marathon. So far, I have done a long run, marathon pace run, and a couple of easy runs. However, it is a daily trainer, not a race shoe. But, people run in daily trainers for the marathon all the time, right? The most important thing about this shoe is that I had no quad pain during a 15 mile run. Plus, I could walk up my stairs without significant pain after the run. I’ll know more after the 20 miles on Saturday.
But what about speed work? I will need another pair of running shoes, unless I do all my runs in this Asics Novablast. Back to the running store? Of course! I tried on so many shoes at Skinny Raven Sports (those guys are so patient and helpful), but nothing felt great. Some were too squishy, or the sides of the shoe would rub against my ankle bone, and some were just okay, nothing special. I wanted the shoe to feel good when I put it on and even better once I started running. And that did happen.
Check out the Cloudboom Strike by On. This shoe has a speed board, On’s version of a carbon plate. The shoe was so comfortable and light, and it is a racing shoe. Plus it didn’t have a huge rocker bottom. I also liked that my pace was easy and comfortable, not forced. I don’t like that the tongue cuts into my ankle a little, how long the shoe laces are, and it doesn’t lock down in the heel that well. Hopefully, those few things won’t become a major issue during the runs.
Will I use it this go around? I’m not sure yet. I’ve only done a mile and a half in this shoe to get a feel for it. But, I will try it out on an easy run this week and a speed workout next week. I may try it on my last 10 mile run before the marathon if all goes well. Will it create leg and foot problems, as I experienced with a nylon plate? What if I get about half way through the marathon, and end up with calf problems (which can happen with carbon plated shoes) or something worse. It would be horrible not to reach my goals after all this hard work because of poor shoe choices. I’ll take one run at a time for now, although I don’t have much time left to figure this out. TBD
So, that is it in a nutshell. I have so much more to say and things to share, but this is getting long as it is, which happens when you neglect your blog for months.
Wish me luck on Saturday! I look forward to my taper weeks (there are only two!!). The marathon is on March 16th. I hope for a BQ. My fitness level is there, but anything can happen on race day.
Love this hoodie that Sonja had made just for me for this occasion!
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