Since deciding to forgo CIM (California International Marathon), I have been focusing on building a more substantial running base before training starts for the Shamrock Marathon. That training begins in two and a half weeks, and I think I am better prepared. Currently, I am running about 28-30 miles per week, which includes some speedwork and long runs of 10 miles (increases to 11 this week). So far, I have not had any problems with these runs.
In fact, that hill that I died on a few weeks ago was a piece of cake on my last 10-miler. I climbed those hills with such ease. I was actually surprised because that hill kept going and going.
The main issue I have been having recently is finding running shoes for the long run. Since they have changed the Altra Torin so much, it’s uncomfortable, especially on those long runs. I tried their new Altrafwd Experience and didn’t like that either. I have also tried a couple of other shoes that had to be returned.
I wanted to try the Saucony Kinvara, but it isn’t sold locally. I would rather try them on than order them because the shoes can fit so differently. Anyway, I ended up with the Saucony Kinvara Pro, a carbon-plated shoe. I was told that this style could be used as a daily trainer, which surprised me because I thought carbon-plated shoes were more for racing than used as a daily trainer.
I have only run in the Kinvara once since I got them. And the run was interesting. I was running about 30 seconds to a minute faster than I normally do on this specific route, but it didn’t feel faster. Also, this is a hilly route, and I didn’t feel my leg muscles working like I usually do going up those hills. It was such an odd feeling. The stack height is pretty high at 42/34 mm (8 mm drop), but I didn’t feel like my foot was collapsing into the multiple layers of foam. It actually felt very stable and a bit rigid, which is likely due to the carbon plate.
What I didn’t like about them was that I could feel the carbon plate at about 5.5 miles into the 6-mile run, and my middle toes had a slight burning sensation. This reminded me of an Asics shoe that I wore years ago. I could feel the gel pads during the run, and eventually, my toes would go numb. That was only one run, though, and I am looking forward to trying them again on Friday’s easy 5-miler. I hope they work out because this is one of the first shoes with that much stack height that didn’t cause knee pain during the run.
I have been doing my speed work in the New Balance Rebel, and I absolutely love that shoe. I have tried it on my longer runs, but it becomes uncomfortable after about 7-8 miles. That nice soft landing and support seem to disappear at that point. So, I will stick to speedwork only in these shoes.
And moving on from shoes. In the last couple of weeks, I have had much less knee pain during the run and even afterward than usual. I shouldn’t mention it, so I don’t jinx it and just accept it! I typically have to walk down the stairs sideways because of knee pain, and I am not doing that now. The only thing I can think of that has changed is I am really working on staying hydrated and eating healthy. Not that I don’t still have a sweet binge here and there, but not as much as I used to. I am definitely running more, but I am also doing some strengthening so maybe that is helping as well, but that part is nothing new. I have done strengthening exercises on and off for a long time and I felt like I never really saw much change. Keeping my fingers crossed.
We will see what the next few weeks bring; you just never know what will happen these days.
I have to add a couple of photos from a few nights ago when Scott woke me up after midnight to look at the sky.
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