Friday, December 5, 2014

First impression of the new Kayanos

So far so good
Today's run (street): 3.3 miles

It wasn't until I was ready to put on my running shoes that I remembered I had a brand new pair of ASICS Kayanos sitting in a box in my gear cabinet. I was excited to try them out and experience a very different platform. After years of low, minimal running shoes, I'm returning to a more cushioned trainer. It's a little like going from a sports car to a luxury sedan. Both are great, but for different reasons.

Today was going to be busy and long and I was grateful not to have to do my long commute. I got myself out the door early enough to keep on schedule but (unfortunately) it was just in time to play "dodge the school buses and recycling trucks" in my neighborhood.

Once my Garmin got its signal I was off. The Kayanos definitely felt different from my Virratas. It wasn't the pillowy float that I had expected. Instead, my impression of the shoes was a combination of comfort and purpose. The shape of the mid-sole facilitated a good rolling gait and that meant something today. My legs were not feeling too springy.

I really liked the Kayanos but, as short as it was, I didn't enjoy the run all that much. It may have been due to all the things I needed to do once my workday started, but it was probably more related to how I felt. Despite being far below aerobic threshold, I had some labored breathing during the first half of the run. Warming up corrected that, but I began to feel some leg fatigue near the end. Some days are like that, even on shorter runs.

I ended up pacing decently - still below target, but better than prior weeks. I think the responsive Kayanos actually helped me today. I'm disappointed to read that rain is expected overnight and into the morning. I really don't want to face the roar of the treadmill, so I'll run with my rain jacket if it isn't a downpour. If that's the case, I won't be wearing my new shoes.

2 comments:

  1. Isn't it strange how inexplicably runs can be easy or tough, regardless of experience? You paced yourself well which is a step in the right direction (punny, I know). The speed will follow. I had a tough run in terms of breathing yesterday, but I think it had to do with my cold. Today was longer, but so much easier.

    You got a great deal on those shoes. So what will you wear on your feet if it rains? Flippers?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Working from home allowed me to sleep an extra hour and you would have thought that the extra rest would have provided more energy. I agree - easy or hard - runs are hard to predict.

      My Spira Stingers are my light rain shoes because I don't care if they get beat up. If it's even more rainy, I'll go with my Cascadias. Anything worse, I'll go with the flippers.

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