Looking for my winter running shoe

Perhaps I need some (new) balance in my running

After trying on the Kinvara 2's only to realize it wasn't the shoe for me, I'm back to rethinking my winter footwear. I really loved my original Kinvaras. In fact, I'd still be running in them except that I wore out the Kinvara's mid-sole to the point where I began experiencing knee pain. That breakdown coincided with the timing of my half marathon that I ran while injured.

Green Silence - an opportunity lost

A couple of years ago I anticipated Brook's launch of the Green Silence, their first "minimal" shoe not made specifically for racing. I couldn't wait for them to go on sale. I ended up being dissuaded by the salesperson at Jackrabbit who steered me toward the Brooks GTS 10's, a great shoe but it rides too high. I ended up switching to the Saucony Kinvaras midway through 2010.





The Hattori - great except on really cold days



The Mirage - a really good shoe but the fit is narrow



Earlier this year I tested the Saucony Mirage, a Kinvara-like shoe with some stability features. It's a great shoe and I've put in a few hundred miles in them, but the toe width is a bit narrow. I was hoping that Brook's new Pure Project line would provide a shoe that met my needs. I tried on the Pure Connect and really disliked the fit that was narrow and very tight in the arch. The other models weren't much better so I decided to look elsewhere.

After looking at many reviews, I am thinking that the New Balance Minimus MR00 may be a "good fit" for me. My hope was to find a minimal, zero-drop, road shoe that will give me a little more insulation that the Hattori's for winter running. Given that the MR00's aren't due in stores until March, I may need to get through most of winter in the Mirages on cold days and the Hattori's on more moderate days and races.

I heart my City Sports running pants

Today's run (street): 5.25 miles

I've been very happy with most of my race performances this year, including yesterday's 5K where I came within seconds of breaking 25 minutes. The biggest change in my training in 2011 has been less focus on speed during training runs and more focus on quality. While my average pace for recreational runs has slowed by about 15 seconds per mile, my average pace in races (the half marathon being a significant exception) has improved by about 10 seconds per mile.

I gotta say they fit me better than this

On Friday I walked a couple of blocks to City Sports on 48th and 6th and bought a pair of their house brand (CS) performance running pants. These pants are usually $60 but were on sale for $39.00. I compared them to similar, but higher priced, running pants from Brooks, Saucony and Adidas and saw little difference. If anything, the CS pants were heavier and better for winter temperatures.

I wore these pants at yesterday's race and loved the fit. My wife liked the way they looked on me and I didn't feel self conscious wearing them, as I sometimes do in running tights. These pants were a definite improvement over sweats and I was happy to find them on sale.

This morning the temperature in my town was 23° so I dressed in layers and wore a fleece wicking cap and my mitten-gloves. I was a little cold at the start but the new running pants did a good job keeping my legs warm and my Layer 8 thermal zip, with a layer beneath, kept me comfortable up top.

The wind was coming from the north and it was brisk at times. This created a situation where my body stayed comfortable because it was warmed by the run, but my face was freezing from the wind. Having glasses touching my face didn't help me any. It was a little uncomfortable at times, but not so bad that I needed a balaclava.

Ford GT: a cool surprise

I ran slowly to stay below my lactic threshold and give my muscles an opportunity to repair themselves. I criss-crossed the neighborhood, changing directions on a whim and totaled 5.25 miles. As I was running my final steps prior to turning onto my street, I noticed a Ford GT making its way in my direction. The driver was driving slowly but the engine was purring. As a person who loves great engineering and style, I was thrilled to experience it. The same may be said for my new running pants!

Race report:Bethpage Ho Ho Ho Holiday 5K

32° at start time, I was tempted to wear the race sweatshirt

Today's run (Ho Ho Ho Holiday 5K): 3.1 miles - 26:06 (8:24 pace)

I wanted to finish up the year with a December race because I've never competed in this month. Not counting the Nissequoge Turkey Trot that I ran for fun on Thanksgiving, today's race was my tenth of the year. I had no idea of the scale of the Bethpage Ho Ho Ho Holiday Run, but there were well over a thousand people milling around when I got there.

Our weekends can be busy and today my daughter was hosting a holiday party for her friends. Due to that, I went solo, but I did see some people I knew once I got there. I received my sweatshirt after picking up my race number and dropped off some toy donations. After that I walked back to my car to attach my bib and store the race shirt.

It was 32 degrees when we assembled on Broadway and waited for the start. I tried to get closer to the front, but the masses of people prevented any further progress. Santa is the theme of this race and at least half the runners wore seasonal clothes with Santas and elves being the costumes of choice. I had no idea that Under Armor sold running tights in red and vivid green.

As expected, it took about three minutes before I could get up to my planned speed. There were so many people on the road I was afraid of tripping. In fact, I almost stumbled over an elf who cut in front of me just as I was about to zip by two runners.

With no chip sensor at the start, I thought my first mile split time would suffer because I didn't get to full speed until I'd covered a quarter mile. When we reached the first mile I could see the split clock, but with the crowd in front of me I could only see the two numbers to the right of the colon.The numbers were just rolling past :00 and I figured that meant 9:00, but in fact it was 8:00. That was a happy surprise.

Race course: twice around with a loop in the middle

I figured I'd keep the hammer down as long as I could and the flat course helped. Our route was basically a rectangle of wide streets with one small loop that diverted us through a neighborhood. We ran the rectangle two times and passed the Middle School twice. I would have liked a more scenic route but the lack of distraction helped me focus on my speed and form.

Since we did two laps around the course, I knew where we were when we reached the final section that diverted from Broadway into the school driveway. I sprinted the last tenth and crossed the line a few ticks past the 26 minute mark for an overall pace of 8:24. It wasn't a PR but it was my fastest 5K this year and I ended up in the top third rather than my usual middle pack position.

I congratulated a colleague from the office who crossed the line a couple of minutes after me, but I couldn't find a couple of other people who I'd hoped to see. I headed home soon after, rather than wait for the awards ceremony.

Later in the day, while the party was raging at home, my son and I went to Dick's sporting goods to get a requested item. While we were there I saw that they had the Kinvara 2's on sale for $59.00, an incredible bargain. I asked for a pair in my size and tried them on to confirm the fit and was disappointed with the feel. I ran around the show department "track" a few times and decided, bargain or not, the shoe didn't work for me. Oh well, the search continues.

Tomorrow I plan to do a longer run, very slow, to help me recover from today's intense race. This was a great event and I'll plan to run it again next year.

Help! I can't find my strong

I need to find my strong¹ and just do it,² because impossible is nothing³. After all, a sound mind is a sound body⁴. I just want to run happy⁵ and keep running⁶.

These inspiring phrases from running shoe companies simply aren't working for me this week. I have only run 2.6 miles since last weekend, less than a quarter of my usual distance leading up to the weekend.

My lack of mileage wasn't planned. Monday I took my usual rest day and Tuesday I did a treadmill run. Wednesday I felt like I was getting sick so skipped the day to help prevent that. Yesterday I'd planned to run in Central Park with AG, but the timing was a little tight so we took a pass. This morning I decided not to run because it's the day before a race.

Okay, it's only a 5K and 2.5 miles of running or 25 minutes on the elliptical today wouldn't have hurt me tomorrow. I just couldn't find my strong. I'm hoping that my commitment to tomorrow's race will serve as a finial to stop my downward slide. I don't care about my time on Saturday morning, only that I'll be back to running.

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¹Saucony
²Nike
³Adidas
⁴ASICS
⁵Brooks
⁶New Balance

What you don't want during taper week

Last night was my daughter's winter concert and this extended an already-long work day. I went to bed intending to run outside this morning but I woke up tired and with a headache. I've been feeling a little run down over the last week and, last night, I started to experience the first symptoms of a cold. I'm still planning to run in Sunday's 5K race and skipping today's run has thrown off my taper plan.

If the weather is okay tomorrow (and I'm feeling better) I'll run with Adventure Girl who has spent most of this year doing wilderness research in Big Sky Country. The best wilderness I can offer is the bridal trail in Central Park. I hope it's not too rainy because that trail can get muddy.

Between coffee, antihistamine and aspirin I'm hoping to recover enough to get through the day. This will be the first night this week where I don't have evening plans. I'll try to get some rest by turning in a little early. I'm always annoyed when I get colds, because I expect my running to provide me with an enhanced immune system. Perhaps it does. After all, I could feel a lot worse.