Running Shoes | hellyontherun

Taper taper bo baper, fee fi fo faper…..taaaaaaper!!!!!

I love that little jingle. 😀

It was a great week of training and now I’m in the home stretch–eeeep!!!!

I had the day off on Monday and I took advantage of it by going for a 5 miler. I’ve been limited to 4 miles during the week because of time/work/kid constraints (and husband work travels) and I would’ve liked to have done 6, but I was very happy for 5.

Almost a negative split run 🙂

I took the day off from running on Tuesday as my husband was leaving out of town for work and I wanted to hang out ❤

Wednesday I was solo parenting so I had to squeeze in a run after work and before kid pick-up. It was so hot, yet it wasn’t even in the triple digits. I struggled but got it done.

Thursday I was feeling all sorts of blah but then my brother texted me his run. I wrote about how much he’s been inspiring me here and after reading his text/stats, I put my running shoes and went for it. It was a much better run than I’d had in a while 🙂

Throughout this training, I’ve been rotating my Brooks Ravennas and Asics Kayanos, using my Asics for my long runs. As I approached my second 20 miler, I knew I needed to break in the shoes I’d be using for race day. I planned on racing in my Brooks.

BUT, when I went to Nordstrom Rack (where I’d bought my shoes on sale for $70!), they didn’t have any more. Crushed, I went to one of my local running stores prepared to try on and buy the newer model. Except they felt weird!!

My beloved Ravennas but the new model fit weird in the toe box 😦

I just couldn’t commit to the new model with them feeling the way they did, so I reluctantly bought the newest model of Kayanos and decided since that style has been a part of my rotation, I’d race in them.

They’re def easy on the eyes 🙂

I ran in them on my Wednesday and Thursday runs, but they just didn’t feel right either. I always felt they were heavier than my Ravennas but the newer model felt even boxier. It also could’ve been that I already was sad about my shoe issues, lol!

So on Friday, I returned them. I asked what was most comparable to the Ravennas and I was told the Saucony Guides. I was VERY apprehensive about trying a brand new brand/shoe so far into training, but when I slipped them on, they felt good. And even though they weren’t ~~purple~~ pretty, I decided to give them a shot.

And on Saturday I ran 20 miles in them. 🙂

It was another 3 a.m. start time and the first 10 miles went smoothly. Shoes felt good, I felt good.

With the exception of miles 1 and 8, I stayed within my 10-10:30 LSD range and I did not stop at all, fueling at mile 5 on the run.

I met up with my back 10 crew and I did have to stop my watch a good 15 minutes or so while I waited.

And it took me a few miles to get back on track …

but once I was warmed up again, the run just felt good. I even negative split the last 7 miles!!!!

I was so happy at the end, and my friends commented on how strong I looked–it didn’t seem like I’d just run 20 miles, lol! I really did feel good too; it was such confidence building run 😀

My and a buddy wearing our charity singlets–we’re ready for Chicago!! 🙂 #TeamFox #TeamRMHC

Overall, exactly what I would’ve hoped for going into taper time. So happy!!! 33.25 total miles

I hope everyone has a great week!! ❤ , helly

–Have you switched shoes mid-training?

–Are you brand loyal? Or do you go with what feels right?

–When’s the last time you had a stellar long run?

On the 8^th Day of Fitmas…

DO A LITTLE RESEARCH

I want to preface this post and really the 12 Days of Fitmas, by saying I am by no means a health/fitness professional. All of this is stuff I’ve learned and stuff that has worked or not worked for me.

That being said, when I became serious about running and getting fit, I did some research. A big misconception about running is that you just get up and go. But wait! There are few things I recommend you do a little research on before you get started:

Get your feet looked at. I don’t mean by a doctor although you could do that too. I mean, head to your local running store and get fitted for the right type of shoe for your feet and running style. A lot of injuries stem from not wearing the right shoe and all of that can be prevented if you go and get the right ones. This is the first piece of advice I give to people who want to start running.
As the weather gets cooler, research clothing appropriate for your area’s weather conditions. There’s a lot of gear involved in running that most people don’t realize lol!
When looking for race to run, do a quick search for coupons and/or deals. A lot of times you get a percentage off and race prices can go up after certain deadlines.
Before your race, familiarize yourself with the course, where water/food stations are located, the weather conditions for the day, and where your loved ones can meet you at the finish line.
When you think you have an injury, limit your google researching. Dr. Google can give you a direction of what it might be, but it won’t officially diagnose you.
Look up websites where you can map out your runs before you head out. I like mapmyrun.com but there are others. I personally like having a route before I head out.
Before you invest in a GPS watch, do some research of different ones to make sure you get one that does what you want. I wanted something basic so anything that told me my heart rate I eliminated from my search.
When trying food to eat while you run, make sure you try out different kinds before you commit to one for a race. Do a little research on the kinds of refueling you want.
There’s quite a few things that could be added to the list, but I want to know from you:

What are some things you did research on before you made a purchase?

What are other things you’d recommend a new runner research?

hellyontherun

Tag Archives: Running Shoes

Chicago Marathon Training: Week 15 Recap

12 Days of Fitmas-Day 8: Do A Little Research