New Running Shoes
Once again I was ready for a hard training run. Currently I’m working to run a sub-25 min 5K (and preparing for another half marathon). Admittedly I have a rather unorthodox training going on for running (more weightlifting and less running). Perhaps I would become faster if I did a traditional training, but I’m not interested in running 4-5 times a week. I’m focusing on what will get me 80-90% there with about 40-60% of the work. Efficiency.
Ben came over to Astoria to pace and to bring me my present! He got me new running shoes – Asics Hyper-Rocketgirl. I’ve been running in regular running shoes. A bit clunky, but for me, they worked and they were cheap.Several studies have found that running injuries are correlated to how expensive the running shoes are, however, the direction of the relationship is not in the direction that Nike would like. Meaning the more expensive your shoe, the more likely you are to get running injuries. In another study some experienced runners were given shoes that were designed for their particular foot stance, while other runners were not. The study found that the type of shoe they were given did not prevent injuries, in fact, the motion-control shoes that are supposed to be given to overpronators caused the greatest number of injuries. There is no good empirical support for the idea that a particular type of running shoe is needed for overpronators or supinators. What is important is fit. If the shoe fits wells, comfortable, and you feel good in it, then it’s the right shoe for you.
After learning that expensive running shoes does not do anything to prevent running injuries, I bought cheap, but sturdy, shoes to start running in. Ben was a little horrified by how heavy my shoes were (over a pound), so he offered to buy me a pair of lighter running shoes. These shoes weigh only 7 oz.
We decided to take them out for a “spin” at the track in Astoria Park. There’s a terrific all-weather 400-m track on the south side of the park. We planned to cover 2 (possibly 2.5) miles at a 8 min pace. It was a very warm morning. Somewhat surprising was the number of runners on the track, but for the most part, they did not get in my way when I was doing my hard 2.25 miles. I did a slow .25 mile warm up first. Then Ben paced me. I covered 2 miles in 15:45 and did 2.25 in 17.46. I didn’t experience a side stitch until the end when I was almost done with the last lap. I’m really happy with my effort and the progress I’m making in getting faster.
A Fast Paced Life 