Getting Back Momentum

(I saw a cute kitty on the Rail Trail this morning,
but my cel-phone picture didn't save.  So here's Pooka.)

I feel like I'm barely hanging on right now.  I felt the same way before the Philly Marathon, where I'd only get one run in during the week, but then I'd go run 20 miles on Saturday and totally redeem myself (not really...as the marathon results tell!).

Lately I'm in a rut where I just wasn't getting more than 5 miles.  Sure, I got 3 miles in Atlantic City last week, but this past weekend, my Saturday "long run" was right back to 5 miles.

With that in mind, I think I made a little bit of progress this week.  It started off kind of badly, in that I didn't get out on the roads until Wednesday since I was feeling soreness from running HACC Dash way out of my comfort zone and we ran some errands on Tuesday.  I debated between a run Wednesday evening right after work or waiting till later when it might be cooler.  
I didn't want to go out after work, since it was around 80 degrees, but I knew that if I waited till later, I would wrapped up in watching the surprisingly competent Orioles and end up not feeling like going out at 10:00.  It turned out to be a wise decision, since they went into extra innings and wrapped up around 12:30.

So I ran, and it was hot, but I felt ok and made myself run 5 miles instead of the 3 that I'd bargained myself down to.  I added some of the big hills that I'd been avoiding, so even though it was 5 miles again, at least it was a tougher 5 miles.

I also realized that soreness from fencing on Friday night was probably having a negative effect on my Saturday morning runs.  So, I went out for my long run this morning and ran 7 miles on the rail trail with no discomfort other than that 7 miles is outside my comfort zone right now.  

Screw you, fencing!

I'm pretty happy with this, but tying my longest run of the year and having fencing tonight probably doesn't bode well for the Armed Forces Day 5K I'm running on City Island tomorrow.  I have this distinction in my mind of what is a Brooks Adrenaline run vs. an Adidas adiZero Tempo run.  The Brooks run is any run, like today or the Sole of City 10K, where I'm just there...running without an aggressive time goal (and also likely any distance over 7-8 miles regardless of goal).  The Adidas run is HACC Dash or Shamrock 8K...I'm going to PR or die trying.  (Well, that's a little over-dramatic, but one in which I'm really going to run with the goal of being what passes for fast around here.)  

I'll try to run a good race, but I think tomorrow is a day for the Brooks Adrenalines.

Shoe Wars Episode II: The Boring Update Post

This is probably a more boring post than usual, but a reader asked for an update on my review of the Adidas adiZero Tempo 4 now that I've been running in them for a few months.  Since he/she was anonymous, I wasn't sure if he/she would see my reply.

I've run two races in my Tempos, an 8K and a 10K, both of which I got some new PRs that were faster than what I thought I was currently capable of. I feel faster in them than I did the Supernova Sequence.

All that said, I also have a new pair of Brooks Adrenaline GTS 12s that seem to be winning the "shoe war". They have more support than the Tempos and while they're not as light they are noticeably lighter than the Sequence.

I've had good runs and bad runs in both pairs, I just think the Adrenaline have been a better match for me...kind of the best of both worlds of lightness and support. If you need a stability shoe, I recommend the Adrenaline. If you don't, I think the Tempo is considerably more breathable and a little lighter than the Adrenaline and a lot lighter than the Sequence. When I had my ITBS flare-up, my Dr. recommended a stability shoe, which ended up being the Sequence. I feel like the Tempo doesn't have enough stability for me and my ankles are rolling more in them. I still want to run some long runs in the Tempos and some short, fast runs in the Adrenaline, but my overall plan is to use the Adrenaline as my primary long-run/training shoe and the Tempos as my short race shoe. 

I'll try to keep the mileages roughly equal over the next couple of weeks and write more updates if my opinion changes.

First Miles: Brooks Adrenaline GTS 12

A few weeks ago, I second-guessed my recent purchase of a pair of Adidas adiZero Tempo 4s, worrying that their lack of stability was going to spell doom for my IT bands.  Well, that hasn't happenned (yet).  I've been running in the Tempos and can't argue with the results:  Two races, the Shamrock 8K and Hershey 10K, and PRs in both of those distances. The Tempos are comfortable, well-ventalated, and light.  It's amazing what a difference 3oz makes from the Supernova Sequence 4s I'd been running in, but I feel faster in the Tempos.  (I'm not always actually faster, in reality.)  Bottom line is I like them a lot.

Still, the downside to them is that, relative to the Supernova Sequence, there's a lack of stability and cushioning.  The Tempo isn't a minamalist shoe by any means, but it's been a pretty big change from what I'm used to.  I notice the lack of cushioning, I do feel like there's a little more rolling in my ankles, and I've noticed some twinges of ITBS.  Nothing like the painful flare-up I had 14 months ago, but there.  

So, I decided to get a shoe with a little more stability as I eventually (and with warm temperatures here already and summer approaching, I'm in no hurry) build up distance again. I'd gotten a pair of Sequences ordered for me, but after trying them on I found that preferred the other shoe that I'd been considering when buying the Tempo:  the Brooks Adrenaline.  Brooks' motto is "Run Happy."  My motto is "Revenge!"  It seems like a good match.

It's a stability shoe, but lighter than the Sequence and less than an ounce heavier than the Tempo.  The cushioning in the Adrenaline, and other Brooks shoes I'd tried on previously, had felt very foreign too me (in my experience, you don't feel the cushioning in any of the Adidas I've run with -- I don't mean their hard, but the insole feels flat).  I had a gout flare-up at the time, so I wasn't going to do more than jog a little outside the store, but the Sequences just felt noticeably heavier to me.  They've been a good shoe for me, but if I can have the lightness of the Tempo and the stability of the Supernova in the Adrenaline, it seemed worthwhile to go in a different direction.

Having run the Hershey 10k considerably faster than I thought possible, and  in considerable pain afterward, I decided that I'm not going to kill myself for a PR in the Sole of the City 10K this weekend, so it seemed like a good week to break in the new shoes.  I took my first run in the Adrenalines last night, will hopefully get out tomorrow, and plan on wearing them for the 10K on Saturday.

Last night's run was 5 miles and I was really impressed.  The Adrenaline's weight difference with the Tempo doesn't seem noticeable while the increased stability and softer cushioning where.  My quads were still tired from Sunday, but my feet felt great!  The Tempos seem better ventilated, so they might be cooler in the summer, although that wasn't an issue last night (cool, but humid).  I felt good and felt like I was running hard, but my time, 47:30, didn't show that -- it's right where I usually am in a 5-mile training run.  Whichever pair of shoes I'm wearing these days, I just don't have a good feel for effort vs. pace right now.

I like both pairs of shoes.  Tentatively, my plan is to wear the Tempos for any 5K or 8K race, most training runs of 3-5 miles, and probably any 10K where I'm shooting for a PR (my time at Hershey is a pretty big outlier from any 10K race or training run I've ever done, so I might not touch that again this year even if I try!).  The Adrenalines will get the nod for any longer training runs, any 10-mile or half marathon races (I suspect I'll get there while this pair still has mileage left on it), and any shorter distance runs when I'm tired or sore and just want a little extra support.  If I like the Adrenalines as much as I think I will, they'll probably be my marathon shoe of choice as I get myself back in Shamrock Marathon condition. 

I've always had one pair of running shoes at a time (not counting the retired pairs I use for biking or the gym), but since I have both I might as well use them.  I'll decide over the next couple of months it's worth getting new sets of both models as they wear out, or if one of them will "win".  To that end, I'll try some longer runs in the Tempos to see how my IT bands hold up, and run some 5Ks in the Adrenalines, too.

In the past, I've mentioned some of the advanced technology contained in my running shoes (Pro Moderator, Adidaprene, Geofit), and don't worry, the Brooks Adrenaline GTS 12 has lots of top secret tech, too.

Apparently, the shoe is filled with DNA.  What kind of DNA?  I don't know.  I'm sure it's classified, but I suspect it's the DNA from ground-up cheetahs.  That would make sense, right?

The DNA is apparently stored in this round particle accelerator on the sole of the shoe.

Is this legal?  Is it safe?  I don't know.  I just don't know.  

TowneBank 8K

This was not the race that I wanted to be running in Virginia Beach this weekend, but I ran the **** out of it. New 8k PR -- 41:40.

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First Miles: Adidas adiZero Tempo 4

I tried out the new shoes tonight. I'm not sure yet if I like them.

(They're so purty with their sparkly laces.)

They feel comfortable on my feet, and they're noticeably lighter than the Supernova Sequence, though that didn't translate into a faster pace.

On the negative side, they're noticeably less cushioned. I definitely feel the road more than I do in the Sequence 4's. It's been so long since I ran in anything besides a heavier stability shoe (the Sequence 2 or 4), that I can't really tell if that's a good thing or a bad thing...it's just different. At a few points during my run, I felt some twinges in my knee, but it's too early to tell if these things are inviting my ITBS back into my life or if it was nothing. My knees feel fine now.

It's hard to evaluate shoes right now, because my calves are just a mess. I had tightness and soreness in both of them, although neither one is as sore as the right one was on Tuesday. The Tempos aren't the magic elixir that is going to swiftly revive my running career, it seems, but I'm going to use them in the 8k and then try to put another 3-5 miles on them on the boardwalk on Monday morning. If I hate them after that, or feel that they're going to shred my IT band or ruin my calves (even worse) I'll probably return them.

I do have a known option, though. It turns out Charm City Run had ordered a a pair Sequences for me (I misunderstood and was under the impression they'd call if they could place the order), and they arrived at the store today. I could exchange the Tempos if I don't like them, or I could keep both pairs and do most training the stability shoes and save the lighter shoes for shorter training runs and races. Hopefully I'll have a better idea by Monday morning.

The Supernova Burns Out

It's the end of an era. It's time for new shoes. After another run in which there was just no spring at all in my step right now, and while I don't think my shoes, with 526 miles on them, are the main problem, but every little bit helps, right? (I did run approximately 5 miles today in approximately 48 minutes -- I'd forgotten to charge the Garmin and didn't have my watch.

After two marathons, 5K, 10K, 1-mile, and 5-mile PRs, the age of the Supernova Sequence has passed. According to our salesperson at Charm City Run, where we were picking up our packets for the Kelly St. Patrick's Day 5K, Adidas has discontinued the model, but there were other shoes I could try with similar stability/cushioning.

(I've had a pretty good run with the Adidas Supernova Sequence.)

After initially saying that I'd try to order a pair of Supernova Sequences, I reversed course and said I would try some similar models. Our salesperson brought out two models, the Brooks Adrenaline and the Adidas AdiZero Tempo, and said that both should have cushioning and stability to the Sequence. The Tempo felt very light and looked very well ventilated, but the insole was very flat, which I'm used to as a longtime Adidas user. The overall design and the flatness of the sole reminded me of my Sequence 2's. (They actually very much resemble a pair of Glides I bought but returned without wearing when I was first diagnosed with ITBS.)

The Adrenaline actually seemed more similar to my current pairs of Supernova Sequence 4's, but felt like it had more cushioning in the heel and toe than any pair of running shoe I've ever owned.

I'm reluctant to change since I feel that I've had good luck with Adidas (which perhaps is not so true), and so I went with the AdiZero Tempo, since the sole felt so much like what I'm used to. I also thought the ventilation of it would make it a bit cooler in the summer -- which might help offset the extra warmth from the knee-length compression socks that I now have to wear.

(The winner.)

That said, I am a huge fan of Brooks. My favorite running shorts, shirts, and jacket are all Brooks. If I have bad luck with the AdiZero Tempo, I'll probably give the Adrenalines a try next.