Running these days

We've been dominating the screwshoes hashtag on Twitter. Helen, Leo, myself – we've got pretty much all the entries. Turns out it isn't a big trender.

I'm the only one that's actually been using them. So simple, yet so effective: screw a bunch of screws into the bottom of your shoes, and there you have it: screwshoes. Run on ice, run in slush and snow. As long as you don't sink in too much, you're good to go.

Because these days, running means running in snow, running on ice, running through slush. It's a hassle, and it's harder. But overall, that trade-off is worth it. It's stunningly beautiful. Especially in the sun, with the bright snow. Forbidden Drive and most of the Wissahickon's trails are runnable. The trails aren't easy running – or, at least, they aren't fast. They're probably less technical than they normally are though.

The snow – even the packed snow – means a softer run, too. This morning was my long run; probably ran 15-16 miles, after running 9 yesterday. That makes this a big weekend for me, but I don't feel beat-up. Tired, yes, but not beat up. This despite the shoes I'm wearing, my 'screw balances,' an old pair of new balances with 400+ miles in them that never had much cushioning to begin with.

There's a lot to like about snow running.

But I miss running with Helen.

I got into this sport with Helen – she's my #1 running partner, and always will be. I'm hoping that somewhere down the line, the little guy she's been carrying around in her tummy is going to become #1a. But right now, it's an in-between period. Helen's doing a good job of running through pregnancy, especially now that her hip's better, so we still run some together. But we can't log the miles together that I'm used to, that she's used to. I know that, as far as pregnancy issues goes, this is small, and that dads-to-be aren't supposed to whine. But I'm looking forward to the day when we can hand the kid off to his grandparents and disappear into the woods together for a few hours. I hope that there's snow then, too.

New New Trail Running Shoes, version 3.0

This morning I ran 10 miles in my brand spankin' new Asics Trabucos.
For me, this is a big shift. I do a lot of my miles on trails, and have a 50k coming up in (gulp) 2 weeks, so I'm counting on these for a lot. They weren't the pair I was planning on getting.



My first ever pair of trail running shoes was a pair of Mizuno Wave Ascends. They were great for around 350 miles, then suddenly weren't very great at all.
After that, I got a pair of Brooks Cascadias. Those were awesome. So awesome, in fact, that when those wore out, I got a second pair.

That second pair was even awesomer. They were, after all, just as good functionally as the first pair. Plus they were red. Awesome + red = Awesome-er.
Anyway, they were awesome enough to get a *third* pair of Cascadias. This involved moving from the Cascadia 4 to the 5.

The 5s were awesome, but not quite as awesome. The toebox seemed narrower, which is often an issue for me. Still, they gave me many good runs – including the trail marathon I ran last week. That said, it was clear during the fourth hour of that marathon that it was time for a new pair of trail shoes.

I was just planning on getting an unprecedented fourth pair of Cascadias, and I'm pretty sure I would have, but the store was out. So I figured, what the hey, and tried on what they had at the store. And the Asics Trabucos felt pretty darn good. So I took the leap.

The 10-mile review: they feel good. I do have some worries, related to ankle turns. They land a little different than the Cascadias, in certain situations. I feel like there are times when I landed with a rock or root or something that was a little high at the outside of the foot, and on the Trabucos, they sort of 'give' a little, where the Cascadias kept everything flat on the bottom. I'm really hoping that I get used to that.

I don't think that this is because the Trabucos are a stability shoe – because, despite what some websites say, I don't *think* that they are a stability shoe. Some shoe guides have them listed as such, but Helen saw no signs in the shoe itself; I saw no signs on the Asics site that they're made for stability. They seem, over all, not unlike the Cascadias.

Like the Cascadias, they have a decent heel, which I like, even though it's out of fashion among trail runners. The toe box is a bit wider, which I also like. Padding seems a little harder than the Cascadias, but not a lot.

It's hard moving away from something that works, but for now, I'm optimistic. My biggest worry? I should have gotten last year's model – the Trabuco 12. Didn't think I'd ever go with such an unlucky model number. But here it goes...

There's no running like snow running

There are many, many things I love about the snow. I love how everybody wants to go out and play. I love seeing kids out having fun. I love being able to fall down and not get hurt. And how neighbors help each other out. Everyone's a kid, everyone's your friend. The list of positives go on – there are many, many things I love about the snow.
Turns out, I also love running in the snow.
This is still pretty new to me, but not surprising. During my many years of playing ultimate, I loved playing ultimate in the snow. (Trick: use a disc that isn't white).

For those that don't know, the snow hit Philly hard this weekend. It started coming down Friday night, and snowed pretty much all day on Saturday. When we shoveled out on Sunday morning, it seemed like at least 18 inches had fallen. The weather people said 23 inches. Ok.

Our first run, though, was early on in the storm. We headed out for our normal Saturday run. It was Bob R and Pete, along with Helen and I. Bob had planned the second try at his Valley Green Trail Marathon, kind of an expanded version of the 4 corners, that goes all the way over to the Belmont Plateau. For Bob, that's just the normal Saturday stroll, but it was too much for me. We managed to get him down to *just* doing the four corners. Helen and Pete and I kept him company for the souithern half. For us, it wound up around 12 miles. These weren't easy miles!
The main thing that struck me about the run was how I was seeing things that I'd never noticed. With the ground white and the leaves off the trees, buildings seemed even clearer. Lincoln Drive can be kind of annoying to see, but this time we just saw the few cars, going along at 15mph.



This run was the coldest run, because it was still snowing. It turned out to be a good day to not have a beard, as Pete found out.

On Sunday, friend and family commitments kept us from getting back out to run (although shoveling was plenty of exercise). So Monday morning bright and early we hit the roads, for a five mile or so jaunt through C-Hill, including a mile on Forbidden Drive. It was great being out that early. There were cars on the road (more than I'd expected, actually), but the side roads of C-Hill were pretty empty. When we got to Forbidden, we were the only ones there. Coming up out of the valley, the sun was just starting to come up.

I couldn't wait for a chance to get back out this afternoon, so this afternoon, with Helen still at work, I headed out on my own to see what the trails were like. They were fun! Difficult, but fun. On Saturday morning, there was little enough snow that it still mattered what was under it; in some places, you could tell that you were running over frozen bike paths made in the mud, or difficult rocks that you couldn't see. Today, there was enough snow that it didn't matter what was underneath. That said, climbing today was hard. Doable, but hard.

Oh – doable in part because of my latest December gift from Helen – Yax Trax! One usage thus far, and they worked great. It's usable on the road, but once I was on the snow I didn't pay any attention to them - I just ran normally. Even on ice I felt ok, although I was still cautious.

I'm hoping to get Helen out on the trails tomorrow morning. It's not easy, but it is a lot of fun.

New Shoe Season

What can we say? They all just kind of wore out at once.
So she got new shoes, then I got new shoes. Then we each got another pair.



These are our new trail shoes. I think Helen's are pretty snazzy. She's wishing she got the blue ones. They're both Cascadias - a repeat for me, an update for Helen.


And these, of course, are our new road shoes. Kayano 14s for Helen, we'll see if they're as good as her Kayano 12s were. And a whole new shoe for me: Saucony Pro Grid Ride. Or something like that. I'd have been happy with a repeat of my Mizunos, but they changed the model and now it feels funny.

My AHA moment today

The Washington Post held a online discussion recently featuring the Runner's World's "Shoeguy" Warren Greene. Someone wrote in and asked about becoming a shoe tester, which is something I want to do when I grow up. Here's his response:

"Warren Greene: I get this question all the time. Runner's World has three wear-test centers in the US, East Lansing Michigan, Emmaus, PA and in San Diego. In order to test for us, you need to come to one of these locations so we can fit you in the best shoe for you. If we can't see your feet we can't be sure you are in the right shoe. If you are not in the right shoe our test will be adversely affected."

You can click here for the rest of the transcript.

Okay, got it! Go to Emmaus, PA, which is just 2 hours from here and get fitted. I can do that. It just involves driving. Still need info on testing Asics shoes.

Speaking of testing shoes, I have weighed all of the running shoes in the house with the new kitchen scale that mom got Noah during the holidays. I'll post the results here one day.

Consumerism 2, Noah 0

I now own another pair of running shoes.

My new, new road running shoes, I guess – a pair of Asics Gel Nimbus, or Nimbusses/Nimbi/what have you.

I can honestly say that I was, kind of, in the market for another pair of running shoes. I've actually come to really like the Mizunos I've been wearing. They've grown on me. But they don't do so well in certain situations. The heel section has an odd horseshoe shape, hollow in the middle. I assume that's to save weight, but the purpose is defeated when a pebble gets wedged into the empty space. That doesn’t happen every time, but I wouldn't call it rare. That is, it's rare on the road, but not on Forbidden Drive, which is where I do a lot of my running anyway.

Oh, and running in snow, forget it, it fills up and that changes my foot strike. Not good.

So I wanted to get a pair that I could wear in those situations. Helen and I were also kind of curious about the 'gait analysis' at JackRabbit Sports in Manhattan. Which, I have to say, is pretty cool. Basically, you run on a treadmill while they videotape your feet. This was a much more advanced method than at Philadelphia Runner, where I rolled up my pants and walked away from the salesperson. But, the same result: I just need normal shoes. No motion control/stability/etc.

I've gone running in the new shoes twice so far. Result: I don't like them as much as I currently like my Mizunos. I do like them more than I liked the Mizunos after two runs.

New Rōd Shoes

So, I have yet another pair of running shoes.

Except that, this time, they're not trail shoes; and they're not New Balance 754s, either.

This is quite a change. I've been running with Helen since 2005. Pretty soon into the process, I bought myself a pair of NB 754s. This was at Philadelphia Runner.

They worked out great. Soon, it made sense to have two pairs – one at Helen's apartment, one at mine. Then we moved in together, so I just kind of alternated them. Wrote their numbers on the back, so I wouldn't get them moved up.

Then NB discontinued them! I bought one more pair off the 'net. But on one of our recent long runs, it became clear that pair number 3 really didn't have any more cushion in them. So, back to Philadelphia Runner.

My thoughts were: try the NB 755s, which replace the 754s; and also, try some Mizunos. Helen, of course, wanted me to try some other shoes as well, including Asics, Saucony, and Brooks.

Thing was, PR just didn't have much in stock. And nothing quite fit right. They didn't have the NBs, only had the Mizunos in a size 9. So, off to citysport, which actually had the Mizunos in an 8 ½!

And that's what I'm now wearing.

The jury's still out, though. Sometimes they feel great; sometimes, they're just a little bit off. Sometimes the right feels better than the left; sometimes, well, vice-versa.

Oh, and sometimes rocks get caught in the sole. Not little ones – but pebbles that are bigger than a marble. That part's kinda weird. (If you look at the pic, it's the empty part in the heel where they get stuck).

I'm hoping that they'll work out. It's not unreasonable. These are my 3^rd ever pair of Mizunos. The first two – my trail running shoes and a pair of soccer cleats I bought in 2000 – were love at first wear. These ones, they still have some proving to do.

I've been running...

I haven't felt like blogging much, but I've been running. My ankle got back to 90% within a week, and I've been back to the trails with and without tape/brace, played some tennis, and logged 40 miles last week. My second pair of Asics Kayanos (12's) retired after 570 miles, and I broke in the new 2120s. So far so good -- the 2120s are soft and bouncy, but the Kayanos fit snugger and are more responsive. I was thinking to myself about this.... I might like the Kayano 12s more than my first boyfriend.

The Ankle Protection Program is back

My right ankle rolled over on Sunday during our run in the Wissahickon, turning the long run into a 9 mile shuffle in the woods. I was fairly disappointed yesterday, but now I realize it's no big deal. I have spained my ankle before and know that the swelling will go away in a couple of days. I also don't have any major races coming up, so I can take rest up. This morning I walked to the track and ran in my ankle brace for a mile, which neatly transitioned into a 8x200s without brace session. Once I warmed up, I felt okay running on even, flat services. Recovery is promising.

For walking to work, I activated the Ankle Protection Program, dormant since April due to my summer-long ankle luck. Good thing it's only 85 degrees today, not 95. I think running shoe companies should make high-top trail shoes for people like me.

The ankle protection program, when it was new:

Best shoes for long trail race

I discovered a flaw with my present portfolio of running shoes, consisting of the Asics road shoes and the Brooks trail shoes. For the upcoming trail half-marathon, both pairs of shoes would work well, but I only get to wear a pair, and ideally the left should match the right. I don't know what to do.

I've decided to try both shoes out with and without orthodics while running on trails in hopes that some combination would emerge as a clear leader. The road shoes are proven - I've run a marathon in March and a 10K trail race in June in them. They are light and provide good support for a long run. The trail shoes are less supportive but theoretically offers better traction and "rock protection" and doesn't absorb water (good for those stream crossings). I have never raced in them, but they are made for trail running. They are both great shoes for me.

++++++++++++++

The Half-Wit Half Marathon is on Sunday, but I don't feel ready. I am going to ease up this week and try to do the best I can, safely, and still enjoy the race. With 13 miles of hilly trails, 100+ steps up, beer stations, and a bunch of die hards from this area, the Half-Wit can be really fun if I can stay on my feet.

My New, New Trail Running Shoes

Well now the doctor call me crazy,
sometimes I am, sometimes I ain't.

I posted a while back about my new trail running shoes – Mizuno Wave Ascents. I'm still using them, they're great. There's certainly nothing wrong with them that warrants me buying another pair of trail running shoes. Yet that's precisely what I did, back in early July when we were in Seattle.

When I'd inquired into trail running shoes, I'd gotten a few suggestions for Inov8 shoes. They're a trail running shoe company. Most trail running shoes are either beefed-up running shoes (like my Mizunos or Helen's Cascadias); or else they're slimmed-down hiking boots, like what Vasque makes. I liked the idea of a company that specialized in running on trails. But when I was looking, I didn't see any. When we got to the Seattle Running Company they had a pretty wide selection, so I was pretty excited. And in a burst of pure consumer madness I actually spent $60 on an almost completely superfluous pair of shoes – a bright red pair of Inov8 285s.

"Almost," because they are quite different from the Mizunos. They're much lighter. In fact, they weigh 285 grams – Inov8 uses the posted weights for their model numbers. It's a 'trail running racing flat', kind of, I guess. They're comfortable. There's not much shoe, which is the idea. But this makes them limited – they don't make a good run to valley green, run trails there, run back shoe. So even though I've had them for a while now, today was the first good trail run I've gotten to do in them. I ran for 45 minutes in Valley Green, almost all on trails.

Response? Mixed.

On soft ground, they're great. Light, but with a good grip in the dirt. And on flat rocks, they're actually quite good, because they grip well. They give a really good feel for the ground.

They're a little narrow in the toe box, causing some discomfort later in the run for my pinkie toes. I'm hoping that'll stretch out a bit.

The weakness seems to lie in the red parts of the sole, rather than the black. The biggest single difference between my Mizunos and the New Balance shoes I usually wear comes when running on small rocks, esp. downhill. Sometimes with the NBs I feel the individual small rocks too much, which can be painful. The Mizunos really help with that, by being stiffer.

The Inov8 are somewhere between the two. For most of the run today, they felt good, but I couldn't descend as confidently as with the Mizunos. There was just one point early in the run, though, where I landed with one rock really jabbing up into the outside of my left foot. Right where (I'm guessing) the sole is red, not black. It didn't happen the rest of the run, but it made me pay attention to where my foot landed more than I would have.

So, mixed reviews. I like them, plan to figure out more about where and when to use them. When I look down and see them on my feet, I feel fast. For something like a race on Forbidden Drive, or on dirt or mud, they'd be perfect. But they're limited.

Good stuff alert: Brooks Cascadia

I caved in to the pressure and bought myself a pair of trail running shoes two weeks ago. It is my present to celebrate the new job. After comparing models and soliticing advice from several running stores, I decided on a pair of Brooks Cascadia. When I brought them home, I was excited as hell, but I was also anxious that they will turn out to be wrong for me. I experienced buyers remorse. I kept looking at other people's trail shoes, including Noah's, which aren't available in women's in Philadelphia.

They're actually much cuter than the pictures above. My hipper-than-me sister even thought that I can wear them with non-running clothes when I go out, like people's pumas. This might be true two weeks ago, but after running 50 some miles on them, in mud and snow, the shoes have become dirty and already lost the crossover status.

It's okay, because I like running in them. The shoes are very solid on muddy, rooty, and rocky trails. I can't feel the rocks under me as much as I do in road shoes. A few times that I misstepped, the whole foot didn't slip or turn. I'm not sure if this is what the "pivot posting" is supposed to do, but if it is, it's working. They don't absorb water and squish for the next hour and they stay light and dry quickly even when wet. Surprisingly, they aren't that stiff on the road either. I can run through the two miles of city streets comfortably to get to the trail head.

Just two yellow flags: (1) slippery on wet rocks; (2) slidy on slanted snow-covered surfaces.

The trail shoes aren't supposed to cure all, of course, and I know I can still slip or turn an ankle in them. I know better than to let the shoes give me a false sense of security. Overall, I recommend the Brooks Cascadia.

Exploring shoe testing

At work yesterday, I was researching careers when I thought I'd look into what it takes to become a shoe tester for a running shoe company :) In other words, I want to get running shoes for free and give opinions on how they run. In another life, I would've been trained in biomechanics and worked for Asics, but it's not really an option now.

I saw on Brooksrunning.com that they are indeed looking for weartesters. Woo hoo, I thought, maybe I could get some Cascadia 3 trail shoes, perhaps ones designed for overpronators. Who knows. I got excited and read on. Unfortunately, they are looking for a very specific sort of runner, and I don't fit the profile. They needed womens size 8.5 and living in Seattle, or a severe overpronator. I am neither. Bummer. All I want to do is "volunteer."

My New Trail Shoes

So I'd decided that it was time for me to get a pair of trail shoes. "Trail running shoes" is the term, I guess. But I've been doing enough runs on trails, and figure to run more on the trails as it gets hotter. I'm quite fond of my normal running shoes – I'm on my third pair – but on the more rocky trails I can really feel the individual rocks a lot.

So, off to Philadelphia Runner. I'm a pretty big fan of this shop – they just seem more knowledgeable than most other shops in terms of running shoes. I tried a few pairs, assuming that I'd wind up getting the New Balance ones. That's usually what happens. But instead I wound up getting a pair of Mizuno Wave Ascents. My second ever pair of Mizunos – the first was a pair of soccer cleats I bought in Bologna after Air France lost my luggage the day before a 2-day ultimate tournament. I played the next two days on them, and then the next two years. I'd be on my third pair of those as well by now, but they don't sell them in the states.

Anyway, went on the first run with the trail shoes today. No idea how far – we ran for 1:20 on the trails off of Forbidden Drive. A really nice run, some hills, some flats, Some new, some old. But the shoes held up really well. It made it a lot easier to run on the rocky stuff knowing that the smaller rocks weren't going to hurt as much on the bottom of my feet.

What do you get a runnerblogger for her half birthday?

Shoes jinx

A week after I blogged about the practicality of black running shoes, Asics seemed to have discontinued their 2120 model’s black color, the very example I used in the post. According to their website, Asics added two new colors, red and green (pictured on the right), but stopped making the black. I was planning on getting the black in the winter, running in them and then walking in them forever, but there goes that plan. That’s right. No free walking advertising for you, Asics!

Running shoes' life outside of running

Since worn-out running shoes continue to serve multiple specialized functions for many years longer, shoe manufacturers should design running shoes with their afterlife in mind. If you’re a shoe company, you can make shoes that runners run in for 500 miles and then are discarded or get used in the basement while the runner mix paints, never seeing daylight again. Or you can make shoes that last the same 500 miles and then five more years as walking shoes in the city, serving as moving billboards for your brand. Which would you rather make?

By my estimate, many runners choose running shoes based on fit and comfort, not appearance. But looks matter for taking walks, wearing jeans, running into your ex, going to work, etc. Therefore, I don’t think I’m reaching to suggest that companies make running shoes go with non-running clothes so that we get more mileage out of them

I wear my white-based running shoes to work, but I change out of them once I am in the office. But if I had these:

After 500 miles of running, I can continue to walk in these shoes all the time. They will be more comfortable than any other shoes and they won’t totally clash with civilization. I have done my research on zappos.com, and most of the people who left a comment on these shoes got them for walking. Runners are getting the 2120’s in the other colors, but that’s just short-sighted.

Shoe companies don’t have to limit themselves to black and brown. They can also make running shoes look cool for cool purposes. People are wearing those vintage Saucony’s. Can't they put the advanced midsoles in those shoes so runners can run in them too? Or sell swappable soles so that when I run my shoes out, I don’t have to replace the whole pair?

Running shoes are becoming more specialized

As I took a mental inventory of my running shoes, I realize I now have five inactive pairs in my possession. Five.

Since I move every two years, I have tried to make a habit of *not* being a pack rat. But my old, worn-out running shoes have been the exception. Seems like every pair is too special to just throw out. I put so much thought into buying each pair and ran more than 500 miles on them. I would eventually recycle or donate the shoes, but I tend to want to hang on to them for special purposes a little longer first. Back in the day, when mom had a lawn to mow, my old running shoes became shoes I wore to mow the lawns. Or I would keep a pair of old running shoes in her house for the two times a year I played tennis with my sisters there.

Nowadays, the purposes are different, but the hoarding is still the same. I figure that if I can justify keeping them, I can wait until we move again to toss them. For curious people with medium frames and low arches, here's what I've got:

Brooks Axiom 2004 - for walking to the basement
Brooks Adrenaline 2004 - for running just on soft or rocky trails (the cushioning is done)
Saucony Hurricane 2005 blue - for keeping because Noah got me them
Saucony Hurricane 2005 yellow - for walking to work
Asics Kayano 2006 - for keeping at work for the impromptu walk to the gym

I don't have a problem and I don't need any help. I just wonder if other runners do the same thing. :)