Lingering Effects

That twinge I felt on the outside of my left knee is still lingering like a bad smell, though it has dissipated somewhat. After Sunday's run I was really worried since the pain was such that it hurt just to walk. On Monday I woke up and didn't feel as much discomfort, though a few hours of work in the yard and washing the car, etc. didn't do it much good. I had meant to rest, but whatcha gonna do? Today walking feels fine, but biking hurts. I guess the easy answer is don't bike, but that's how I get around so as far as I'm concerned not biking is not an option. I went pretty slow at least.

I did make it to the pool for an easy 1000m at lunch time. That didn't hurt at all, which is nice. I've been thinking about just why this pain has crept up given that things were going pretty well for a while now. At first I thought that it may have been my first set of intervals on Wednesday last week, but I felt fine afterwards and ran again on Friday without any noticeable pain in that area. Could I have slept on it wrong? Don't think so. Then Marci left a comment wondering if perhaps my shoes were shot, and the more I think about it the more I'm convinced that this is the culprit. Luckily I picked up a new pair of shoes on Saturday! Good timing. By all accounts, Mizunos seem to wear out faster than other shoes and I've put on roughly 400km (250 miles) on my current pair. Guess my plan to not wear the new kicks until after this week's race is not going to fly. Tomorrow I have an easy 5k planned, but if I am still feeling pain in the knee I will push that run back to Thursday. Right now I'm just hoping for the best and want to arrive at the starting line as pain-free as possible to run as fast as I possibly can for 5k, then I can crash and take a week or two off if I have to.

Gentlemen, I Implore You

When did it all begin to unravel, I ask myself?



In other news, my new pair of running shoes came in and I picked them up. Very exciting! Back to Asics for me, as I found the Mizuno experiment to be less than perfect. The Mizunos were nice and light, provided decent stability, but their cushioning left a lot to be desired. I will continue to use the Nirvanas for a while longer since they have been working OK and my foot continues to slowly improve. The Inspire 4s, however, as light as they are, provide almost zero cushioning in the forefoot. I didn't think I needed any there, but in retrospect my foot seems to relapse every time I wear these on anything but a short slow run. So, here's hoping the Asics GT2140s allow me to train throughout the summer towards my first marathon.

Back Outside Running, Losing Data!

I finally stopped neglecting the Garmin and got outside for a run today! My foot is slowly (too slowly for my liking, mind you) getting better, and I am now convinced that the footwear was to blame. While out and about looking for cars last Tuesday we stopped by an Outlet Mall and I picked up another pair of running shoes, making me feel a little like I am getting too obsessed with running shoes. The deal was too good to pass up! Even though they were a couple models old, the Mizuno Wave Nirvana 2's felt so good that I had to get them. On top of that, they had then in 12.5 so I figured it was meant to be. You can't really go too far wrong at $69.00 either...

Anyway, these were final sale and, while I am still considering keeping or returning the Wave Inspire 4's that I bought a week ago, the other new shoes allowed me to head outside in the rain for an easy 7k. It's been raining here since last night pretty much non-stop, and I was sort of waiting for the rain to stop since I didn't really feel too hot about the treadmill yet again. By mid afternoon I just decided to run in the rain, and it was great - the run felt really easy, the foot was fine, and I got pretty wet but was not cold. I managed the 7k in 38:56, for an average pace of 5:33/km. I wasn't paying attention to the Garmin while running and was shocked with the final time and pace since I felt like I was running in the 6:00/km or slower range. The average heart rate for the run was 154bpm, and that too surprised me since I wasn't breathing hard or anything. Looking at the data I was under 80% of max HR for most of the run, so that means I was in the right zone.

The other thing that happened, which I only just realized, is that the Garmin Training Center software seems to have completely lost all of my training data! It's all gone, and without the screenshot I took of today's run when I uploaded this afternoon I wouldn't know the above details. Has anyone else have this happen to them? Were you able to get the data back? HELP! A total bummer for an otherwise good day of running...

I never managed to discuss my racing schedule for 2009 yesterday, but there is tonnes of time to get to that. Just too busy to really note my thoughts on the matter in blog format. I will get to it at some point, and also discuss the training plan for the year to coincide with the schedule for advice, etc...

Garmin don't lie.


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5k Test Drive

I'm not really 100% as far as being pain free in the foot or anything, but I think I am on the way to recovery enough to start back slowly into running. The added motivation of my new pair of shoes also had me itching to run, and so I hit the gym and it's treadmill today. I had to test drive the new sneakers, after all. And since I can return them as long as I try them out indoors, the treadmill was my only option.

I walked for ten minutes to loosen up and then started off at 6.2mph on my planned 30 minute run. This equated to a 5k at 6:00/km pace, also known as nice and slow. It was certainly not a cardio workout or anything, but at least it was something two weeks to the day after my first race. The foot felt fine for the first twenty minutes or so and then started to tighten up a bit. The shoes felt great, and I did not feel like they were forcing me to pronate the same way that the New Balance 1062s did, which I still think was the cause on my foot pain in the arch. In short, I think the Mizuno Wave Inspiration 4s made a great first impression, and I will hit the treadmill again this week to continue to test them out during the return/exchange period.

Afterwards I spent about a half hour dipping my foot in ice water for a minute, then hot water for a minute, etc... I think this helps, though at the beginning it certainly was not what I consider fun. I can't imagine sitting in an ice bath!

One last thought: does anyone else feel like they are neglecting their Garmins when using a treadmill? I sure do! Nothing to plug into the laptop, no metrics, no graphs... Feels like I've only half-ran or something.

New Shoes, a bit of a Suprise

This morning we were on a mission to get haircuts for the boys, and as is typical of our family this little adventure took a bit longer than expected. By the time the boys were trimmed and we were ready to take on the rest of the day, it was lunchtime! The little guys were great, and I can't say they were solely responsible for the entire morning being devoted to accomplishing one thing. They are also looking very cute, but I realize I'm less than objective here...

The second thing I wanted to accomplish was to check out some running shoes, and hopefully buy a new pair. After their haircuts, the four of us went into the Running Room in the Beaches. It was not busy at all, and the store was smaller than I expected. I knew right away that the chances of me walking out of there with a new pair of runners was slim to none. Nevertheless, I tried on a couple of pairs of shoes, though they both were size twelve and obviously too small. It was worth stopping by, I suppose, but the young girl working there did not seem to have much experience or confidence in here abilities to recommend shoes. Too bad...

After lunch we piled in the car and headed off to Markham to visit Running Free. This store was much bigger with a great selection of shoes, as expected. I was helped by another young lady, but in this case she definitely seemed to know what she was talking about and was a great help. I tried on seven or eight different pairs of shoes, did some running on the treadmill in the store, and took a good long time trying on a variety of shoes: Asics, Saucony, New Balance, Mizuno, Brooks were the brands I tried, and a couple of different models in a few of them. In the end it came down to a pair of Mizuno Wave Inspire 4's and Saucony ProGrid Ride's. Miraculously, the Mizunos were available in size 12.5, and although the Saucony's were 13 they fit really well. The Brooks Adrenaline's were a close third, but they felt like there was not enough cushioning in them for the long haul. The Saucony's had probably the best cushioning, and I would have taken them had the Mizuno's not felt so good. In reading up on shoe selection, I continuously came across advice that said you should look for shoes that make you feel like you aren't even wearing anything, and these hit the mark. On top of that, they felt awesome when I was running on the treadmill, and they are super light. I will test them out on the treadmill at the gym before deciding whether or not they are keepers since I can still return them as long as they are not used outdoors, but I can't see why these won't work. They have the right balance of cushioning and stability, with a little bit of arch support and I am hopeful they will be THE ones. It's funny, I never would have considered Mizuno in the past, but going into this ready to try anything and not wanting to limit my options I think I ended up with a potentially great shoe.

As far as the foot is concerned I am still feeling pain, but I think things are slowly getting better. I think the key for me to getting back to running is to take it easy and keep my pace really slow for the foreseeable future. I hope to begin this week, starting with a test of the new shoes on the treadmill, what will become my winter of base building. I also want to get into some leg strengthening, but I think I will hold off on that for another couple of weeks while the foot continues to heal.

Movie Night with the Boys

We watched Kung-Fu Panda tonight, this being the not too uncommon "movie night" for the boys, and it was a lot of fun. I don't know how much of the movie either one of them actually got, but there were plenty of parts that they absolutely found hilarious. Lots of physical humour, as much as that is possible in cartoon form. I also found it quite funny. On a more serious note, the one line I think I will always remember from this movie is, "Yesterday is history, tomorrow a mystery, and today a gift. That is why they call it a present." Hmmm...

On the running front I have no news. The foot is sore, but mostly from the plantar fascia that the good doctor rubbed the hell out of yesterday. I am looking forward to finding some new shoes since the more I think about it the more I am convinced that my current pair is not helping matters, but rather exacerbating the problem. Also, thank you all for your kind comments that reinforce the idea that the right footwear helps to prevent injuries. There are some articles out there about the myth that expensive running shoes are better than cheap ones, but these "studies" are debunked by some sound arguments. In the end, a cheap shoe may work for you, and if so then great. It's kind of like a good cheap wine to a wine drinker - if you like it then the lower price just makes it that much better, but has nothing to do with the taste.

G'night!

Back in the Gym

After my regular lunchtime swim, where I managed another 2000m in 30 minutes (doesn't seem like I'm getting any faster yet...) I went to see the doc for another treatment. While there I brought up the whole shoe issue, and my suspicions that the current NB 1062's I've been wearing might be the cause of my foot problems. After a bit of a discussion, and a close look at the shoes I was wearing (not my running shoes since I neglected to bring them with me) it seems I might be looking for runners that offer good cushioning and some stability to support my arches. I guess that's what I will be looking for, starting this Saturday when I visit a great running store in Markham called Running Free. Apparently they really know their stuff, and I will spend as much time and try on as many shoes as possible to come up with something that will hopefully work out in the long term.

Tonight I managed to get back in the gym for some light weights. I feel pretty weak, having missed a few weeks, and I'm sure the candy I've been consuming during and post Halloween is not helping matters either. I took it real easy...

• Crunches 50-40-30-20-10
• Bench Press 12-12 115lbs
• Seated Rows 12-12 100lbs
• Lateral Flys 15-15 15lbs
• Lat Pulldowns 12-12 115lbs
• Dumbell Biceps Curls 12-12 25lbs
• Triceps Extensions 15-15 50lbs

What a Night!

An historic election in the US, and I am very pleased with the result. Being Canadian, and unable to vote, I was still pulling for Obama to win, and I was hoping he would do so handily so that there would be no questions over his legitimacy. It'll be great to see what his leadership can bring over the next four years, and, if worthy, four more after that. Canada could sure use an intelligent and charismatic leader as we haven't had one in a long long time...

Other than that I find myself wondering what to write about these days. I am in r'n'r mode, waiting for things to heal up, and am unable to report any running activity on what is a running blog. That being said, I am thinking that perhaps my foot issue can be attributed to footwear and am wondering if perhaps my New Balance shoes, nice as they are, may be doing more harm than good. More conscious than ever of my running "style", if you can call it that, I notice that these shoes force my foot to pronate more than the Asics I was wearing before. This can be attributed to the super shock absorbing material that is on the outer edge of the sole of the shoe, which does not compress very much. I guess it is normal to go through different models of shoes before finding the right one, or is it? I am considering ordering the current version of my Asics shoes and seeing if they make a difference. I say ordering, of course, because I am in the minority with my 12.5 size feet and must "special order" with a "down payment" anything that is not in stock. I have to find a store that carries all the major brands in 12.5 so I can actually try them on rather than working blind.

No activity today, but I am back into doing the ice water - warm water routine for the foot, which is good. In fact, I have to go do that now!

Injury Treatment Pending, Weights Later

I made the plunge and called my physio to see if she'd take a look at my lingering knee issue. As it happens, today is her first day back after Beijing, where she was as part of the Canadian Rowing team. My appointment is on Thursday, and I hope that she does NOT force me to take time off... I think I need to stregthen and stretch some stuff, but need guidance from a pro.

The UofT athletic centre is open again, my tuition is paid, and I will be starting swimming next week! Can't wait, not only because I (for the first time since my competitive days) am actually looking forward to swimming, but also because this will take some stress off the knee. I just hope I can fit it all in between my last course, family, etc... Should be doable, if that's a word.

I am heading to the gym for my usual weights tonight, but am posting now in anticipation of a busy evening what with the kids having finished their first day of school, the spouse planning a gym visit as well, and me being more tired than usual given that my bedtime last night was still on vacation mode it is unlikely I'll be up for computer shtuff after working out. Sad, but true...

Lastly, the New Balance 1062's I bought last week are working out great. They have more shock absorption than my Asics Cumulus 9's, though I would have loved to try out the Asics Nimbus 10's. The 12.5 foot size is a pain in the ass though, and NB are the only store in town that stocks it, so Asics (if you are reading this) you've lost a long-time customer.

Now, back to work!

Weights details:

• 10 minute warmup on stationary bike
• Dumbell Bench Press 12-12-10 55lbs
• HS Seated Rows 12-12-12 180lbs
• Dumbell Shoulder Press 12-10 40lbs
• HS Lat Pulldown 10-10 160lbs
• Dumbell Biceps Curls 12-10 30lbs
• Triceps Extensions 12-12 60lbs
• Ab Crunch Machine 15-15-15 125lbs

Baseball Champ, and 6km Run in New Shoes!

So, on the shoe search I went to New Balance Toronto last night and, lo and behold, indeed I am a 12.5 normal width footed homosapien. The NB1062 was definitely the shoe for me, but the store only had a 12.5 in extra wide at the downtown location. I was a swimmer, but I don't have webbed feet! After getting them to get another pair transferred from another location, I left somewhat dissappointed, but looking forward to the Monday arrival of the new treads...

Jump to this morning... I woke up too late to go for my planned 6km run before Owen's Championship Baseball game, so that's what was on the menu for the first half of the day. As a proud Dad I must report that my son's team won in a classic "come back" type game - they entered the bottom of the fourth inning (the last) four runs down, and managed to score 5 to win 11-10! Here are some pics of the memorable occasion for all to ogle:

Owen getting ready to play in the big game, Dad forces him to stop for a picture:

Mom and Malcolm: the tension is palpable!

In the on-deck "circle":

Loin-Fruit #1 with his trophy, happy endorphins coursing through his veins!

The triumphant "Green Giants" with their trophies, coaches, etc.:

Naturally I took a couple of videos of the Loin-Fruit's at-bats, and may attempt to load them up later... Let's just say they were spectacular for now!

After the game, the boys got hot-dogs, the parents reminisced. Once we got home I started getting antsy and decided to check the availability of my prospective sneakers at the other locations around Toronto. The first place I called had a pair and I made the decision to drive up there and pick them up. I even got a free running shirt out of it since that location was running a promo. I should have taken a picture of it, but didn't... Here are the shoes just before my run:

So, I strapped them on, put on the Garmin accoutrements, and off I went on my "easy" 6km run. I walked ten minutes, then started up on what I thought was a slow pace. The first kilometre was feeling good, the knee was cooperating, and I was yet to get blasted by the heat. Tears were streaming from my eyes on account of the friggin' ragweed, but I didn't care because the 1062's felt awesome! Not too plush, not too firm. Definitely a good first impression. By the time I dropped into the Park I was feeling great and didn't care that I was running well below the prescribed 6:00/km pace. I paid for this by about kilometre three, first with a stitch that would be my running parter for the duration, and then by the hill that would take me out of the Park back onto the roads. I ran the first 5km in 28:34 and was definitely pushing to hold the pace for the last km. The Garmin don't lie, and my HR was way higher than intended. I guess all I know how to do is "tempo" runs, but I have no idea what that actually means, just want to sound cool...

In the end, a great day! Hope everyone had a wonderful Saturday as well. Oh yeah, the cherry on the top: Red Soxs 0 - Jays 11!!! Oh yeah!!!

Details:

The google image of the run!

The Quest for Footwear Begins!

Having convinced myself that new footwear is crucial to my running, I am planning on heading over to the New Balance Toronto store this evening to see if I can find something with tonnes of cushioning for my 12.5 sized canoes. No idea if they stock them, can't bring myself to call and be disappointed, plus I've never seriously tried New Balance shoes before so maybe a 12 or 13 will be right for me... Here's the model I'm really keen on for its shock absorption and high-arch accommodation, the NB 1062:

The other model that they recommended, in a response to an email I sent to their "ask the expert" thingy, is the NB 862:
Anyone out there wearing either one of these? Thoughts & comments are always welcome. I suspect my quest is unlikely to end tonight, and I will be faced with the prospect of "shopping around", a task worse that having my teeth drilled as far as I'm concerned. I suppose going to a brand specific store is giving me the hope that they stock more that the normal sizes of other retailers, but I have no way of knowing if this is actually the case (can't bring myself to call comment above). After reading Running Injury-Free a bit last night I at least have a semblance of explanation for why my feet grew by half a size in the last year or so: my rigid high arches may actually be loosening up from the activity! This is good news in an otherwise disappointing shoe-finding endeavor, and I'll take it! Hopefully tomorrow I can report on how my Saturday morning run went in my new treads!

Update: I forgot to wish Lifestrides good luck on his 1 Mile Challenge tomorrow! All the best in your quest to break 5:00 - that time is unbelievably fast, but you are so close and I bet you'll do it!

5km Run, Soaking Wet

Got the 5km run in as planned, though I timed it to coincide with the worst downpour of a thunderstorm. (We've averaged what seems like almost one a day this summer and records for rain totals have been smashed for this city.) Owen's baseball game started in beautiful sunshine, but by the end I knew I was in for it as the clouds had rolled in and the wind was picking up. After getting home I headed out while it was still dry, but at the 1km mark the downpour started. It was pretty cool running in the rain, and in the end the rain only lasted for about fifteen minutes, so the walk at the end was dry. I think that running in the rain is ok, but walking might not be so much fun. Relegated to the dumbass category is my wearing of sunglasses on top of the baseball hat without knowing it... They were my wife's and I'm sure glad that I didn't lose them while running. At least the people on the street that I passed must have thought that I had been running for a looooooong time to still have them on me!

The pace was faster than I had planned, but not by much. I managed the 5km in 28:28 instead of the 30:00 flat I was trying for. The knee felt tight and the tendon at the front under the kneecap is not yet fully healed. It is very frustrating to not be able to just run fast. This hardly felt like a workout and I really had to hold back. I may have to see the physio once she returns from Beijing...

On the shoe front I discovered there is a New Balance store downtown that carries all sizes and widths. I hope that something there works, though I've never felt good in a NB shoe. That being said, I've never been fitted for one either.

Details:



Google image.

The Only 12.5 In Canada???

So, I have been looking into replacing my running shoes and began my quest this weekend while in Ottawa. I currently wear Asics Gel-Cumulus 9 and am happy with them, though I am looking to get a bit more cushioning if possible (Gel-Nimbus 10, or something like that). I need a neutral shoe with a sole that doesn't twist on account of the wonky ankle, but I can't wear a stability shoe because I have high and rigid arches. Other than those physical restrictions, my only problem is that NOBODY carries 12.5 sizes in this bloody country!!! (Perhaps accounting for our poor track and field results? Hey, it's hard to run with the wrong footwear...) You'd figure that running specialty stores would have the occasional customer with a 12.5 size foot (thanks for nothing Running Room), but apparently people just skip up to a 13 once reaching 12. Any size below 12 comes in half-sizes, but I was given no explanation for why 12.5 is like the Yeti - I'm told to try this store, or call this place, or check out that, or contact the company, but a sighting is not imminent. When I do find something you can bet I will likely buy two pairs... IF THEY BLOODY WELL HAVE THEM!!!!!!! Or maybe I should guillotine a couple of toes and join the normal-feet folk? Friggin' genetics...

Thanks for letting me vent. Any advice would be much appreciated, though not expected given that you are unlikely to need a 12.5!!!

Knee's feeling better. Going for another slow 5k tonight. Wife discovered my blog finally. Don't know what that means... Hi honey!!!