Boston Training Week #2, shoes, and Bobcats

Currently the weather is much more like April than like February 1st. While I know that Feb is traditionally the month where the shit hits the fan I don't count on this to last but I certainly am enjoying it!

All last week the weather was really decent. Sadly, the sun is still going down too early for me to feel inspired to hoof it around town but we are getting there. I took my long run outdoors and appreciated the lovely sunset and the muddy snowbanks. (muddy snowbanks are always better than snowy snowbanks in my opinion!)

Pretty sunset at 4:44 PM

I had a shockingly good long run this week. 16 miles of complete enjoyment and at a pretty decent clip too. This is unheard of for January so I am going to attribute it to one of two things: the base I built up during Philly-thru-Dopey OR (and more likely) dumb luck. Either way, I'll take it. I had a crap ton of fun, I listened to some sweet tunes which is not the norm, it was warm (38) and just a good day.

My thumb looks so large. This is a weird pic but I'm using it anyway.

Since about a month prior to Philly I have been having a bit of shoe drama. Even though I have it mostly sorted out it still merits mention because shoes play a big role in my happiness.
I snagged a pair of Clifton 2's after my final pair of Clifton 1's bit the dust.
Well, this was a struggle. Lots of changes to the 2's (this is old news) and after bleeding all over them for 50 miles I tossed them aside. I put back on the Clifton 1's for another 100 miles (at that point, 100 miles was less than 2 weeks.) *side note- those final 100 miles really turned the 1's into slippers. poor things. they have a life span and 470 miles was tooooo much.*

Right, I digress.
I basically crossed my fingers and picked up a pair of Odyssey's. I think I put less than 70 miles on them and then ran Philly. They are now nearing the end, with over 300 miles on them. While they don't fill me with joy they get the job done and have improved with miles.

Beat up Odyssey's left, Clifton 2's Right. Dog foot bottom.

So here are my feelings.
The Odyssey 1's, because they have the "original" Hoka tongue worked better for me than the Clifton 2's. However, both pairs of shoes are much more narrow than the Clifton 1's (or any Hokas from a year or so ago) and that just stinks. I don't even have a wide foot!
I have another pair of Odyssey's in the wings and have found that the Clifton 2's, after a lengthy and bogus "break in" period are pretty serviceable. I feel they will get me through Boston.
All of this being said the original Clifton's were an amazing shoe- one that I had ZERO complaints about. I am holding out hope that Hoka brings back a similar model ASAP.
Why not just change brands you might ask? Because at the end of the day my legs/hips/back all feel better in a Hoka than in anything else. So apparently I am willing to sacrifice my little toe and let my ankles bleed to keep the legs happy....
I have very high hopes for the upcoming Clayton and the reps have promised me a better Clifton 3. Since the Hokas have kept me on my feet better than any other shoe thus far I will consider the past few months to be a small bump in the road of an otherwise delightful relationship. 

So what else?
My whole week of training was solid. I came in, as planned at 39 miles which included the previously mentioned great long run and a variety of treadmill training that included a few mile repeats and a progression run which were good, but sweaty.

Unflattering sweaty selfie, as promised.

In more exciting (late) news....
I mentioned the encounter with the bobcat in my last post, completely forgetting that I had left that experience off the blog!
Back in late October I was out running after dark, lit up like a damn Christmas tree per the norm. When you are used to running in Maine in the Fall you get used to hearing a variety of critters moving thru the fallen leaves and assorted puckerbrush. I am pretty used to hearing squirrels, turkeys, and assorted small wildlife and I barely give those noises any notice.
Anywhoo, I was a few miles out, on one of the bigger roads in my town (in the DARK) when I heard an unusual scuffle in the underbrush just ahead of me on the other side of the road. I contemplated what it could be and decided that it was either a very large dog or a creepy skulking human. Feeling prepared to deal with either of those situations I turned my flashlight to the right AND THERE HE WAS. You guys, he was right there. Taking a look at me. Like just across the road!

JUST LIKE THIS! But dark. No, I did NOT take pics!! #terror

I was quite certain that it was a mountain lion and (possibly for the first time ever while on a run) thought I might be completely fucked. So what did I do? I ran LIKE HELL. I knew that about 150 feet away there was a driveway and my plan was to get there, chuck stones and yell. Luckily, Mr. Bobcat was just as startled to see me as I was him and he stayed put. (he was most likely hunting the chickens right across the way.)
Of course, once I had run quite a ways, unreasonably fast I spent a minute or two going "ahhhh! I DID NOT LIKE THAT!" and kind of sobbing and dry heaving from the redline sprint like a *very brave* person.
(and I get it, backseat drivers, you don't run from cats. but what would you have done with zero time to plan!? I have a plan for bad dogs, creepy people and even bears. just not BIG fucking huge cats. So I RAN!!!!!)

Anyway....! That's it from here. Enjoy the Spring everyone. :-)

The story of how I met my new true love... Hoka's!!

It is finally time for the *much* anticipated post about how I broke up with my Mizuno's.

When I met my first pair of Mizuno Wave 16's, it was love at first sight. I slapped those bad boys on my feet and never looked back. (and this was after 2 pairs of Precisions, 3 pairs of Enigma's (one of which I hated) a pair of Wave 15's, and a fleeting moment with some Sayonara's... So, Mizuno was my middle name.)

I loved you, Wave Rider 16's, I loved you very much. I literally put thousands of miles on you (well. a few of you. I get around.) I overlooked some model inconsistency that would periodically give me black toenails.... Because in the end, I loved you! You loved me! I got a solid 450-550 miler per pair not to mention that I never, ever paid full price for you!!
But then you changed.... You suddenly wanted to be called 17 and it was like you were an entirely different shoe. We no longer saw eye to eye on anything! I was able to keep my torrid affair with the 16's going thanks to my acceptance of retiring colors which were possibly no longer hip on fitfluential. Awwwwwww.
But in my heart I knew the end was near....
I laced up my final pair of Mizuno 16's for the last time in late October, weeping tears of sadness and loss.

A woman scorned....

OK. So that is not exactly how it played out. My final pair of 16's were notorious for giving me massive blisters so I basically threw them in the hopper.


But what to do then?

I cruised over to Maine Running to check out some other brands. While I did pick up a temporary pair of kicks to get me by, absolutely nothing was feeling that great to my picky feet and rapidly aging hips. CRISIS MODE!
WHAT TO DO??

I had been aware of Hoka's for a while, not necessarily in a positive way.
I thought they looked absurd, like Skechers Shape Up's, or maybe like something your Nana would wear to work out in at Curves. Not exactly the kind of shoe that had me frothing at the mouth to obtain it.

Over the summer I did notice that they were streamlining the shoes a bit- instead of looking like Ronald McDonald shoes they looked like gigantic mattresses that I would surely trip over repeatedly. Quite trim, obviously....
I made the assumption that they, like Newtons, must be a specialty shoe because they certainly had a specialty price tag. I had taken note that "on the internet" it was mostly trail runners in them. I did see them here and there at road races but I still categorized them with the Newtons- shoes for people with a very specific gait, a gait that I do not have. (I am a Forrest Gump style runner. Specialized shoes for "front foot gait" basically get a big failing grade from me!)

Then, suddenly my friend Danielle was running in Hoka's. I literally, was like "WHAT??"
And she was swearing by them.
Being that she is a real person, who clearly has the same exact gait as myself, and does the same kind of running that I do, I began to perk up and take notice.

SAME gait. We are awesome.

I found the Kailua's on sale for 50% off in late October. I also had a coupon code so about 2 days and $60 later I was in possession of my first pair of Skechers Shape up's!!
I kid, I kid.
To be honest, when I whipped them out of the box the first thing I said was "Well, these almost look normal!!"
I walked around in them a bit and they felt funny but not in the way I had expected.
They were firm but cushiony at the same time, I found that there was plenty of room for my toes to cohabitate, they did not feel ungainly at all. Still, I did not particularly enjoy walking about in them. (they are NOT walking shoes.)
Furthermore, I was very concerned about the "quick lace" system- I did not think I would find them adjustable enough and I was SURE that the little tabs would click and clack around and drive me bat shit crazy.
Neither of those things happened.

Once I started running, as much as it irked me to admit it I could see what the hype was all about.
I was like an amazing stealth-ninja, literally prancing at top fucking speed along a cloud of pavement.

Except that the right shoe pissed off my ankle bone to no end.What started as an occasional little ow rapidly transitioned into full blown "Oh HOLY HELL OUCH!!!"
If I had paid full price for them I simply would have sent them back! And forver have regretted that decision....
After putting a few miles on them (25 or so) I concluded that the ankle issue was simply unacceptable but that I would take matter into my own, capable hands.
Armed with a utility knife and a terrifying pair of ultra sharp scissors I basically hacked the crap out of my poor shoe until it was deemed comfortable.

Mess with me? I WILL CUT YOU!!!!!

And DUDES, what a good choice!!!
They are now PERFECT.

I love them. I have completely forsaken my previous involvement with Mizuno in favor of a stable, comfortable relationship with my new favorite Hoka's! (fickle woman that I am....)
Happy feet, happy hips, fast recovery, you guys- it almost feels like cheating, running in these things.

The current model that I have is pretty awesome for winter running, it is the warmest thing I have ever slapped on my foot and it chugs thru snow with magical 4WD skills.
Obviously, it would not be my favorite summer shoe so I'll have to make some changes prior to hot weather.

So. The moral of the story.
....you can find love again.....!!!!!

Oh Jeez..
But really, don't judge a book by its cover. While they might look a little funny they run like a normal shoe, they are not too soft AT ALL even for picky me, you do NOT feel like you are running on high heels, and you don't even notice them after a few runs.

I believe that there is a good shoe out there for everyone, and while *my* favorite might not be yours I feel that I can recommend the Hoka's with no reservations.
I'm actually getting all giddy looking at the 2015 models, so clearly I have defected!  

The one about the new shoes...

After pounding out a couple months worth of miles in my 5 year old, broken down New Balance trail runners (previously used for many miles of waitressing) I decided it was high time to procure a pair of actual running shoes. Not only was my ankle still quite sore from falling down a hill but my feet felt blah in general. I don't enjoy having blah feet.
The Huz and I made a pilgrimage to the (my State's name) Running Company, a store that previously would have filled me with dread and/or boredom to the MAX to enter. But now I was a fabulous runner! I was excited (for real, for real) and only a little nervous that they would tell me that I had severely ugly feet or similar.

As it turned out the process was quick and painless. My gait and feet appeared to be normal (and I was filled with pride that I could finally claim "normal" on my taxes and other legal documents...) I tried on 100,000 pairs of shoes because I am a girl and so I can. HAH. (At this my very tolerant huz decided to pass on the shoe fashion show and head down the road to do some boring man shopping. Smart move.)
I was surprised that they put me in a show one full size larger than I was used to which gave me a scary Ronald McDonald feeling at first (the freakishly big feet, not the red nose, hair or desire to peddle burgers. I'm just sayin'.) They insisted that it was what I needed and that I would be happy in the end,.

After much hemming and hawing between the Silver Superhero shoes that would be (based on looks alone) enough to propel me towards a finish line OR the Boring Blue & White shoes that were oh-so dull to look at but (based on feelings alone) would make my feet both happy and fast. In the end my practical nature won (AGGHH! How BORING) and the Blue Brooks won out. I was happy to invest the $130 in them because it was time, the old shoes had payed their dues and my ankles and nasty old feet were sick of suffering. Not to mention that footwear in my other line of work/sport runs around $600- I felt that I was getting away with something!
I took the little buggers out for a test run and was nervous because they seemed a bit long in the toe. I called my Sister, all nervous that I was going to have to use the 21 day return policy. "You'll be fine" she said with supreme authority "You'll appreciate them in the summer or on long runs when your feet swell." I listened to her and have since discovered that I do indeed appreciate them when my feet swell all sexy-like. YEAH!

Not to mention the obvious fact that I appreciate the shoes because they made me so much more comfortable that I was finally able to run faster and longer.
Only I can make a story of shoe shopping so gosh darn exciting....