back in 7th-8th grade i could run a sub 8 min mile.    of course, i barely weighed 95 pounds then.  now i'm at 178. man, i miss my younger days. 

My ultimate goal was to run a 25 minute 5k which would be an 8 minute mile pace.  When I first started I was at an 11 minute pace so I've cut my pace halfway to where I need it!

Careful with those Nike's. 

They've got a soft, neutral fit.  Low arch/tendency to pronate.  Similar to New Balance.  They feel soft and comfy to new guys, especially ones on the heavier side. 
Don't try to retain brand loyalty.  Buy a pair of Aasics in two or three months (the shock absorption of the Nike's will be gone by then).  They're crisper when pushing off, with a thinner heel to help teach you to plant correctly.  Other nice little design features, also, that'll help you keep your menisci for a few more years.   
Little lighter, too.


Try this breathing technique:
In - nose
In - nose
out - mouth
pause
Foot hits the ground (In), next foot (In), next foot (out), next foot (pause), repeat for a few miles
Little puffs in, big puff out. 
And, keep your head up!  Eyes on the horizon!

+2 on the Asics I love mine for all the walking I do at work! My adidas are pretty good too. Won't wear anything but those two!

Mary

Quote from: wladziu on April 29, 2009, 02:02:29 PM
Careful with those Nike's. 

They've got a soft, neutral fit.  Low arch/tendency to pronate.  Similar to New Balance.  They feel soft and comfy to new guys, especially ones on the heavier side. 
Don't try to retain brand loyalty.  Buy a pair of Aasics in two or three months (the shock absorption of the Nike's will be gone by then).  They're crisper when pushing off, with a thinner heel to help teach you to plant correctly.  Other nice little design features, also, that'll help you keep your menisci for a few more years.   
Little lighter, too.


Try this breathing technique:
In - nose
In - nose
out - mouth
pause
Foot hits the ground (In), next foot (In), next foot (out), next foot (pause), repeat for a few miles
Little puffs in, big puff out. 
And, keep your head up!  Eyes on the horizon!

Sorry, your using terms that are a little outside my vocabulary lol  The gentleman that I bought my shoes from hasn't missed a day running since I have been alive, and I trust his judgement in the proper shoes.  He ran me through a couple tests, short runs to watch my feet and barefoot testing to ensure he knew how my feet planted.  These shoes were decided upon after trying on about 10 other shoes, and I told him from the beginning I wanted the best shoe for me not just to stay with nike.

So I dunno if I that makes a difference, but can you elaborate (in plain english lol) a little more your post so I can understand?

Thanks!

Nick

Took it a little easy today and just did a fast 5k, not pushing for longer time, and will be resting the rest of the week for my 5k on sunday.

But I did run my fastest 5k today!  29:20, shaved 30 seconds off my total time!  i know my first mile was quicker, but my second mile is where I struggle.  Third mile picks up slowly as i come near the finish but just can't seem to stay speedy throught the second mile!

Nick

Yesterday I ran in another race, 8th annual Fallen Peace Officers Memorial in downtown Phoenix.  I would have to say this was by far the best run I've had.  We started about 17 blocks outside of downtown at the park where they built the new Fallen Officers Memorial and ran into downtown to loop back around the park.  All the roads were blocked off on our route so we were able to actually enjoy running in downtown, it was really amazing and one of the first times I was able to enjoy the scenery while running.

I did also finish with a new best time, 28:47!  Shaved a full 1:05 off my last race, and almost 30 seconds of my previous quickest 5k!  I still only finished 7th out of 8 in my age group, but I am damn proud of my progress!  It was really amazing running with all the police recruits and listening to their cadence was really inspiring!

I've got a list together for all the runs in the next month I want to get into before I move back to Ohio, lets just hope I can keep pushing, I only have 5 full weeks before my 10K goal!

Nick

Well I was a little sore today, I'm having some problems with my pinkie toe on my left foot.  This is the same foot I lost my big toe nail on while playing indoor soccer (you buy smaller shoes for better control over the ball) and I'm not sure if my game friday is the cause of the pain or my run sunday.  Either way i was fine till I woke up monday morning, I've either dislocated it or broke one of the tiny bones in the toe.  With no insurance I won't be getting it checked, besides its a toe so there is not much they can do anyways!  All day monday I iced it to see if that would help, but it was still sore today when I woke up.

I went for a run today to see how the toe would hold up and the first mile was very unpleasant however after 1.5 miles the toe felt almost perfect so I bumped up the pace to get back to my normal training times.  Today was the first day at 40 minutes straight and after the first 35 I was struggling.  I just kept the mind games going and kept thinking about the 8k that I signed up for on Sunday and was able to push through the wall instead of stopping.  Toe is a little sore after the run but I've got ice on it and will be taking some asprin after lunch to help with the small amount of pain.

Today was a new record in longest time ran, and longest distance so besides the toe it was a productive day!  40 minute run covered 4.133 miles which is a 9:41 pace.  Its a little slower than my 5k pace but with how I babied the first 1.5 miles I'm still really proud I kept it under the 10 minute/mile pace.

Nick

I was still a little sore today but I need to push to get my distance in.  I iced the toe all last night and it is starting to feel better, didn't cause much pain at all during the run or now.  I changed up breakfast for a little variety but I don't think that was a good idea, I hit a wall around 3.5 miles and was struggling the last 3/4 mile to finish.

Today's run was 4.256 miles in 43:30 for a pace of 10:13.  I'm a little disappointed in my drop in pace but I think mentally I'm having trouble pushing past the 5k distance and slowing my pace to ensure I can make it the full distance.  It was my longest distance and timed run so I am happy about that.

Tomorrow I'm going to see about pushing just a little harder as I'm still .7 miles short of my 8k I'm hoping to run Sunday.  At the pace I ran today I'm looking at a 50 minute 8k but if I can get back to my pace I ran the race on sunday I could hit 46 minutes for the 8k!  I'm also switching back to my normal breakfast and seeing if that makes a difference.

Nick

Way to go, Nick!    I can run to the fridge in 3 seconds and get a beer, which I can drink in 22 seconds. 

I'm confused by something, well, many things, but one thing relating to this.  How does running relate to literacy?  Except for things like dyslexia, kids learn to read quickly if they want to, even the morons, but if they go to a shitte school system, have parents who don't care, and don't want to participate, they don't, and all the money in the world won't change it.

Bill,

You are preaching to the choir here!  Growing up in a pretty affluent neighborhood in Ohio, even our "slower learning students" were far beyond the children who are supposedly at mark in the school district my fiance teaches in here in Arizona.  No matter what you do, parents that don't care and will move their kids to new schools 10 times before high school, while almost failing them because they won't even make them go to school, and when they do come they are completely non-caring about their education, those will never learn.

However, I slightly disagree with your statement on no matter how much money you throw at them they will never learn.  In a normal district, schools are rewarded for high test marks and the higher percentage of kids who test at or above level then the more aid they are given.  So when a district is constantly failing they receive less and less money to the point that the where my fiance teaches, she has had to purchase extra text books from the publisher just so her 30+ class size can have enough!

There was also a study done in Texas (and of course I can't find a link to it right now) where they reversed the aid structure and the lower performing schools were given a higher proportion of the budget and within 5 years those schools were outperforming the schools that were originally at the top of the list.  Unfortunately, the schools at the top of the list then became substandard which shows me that money is directly related to how a school performs.




But back on topic:

I overslept this morning so i haven't went out running yet.  Today is supposed to be in the high 90's, and its 91 right now so I'm not sure if I'm going to get a run in today unless its after 8 tonight!

Nick

So I went running today, and although my toe is causing no pain at all I've made no new progress and actually went back?!  I only did 5k at 31:34 which is a horrible time for how I've been running.  Not sure if it was the heat (I ran at 1:30pm and it was 94 and climbing when i started), or the fact that I've added 2 days of running the past 3 weeks and have just overdone it, or is it my diet which hasn't changed since I started running (maybe not taking in enough calories to sustain 20+ miles a week?), or a combination of the all the above?

Before I started running, I was limiting my calories to 1200-1500 per day to drop the 35 lbs.  Now I would say I'm still regularly at 1500 calories but I've noticed that as I'm adding miles onto my runs I'm also not recovering as quickly between runs and by the end of the week I'm strugling to finish a 5k.  Here is what my last week looked like:

Thursday - training run 35 minutes
Friday - off
Saturday - off
Sunday - 5k race (fastest time yet 28:43, but notice the 2 off days before this?)
Monday - off
Tuesday - training run 40 minutes
Wednesday - training run 43:30 minutes (struggled to 40 and pushed 3 more minutes to hit a predetermined stopping point on my route)
Thursday - training run 31:30 (was shooting for 43-45 minutes but struggled to even finish the 5k)

Now I will have Friday and Saturday off, and was hoping to run in an 8k on Sunday but mentally I'm not sure if I can do it seeing as my longest run yet was only 7k.  Now add in the struggles later in the week I don't know if I can do it?

Any tips from runners or fitness guru's here?

Thanks,

Nick

Not sure if anyone is even reading this anymore but still thought I would update it.  Sunday I ran in an 8k race even though I was unsure I would be able to run the distance.  I was extremely happy in the fact that I was able to finish the race in 50:49!  Could have been quicker, but it still amazes me I can run 5 miles at a time now!

Still going to be pushing the training up and adding more distance for my 10k June 7th.

Nick

Sounds like you're doing well.  Congratulations. 


Didn't check back after my last post.  I was referring to the inner and outer soles on Nike's.  They're usually very soft, with low arch support.  Some people love them, but it's usually the large folks.  Larger folks don't seem to appreciate a higher arch, because it irritates ligaments in their feet and sometimes gives them shin splints.  But, that's most of the time because they choose a shoe that has arch support resembling a small pebble.  The support has to run further than just an inch or so - has to extend from the ball of the big toe and nearly to the heel. 
Different brands of shoes have different lengths and height in the support, as well as foam density. 
And, as you know by now, running shoes have a wider outer sole.  The density of the outer sole can vary between brands, also.  Nike (and New Balance) are notorious for having a hard, long lasting outer sole (where the shoe touches the ground) but very soft intermediate composition (between the outer sole and the shoe leather).  This gives you a long lasting tread (lots of mileage for your $$) but instability once the foam density is compressed. 
It's like a motorcycle helmet with crappy foam in the liner.  It gets compressed and isn't as cushion-y, after time. 

Plus, the softer material lends itself to "ankle roll".  That's what I was calling pronation.  Lots of beginners, and even trained athletes, have problems with their feet rolling either inside or outside, during their stride.  I'm sure you've heard of it by now.  You know: "pigeon-feet", "flat-footed", "walking on the outside of your feet", etc. 
The wider sole on a running shoe is supposed to counteract the effect of the pronation (which comes from either insufficient training or faulty anatomy), but it can't do so if the intermediate sole isn't of high enough density.  The edges are undercut, and just fold back in on themselves.  For example, look at the back of the shoe - see the angle where the cup of the heel (the shoe-leather part) meets the rubber sole and runs down to the tread?  That part folds in on itself if it's too soft, and doesn't work correctly. 


Nike's and NB's are also pretty wide, overall.  It's like running with Navy destroyers tied to your feet.  They get most of their support from medium to low density foam, which takes up a lot of room.  That makes them heavy.  But, if you plant squarely and don't mind the weight, they're a comfortable shoe.  Just don't get them wet.
Thinner shoes rely on thinner layers of high density foam and a firmer core.  It takes a little getting used to, if you've only worn the "swoosh".  They seem a little unstable at first, and not as cushy.  But, they'll auto-correct your stride - roll too far inward and it feels like there's a giant stone in your arch, roll outward and it feels scary.  Makes your calves stronger, feels crisper, and you get a longer stride with the lost weight. 
(Note :  thinner, harder soles will wear your menisci [the pads in your knees] quicker.... but exercise is a trade-off, anyway.)

Just wet your feet and step on concrete.  You'll see if you under- or over-pronate.  Then find a model that fits your requirements, but isn't as heavy as those Nike's.  (Lots of places sort their shoes based on this, not just size.)






Sorry if I sound precocious.  Not sure how much of this you already know. 
Just change your footware every time you change your oil (3 months or so), and you'll be fine.  Try out some new stuff, and your shins will tell you what's going on.  Or, you'll just roll your ankles a lot. 

Oh, and another thing is the toe-to-heel line.  My laptop battery is dying, so I can't say much about it.  But, some brands put the tip in a different location in reference to your toes.  Some are in the center, some more towards your big toe.  Matters to some people, especially when you start the long strides at the end of a race. 
Sets up how you plant your foot on the next stride, as well, without a lot of excess effort from your musculature. 





And, buy yourself some decent socks.  Throw the $3-for-16 Walmart-special tube socks in the garbage.  Under-Armor, believe it or not, used to make an awesome pair.  Mucho padding and elastic that actually worked.  You want DIRECTIONAL elastic:  latitudinal in the arch, longitudinally at the toes and heel, and not super-tight in the ankle (to cut off vasculature).  $10/pair isn't bad when you consider how pleasant it'll make the whole experience.  Good socks do more than just keep away blisters - they'll make the jog more enjoyable, help your step feel bouncier somehow.  Throw them away and buy new ones often.  When you suspect they're wearing out, they already have. 



Have a happy endorphin rush!   

Thanks for the info, I'll be digesting it for the next couple months when I'm looking at new shoes.  I had planned 6 months before replacing the new nikes but I'll start paying attention to them a little sooner than that.  I did pick up some great socks from Dicks Sporting Goods Store, with arch support and some kind of moisture wicking deal.  They are so comfrotable I don't want to wear my other socks anymore!  I think I got 4 pair for 18 dollars, but I'm definetly going to get some more!

Today I went for a 5k run, originally was supposed to be a 45 minute run but just wasn't into it for the long haul so started pushing hard.  Ran the 5k in my fastest time yet - 28:00!  Little disapointed I didn't push for another 20 minutes but happy about the timing.  I'll make sure to push for the full 45 minutes thursday.

Nick

Today I went for longer run, still have 3 full weeks before my 10k race.  Ended up running a total of 4.255 miles in 40:08 for a 9:26 pace (5k time was 28:36 at 9:14 pace).  So I have sped back up from my worries the last week or so.

I still need to work on my longevity because I can't keep these paces for the entire time, I had a 2 minute walk after the 5k before finishing the last 10 minutes of the run!

So I took the weekend off and didn't run any races because 1.) the closest was over an hour drive away and 2.) I was nursing a sore ankle.  I've broken both ankles in the past, and had multiple sprains so this is normal for the course for me.  RICE'd it for the weekend and took as much weight off it as I could and I feel much better.

Went for a test run yesterday and did a 20 min, 2 mile, 10 min/mile pace on the treadmill.  Felt great, especially being inside and not running in the 90+degree heat.  Today the ankle felt good as new so I went for a longer run.  Did 5 miles in 45 minutes, for a 9 min/mile pace.  This again was on a treadmill so I'm wondering if that is going to hurt in the long run?  Can training on a treadmill set you up for disappointment when the race is outside on the road?

Thanks,

Nick

Storm was brewing today so my original plan of running outside changed and I did a speed workout on the treadmill.  Ran a 24:45 minute 5k, which CRUSHED my previous PR by almost 3 minutes!  I was pretty gassed after, but felt great to set such a great PR!

Quote from: utgunslinger13 on May 19, 2009, 10:54:47 PMCan training on a treadmill set you up for disappointment when the race is outside on the road?

Yes.