The running season is starting to heat up - important decisions, plenty of race opportunities, and of course the weather.
This morning I ran the Mahomet Half and had a challenging, fun time. The morning started out misty and warm, and the cloud cover soon disappeared and the humidity soared, which made for some tough running.
I recently bought racing shoes for asphalt running (Brooks Green Silence) and got a chance to try them out today. Although they are light and roomy, when I run in them I get the sensation that they will cause blisters if I run long enough. While I did not get any blisters on today's run, one of my toe nails rubbed on the top of the shoe causing it to get sore (cause of black toe nail syndrome). Another negative aspect of the shoes is that they make me look as if I stole them from Ronald McDonald's locker at the chain's headquarters. Rachel thinks they are hideous, and I don't disagree.
Hamburgler in the House
Since I began running in cross country shoes a couple of years ago I have not had problems with blisters, black toe nails, or sore feet. It is counter intuitive because the shoes have no cushioning, fit snug, and have little room for toe or heel movement. People at races see my shoes and ask how my feet are holding up, and when I tell them my feet are fine they look skeptical (they of course are wearing cushioned clunkers).
I believe that high heeled running shoes should not be worn on grass trails or uneven terrain. When I wore this type of shoe when running trails I could feel the instability of the foot when it tried to plant on the non-flat surface, and my ankle would sometimes turn unnaturally. I consider myself lucky that I never sprained/broke a bone in my ankle due to this poor choice of footwear. The low heeled shoe allows the foot to land with more grace and strength, and I have yet to feel the sensation that my ankle is about to turn and break. At last weeks Howl I was running behind a man on the part of the course which has bumpy grass, and I watched him fall painfully to the ground due to his ankle turning. His shoe of course was a high heeled clunker, and I am certain that was the cause of his fall. He may have suffered a serious injury due to his inappropriate shoe choice.
Cross country shoes are not good for roads, though, at least for an average runner like myself. After a few miles I can feel the hardness of the surface begin to wear on the soles of my feet. So getting a bit of cushion is probably the way to go for 5k-longer road races. I still look for a low heeled shoe, as I don't see the need for a giant heel. While the Green Silence is comfortable enough for runs up to half marathon distance, I don't think my feet would approve if I ran 3-4 hours in them. I read of some runners who had success with this shoe for road ultras, but my foot size/structure is unfortunately not the right fit.
Today's race was more difficult than last years. I feel I am in better condition this year, but last year everything went perfect - started out moderately and was able to speed up at the half way point, and the final 3 miles had me wishing for a longer race. This year at mile 10 I was wishing for the race to be over because I was right on the threshold of exhaustion and pain.
I started out with a 7:46 first mile, it felt easy, but soon the sun popped out and I maintained an 8:00-8:10 pace for the remaining miles. I slowed during the final 2 miles, but nothing significant, so overall I ran a smart race, it just hurt more than I would have liked.
During the race I seesawed with 2 women who ran the Howl last week, they both ran in the low 40's, so they have similar speed and endurance as me. One of the women appears to be overweight and ungraceful, but I learned a while ago that how a runner looks does not equate with how they perform. I am a good example, as I have poor form and odd mechanics, but still manage to post above average results. So although I do not like the idea of losing to an overweight woman with poor form, I was forced to acknowledge that she is a hell of a runner.
I also seesawed with a man dressed in a Burger King man suit. He wore a mask, leggings, coat, and the BK medallion. He passed me in the final mile, and I just had to shake my head and laugh. At various points in the race people would comment to me, "watch out, the Burger King man is right behind you!" At mile 11 I passed a group of junior high cheerleaders, and had to suffer the indignity of having the Burger King man pass me at that moment. The girls shouted to me as I ran their gauntlet - "your getting beat by the Burger King man!" :)
At mile 10 I saw a guy running barefoot, he was making it look easy. Also saw a guy running in the Vibram toe shoes, but his feet were slapping the ground clumsily, and I knew that couldn't be a good thing.
During the final 5 miles I found myself pushing harder than I wanted to. The psychology of racing showed its many faces as I tried to quell my competitive spirit. I knew that if I just slowed down a bit I would feel a whole lot better and the race would be more enjoyable. But seeing the Burger King man and the 2 women from the Howl constantly within striking distance made it difficult for me to do so. Being passed is not pleasant, but neither is running near maximum heart rate - I have to pick my poison.
When I entered the track for the final 300m I surprisingly found myself behind Ken Welle. A few years ago we always finished races next to each other, but he became faster, I became slower, and I no longer saw him at the end of races. I guess Ken was having a tough day, he was running slow and I knew I could pass him. However, I have passed him numerous times during the final 800m of 5k's, but to pass him here at the tail end of a half marathon seemed a bit ridiculous. I turned around to make sure nobody was going to pass me, and when I found a 200m cushion I got in behind Ken and followed him around the turn. I then heard my name being called and turned to see Michelle M. standing and cheering in the bleachers. I was just as stunned to see her as I was Melinda at the Howl - what a great surprise! I followed Ken into the chute, crossing the finish in 1:45.
Today's race was 3 minutes slower and more difficult than last year's. However, upon checking the results I found that I placed 63rd this year compared to 97th last year - I guess most people had a tougher experience due to the humidity.
After the race I talked with Yong Zhen for 30 minutes (he is getting very fast, he ran 1:30), then went to visit with Michelle in the bleachers. She had come in from Chicago to see her sister run her first half marathon - Michelle is the best!
