You can't run naked

Well I guess you can, but I don't want to see it.

Anyway, now that I have your attention I wanted to pass along some info. Earlier this week I got approved by the nice folks over at Salomon to sell not only their shoes, but their apparel as well. (See, how I tied that in with the title?) While you probably don't know me all that well through this blog, I can assure that I am almost as much of a clothing junkie as I am a shoe junkie. So, rest assured that I will be wearing this stuff and providing reviews on them.

Anyway I am beyond excited to bring them on and expand my footprint across the shoe peddling halls I walk. If you aren't familiar with them, they have an excellent history of providing durable shoes and clothing to completely awesome people, just like you.

So, if you are in the market for some new shoes OR clothes, I am your man.

Here's some pretty pics:
Salomon XR Mission

XT Wings S LAB 4

2012 Castlewood Cup 15k: Race Report

It seems like it has been awhile since I wrote a race report. So this might be terrible. Not that you have come to expect literary greatness from my writing, but don't judge me.

So it has officially been 1 year since I started running on trails. I signed up for the 2011 Castlewood Cup not having run on a trail before. Sure I had run on some gravelly type stuff, but not single track, rocky, rooty, stumpy, stuff. It was an eye opening experience and a complete blast. Last year, I didn't own a pair of trail shoes. Now I own 3. I used to be worried about water crossings. This year I passed a guy in a creek. Its been a great year looking back from what I have done from 2011 until now. Oh and I just checked my time for last year's race:

Castlewood Cup 2011 Results
Time: 1:24:33
Pace: 9:05/mile
Overall Finish: 99th

The day started out cold. Not necessarily when you looked at the temp (32F), but there was a 10 - 15mph wind that really sucked. It was clear and sunny though. So I had some trouble figuring out my attire. The goofy part about this race was the starting time, 10am. Its kind of wonky to have the start that late because I completely second guessed myself as to what I was putting in my body. Especially since I have had some recent exercise induced bathroom issues. However, the weird start time allowed me to get there with plenty of time for a Daily Mile meet up before the race. I should write a post on Daily Mile and the benefits of it, but for now I will just leave it stating that its great to have a social network of runner people. You can always bounce ideas off of them and it gives you a great baseline to start a friendship. No more sappy stuff.

I hadn't trained as much as I would have liked for this but kids, family, life, motivation, have all gotten in the way. I was shooting for a top 50 and to beat an 8:30 pace. So I went into the race not expecting either since its kind of a hilly bastard in the first 5 miles and I tend to go out fast and try to hold on at the end of races.

A thing of beauty isn't it?

Ok race time... This year they did a wave start in an effort to control the flow and get the faster people out front and eliminate some of the clogging on the trails. I think it seemed to work better this year. I was in the 2nd wave and I was happy with that. As usual with my race starts, I went out fast. Too fast? Not sure. However, I never ever want to look back on a race and say that I could have gone harder at some point. So, we started out on some flat grass for about a mile and then get saddled with 1 of 3 significant hills on the course. I backed off on the pace just before I got to the hill so my HR wasn't sky high going up it. It worked out and I hit the hill with minimal problems going up it. I followed this strategy when I was approaching all the other "major" hills on the course (which are all in the first 5 miles or so). I went into these hills with the thought of just keeping an eye on my HR and paying attention to my body. This strategy worked well. I did however walk for about 20-30 seconds about half-way up the last major hill. Whatever the break, I was able to pretty much take off at the top of the hill and get past some people. So now, I was past the hardest part of the race. There were just some minor roller coaster type hills left. I checked my watch and saw I was doing pretty decent on time and was trying to calculate my finish time. DUMB!!! As I am day dreaming about my finish, it hit me. "It" being the ground. I wasn't paying attention and I was heading down on to the rocky trail. I have never fallen running before. Ever. I was able to somehow barrel roll out of the fall leaving only my right knee and left forearm a little achy but felt like an idiot.

I knew the next 10 min would probably make or break me in the race. I was constantly evaluating the injuries and reminding myself to pick up my feet so my dumb arse didn't fall again. Knowing I would be in some pain at the end of the race, I decided to suck it up and go. There was less than a 5K left and I had to make it off the hill anyway. Soon, the pain subsided and I was back to running down the hill like an idiot. I popped out of the woods with less than 2 miles to go and knew there was only one more obstacle in my way, the dreaded creek crossing. Last year I had a revelation while crossing the thing: "There's no way you are going to stay dry, so F it and go." I carried this same mentality with me this year and blew through the water. Some guy in front of me was tip-toeing over the rocks and I passed him while going through the creek. I probably splashed the crap out of him and pissed him off , but oh well I didn't see him again.

For the last mile or so, I could tell I had some hot spots on my feet and they were much more prevalent after the creek. So I tried to kick in as much as I had for the remainder. I swear the last 3 tenths of a mile of this race seems like an eternity. You have to run by the finish area (which was serving pulled pork and I love me some pork). My aches and pains all started to feel much worse and I just wanted to be done. Then I saw the finish... So I sacked up whatever I had left and bolted. Done....

At the finish line: Sweet Jesus am I really this ugly?

While I didn't realize how hideous I looked, I was really happy with the finish. I blew out my time from the previous year by almost 7 minutes and my pace was under 8:30 like I had wanted. Top 50 was not in the cards this year but oh well.

Unfortunately, I didn't have time to stay around and taste the pork or beer because I had a pretty busy Saturday planned, but Big River Running knows how to cater an event. So I am sure it was awesome.

Here's some fun crap that I get joy out of analyzing:

complements of www.bazusports.com 

 Other stuff per my Garmin

Split	Time	Distance	Avg Pace
Summary	1:17:56.9	9.36	8:20
1	8:24.9	1.00	8:25
2	8:22.4	1.00	8:22
3	8:12.3	1.00	8:12
4	9:10.7	1.00	9:11
5	7:54.3	1.00	7:54
6	9:20.6	1.00	9:21
7	8:26.1	1.00	8:26
8	7:43.4	1.00	7:43
9	7:41.5	1.00	7:42
10	2:40.9	0.36	7:28

Timing

Time:	1:17:57
Moving Time:	1:17:22
Elapsed Time:	1:17:57

Avg Pace:	8:20 min/mi
Avg Moving Pace:	8:16 min/mi
Best Pace:	5:49 min/mi

Speed

Pace

Elevation

Elevation Gain:	677 ft
Elevation Loss:	676 ft
MinElevation:	407 ft
MaxElevation:	640 ft

Heart Rate

Avg HR:	165 bpm
Max HR:	197 bpm

SCOTT Shoes for 2012

I know most of you are familiar with the Nike, Brooks, & New Balances of the world. They are very good/large shoe companies that provide shoes for everyone. They have yearly marketing budgets that are more than I will probably make in my lifetime. From my experience with them (minus Nike as I haven't used them as a running shoe) they provide quality products for the masses. But I don't want to sell their shoes.

Since about August/September 2011 time-frame I started this little business venture for two reasons: 1) I wanted a shoe that was hard to get in my area and 2) I wanted to provide shoes that were hard to get in my area. So far so good.

With that, I thought I would announce that I have no idea of any other SCOTT Running shoe dealer in the United States. There isn't much buzz on the social media feeds and in the mid-west, I just don't see a lot of advertising for them. Also if you try to find how much a shoe cost, good luck. Its tough. Which is great for me & you. Here's why. I basically run a shoe store out of my house. So, no rent, overhead, etc. I have a "real" job that pays the bills. This running thing is just a way to supplement my running and keep my wife from yelling at me when I buy another pair of shoes.

With that, I want to buy some new shoes. SCOTT has just came out with some new models and they look 10x better than last years. From a design perspective, they are really picking it up. So, like always, if you are interested, let me know.

SCOTT Race Rockers (super pumped about these)

SCOTT eRide Grips

SCOTT Aztec 3

Congrats to Altra!

I figure I would do a really quick post about Altra Zero Drop being named "Best Debut" 2012 by Runner's World Magazine in the March Issue. You can read a blog post by Altra about it here.

I have blogged previously about these shoes and they are still my go-to shoe for running. They are incredibly light and comfortable. They have brought my running up to a completely new level. You should buy some... From me...

Also I wanted to point out that If you live in the Mid-West, I am just about the only place you can find these awesome shoes.

See that dot in St. Louis? That's my house/shoe store

Anyway, congrats to Altra. You deserve it!

A Guest Review: Altra Eve

I HAVE MOVED!!! Please visit www.takeitrunning.com or call me at 314-246-9225 if you are interested about the Eve or other Altra Products.

Several months ago I was able to get my hands on a pair of Eve shoes by Altra. Altra is a running shoe
company that takes minimalist shoes, zero drop, seriously. I first became aware of the company thanks
to John. I switched to running in a minimalist shoe in April 2011 and haven’t regretted the decision at
all. So any new minimalist shoe that comes on the market interests me.

I was interested in the Eve but worried that it would be too minimalist for me. I’m not at the complete
zero drop phase in my running yet. I had the chance to try these shoes on at the Rock N Roll STL expo
in October. Once I put them on and walked around for a bit I was in heaven. They were super comfy.
I wasn’t expecting that. I didn’t want to take them off. I do believe I walked around and sat around in
them for a good 15-20 min before finally taking them off. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to purchase a pair
at that point because I had already planned to purchase another pair of running shoes that day.

Lucky for me I was able to get my hands on a pair of these. I decided not to wear them for running, still
think they are too minimalist for me. I suffered from a heal fracture in 2009 that kept me from running
for a while and I’m paranoid of hurting that foot again, still have some issues with it. So the minimalist
shoes that offer a bit more cushioning are still what I tend to go towards (in case I have a bad form day
and I heal strike). That being said, I get a lot of wear out of these shoes. I usually wear them when
walking the dog every night, doing errands on the weekends, etc. I’ve even been known to wear them
to work when foot pain kept me from wearing high heels. I was worried about wearing them for too
long as I do still have heal pain but I’ve been pleasantly surprised. I have had zero discomfort with these
shoes. With my other tennis shoes that I wear with jeans I have to wear heal inserts or I’m in pain after
an hour of walking. With the Eve’s, I can go hours and feel no pain or discomfort. For me, that’s huge.

I have to say that to me they aren’t the most attractive shoe, although I do really like the coloring.
However I do think they look fine with jeans. If I want to make a fashion statement I’ll wear something
less comfortable, but if I’m going for comfort I grab these 100% of the time. Oh, and in case you are
wondering, I did wear them to work the other day when we had a small amount of snow/ice and I didn’t
slip once while walking outside. Coming from a klutz such as myself, that’s really good.

In case you are wondering where you can buy a pair of these, just ask John. He’ll be happy to go over
details and get a pair ordered for you.

I have a business... Oh Crap

I started this blog awhile back to kind of start tracking my running thoughts, ask lengthy questions about stuff I encountered, and like most people to try and make a buck here or there. So far all three are working out. You all have been great reading my ramblings and providing feedback. Its the "making a buck" part that I am kind of caught off guard by. I started selling Altra Zero Drop shoes a while back. I honestly was being selfish and just wanted to try them out without having to go 500 miles to try them on. Luckily the guys there are awesome and set me up as a distributor and I have kind of taken off with it. Now, I am not making Scrooge McDuck swimming money, but its funding my addiction to running. Which was the plan from the beginning.

Not quite...

But where do I go from here? I was hoping to kind of fly under the IRS's radar and just kind of have a good time with this. However, there's potential here and I want to maximize that potential. The problem is I am really completely lost. I keep telling myself it is a "good problem" to have, but I think that phrase is complete BS. Good Problems are still Problems. They cause undue stress and require work to figure out. I am sure I am not the first person to encounter this dilemma, but I am trying to find someone who has gone through this that isn't Bill Gates and is easily accessible. Also while I should be going to friends and family on this, I am reaching out to my online community of running folk. You all seem to be well respected, smart, and have so many opinions, that I can learn a lot from you.

So that's it. I am looking for advice. For free. Thanks.

Taper? damn near killed 'er

Yeah that was a bad title but I am sleep deprived. So it is officially 1 week away from Rock 'n Roll St. Louis where I am doing the Half Marathon. The last time I ran a half mary it was 2007 and I was about 40lbs heavier. I finished in 2:08. I was happy with that but it gave me a different kind of feeling. Like I could do it faster. This is my year to prove that. With the training I have put in and how my average runs go, I don't have much doubt in my head that I will break 2 hours. But by how much? So with this forum, I am publicly stating my goal is 1:50 with a stretch goal of 1:45. The whole not knowing how the race will go is killing me. I am already on anti-anxiety meds and I may have to double up this week to keep my nerves at bay.

Lets do This!

So other than crawling up the walls at home and being a complete idiot at home, I need to taper. I've never really tapered before. I mean I was really fat and lazy in college but I don't think you are supposed to taper for 4.5 years. I do remember the swimmers in my fraternity tapering before their big year-end races. They were little bundles of energy by the end of the week. That's what I want to be like by the end of this week. However,  I don't know how to do it. I mean I know I am supposed to back way off the miles which won't be a huge problem, but what am I supposed to do when I eat and the other 22 hours in the day? I am going to give up the booze for starters. While I am getting back to liking beer again and wine is a sweet, sexy lady, I need to give it up. Now the question that has me stumped... What am I supposed to eat?

I have read different things from different corners of the internet that give anything from upping the carbs (whole wheat type stuff) and cutting out proteins from animals to a dropping carbs and stacking up on protein. There are many different opinions out there and I don't know what to do. To kind of follow up that question, I have also been experiencing some Exercise Induced Explosive Arse. Anywhere from mile 8 - mile 12 of my runs over the past several months, I have experienced... well, the runs. I think if I can solidify up my diet this week I can nip that problem in the butt (pun intended).

So what has worked for you when tapering and with your diet? I'd like to know.

Periodic Review - Tommie Copper

3 disclaimers: 1) the product I’m reviewing today I received for free. I was the “Fan of the Week” for Tommie Copper. I had my choice of either a Knee, Calf, or Ankle sleeve. It was only after I found out that I had won and before I wore their product that I told them I would write a review. 2) I am not a doctor, nor do I even work in a health related setting. Everything in this post is strictly my opinion based on schooling I received over 10 years ago, some research, and personal experience. If you have questions about your health, talk to your own doctor, not some Internet hack as myself. This blog is not intended to diagnose or treat anything. 3) I wrote this back before I went minimal with my shoes and I don't have any knee pain now.

Now that the formalities are out of the way & I have destroyed any/all credibility for myself, lets get to it.

My experience with this Tommie Copper goes like this: they found me on Twitter because I tweet about 75% running related stuff. When they found me, I didn’t actually think that Tommie Copper could be someone’s name so I dug a little deeper. What I found from my investigation (read: google search) was that they are in the business of pain management through use of their compression sleeves that are magically infused with Copper.

Now really quick, here’s some quick background info on copper and its presumed benefits to a human person. Copper is a metal that is not produced by the human body, but the body uses the crap out of it to help perform its daily tasks. We can find it in a bunch of stuff like meat, seafood, beans, whole grains, wheat bran, almonds, avocados, barley, garlic, nuts, oats, & everyone’s favorite blackstrap molasses. I just really thought blackstrap molasses was a cool word and it sounds delicious. Copper is also delivered to the body by our drinking water with the copper pipes in your house. It can also be taken in through the skin. The skin method is what Tommie Copper is utilizing.

Now once it gets in you body Copper is supposed to do all kinds of wonderful stuff for you. However, being lazy I am not going to list all of them. The main benefit we’ll talk about today and what this review is about is Joint and/or Muscle Pain reduction.

As mentioned before I was given a choice of a Knee, Calf, or Ankle Sleeve from Tommie Copper (they also make compression shirts). I chose the knee for a couple reasons. I have been experiencing some soreness in my left knee after running recently. I don’t think its too serious and it seems to be more muscle tightness related rather than a tear of some kind. At least that’s what the pain feels like. Also my wife  had surgery last summer on her meniscus in her right knee and also has a popliteal cyst in there that for some reason the Doctor didn’t remove when he was doing the surgery. Regardless, she still has some pain associated with that knee. It is constantly sore and stiff and she really can’t get another surgery because she’s pregnant. So this knee sleeve would be beneficial to both of us.

Copper is the new black

The Sleeve arrived and at first I was a bit shocked at how much it was just like normal breathable fabric. One would think that if something had copper in it, there would be a greater thickness or rigidity to it. So honestly, I kind of laughed thinking “Well I’m glad I got this for free.” Then about 2 weeks ago I was working from home and it was the day after a pretty good run. I had some pain and hadn’t had time to try out the sleeve yet. So I slapped it on my left knee for several hours. To my surprise within the first 20 min of putting it on, my knee felt different. A bit more energized. After an hour or so of sitting with it on, I went to walk around, and my knee pain was less severe. Not 100% gone but less severe. I thought “There may be something to this.” So after a 4 or so hours I then moved the sleeve over to my right calf which was sore also from the run the day before, and I received the same  outcome. Less pain, more flexibility, etc. The knee sleeve wasn’t the greatest fit around the bottom of my calf but it worked fine. The next day when I woke up my pain had subsided enough to where I didn’t wear it into work the next day. Test #1  & #2 passed.

Then, late one night my wife asked me “Where’s that knee brace?” I had told her about it when it originally came in the mail & told her about the health benefits that were touted. She then put it on her knee the entire next day and wore it to work. She had the same experience that I did and was thrilled the pain had subsided. Test #3 passed.

I don't have much to compare the Tommie Copper Sleeve with, but from my experience and my wife's I would definitely recommend them to anyone who has chronic pain or to use after long runs.

Nu Shooz: Altra Instincts

I have been pretty pumped for the opportunity to write this post for some time. I really like running and I really like shoes. Several months ago I decided that I would give the minimal running thing a try. I had nothing to lose. I found some New Balance 101's for $65 because I needed a pair of trail shoes. The rest as you can read in that link is history. As I was researching the minimal running technique, a shoe company kept popping up as a somewhat revolutionary minimal shoe, Altra Running and their Instincts. I had never heard of them and didn't think too much of it. A few months of this company showing up on Twitter and after reading some reviews, one in particular from someone who I consider to be the best running shoe resource on the internets, Pete a.k.a. Run Blogger, I thought I might like them. Pete likes the NB 101's and the way he described the fit it sounded like we might have a similar foot shape & preference. I read this review in March of 2011.

Six months later I am finally able to write my opinion of the Altra Instincts. A couple factors got in the way of this review for 6 months: 1) If I bought another pair of shoes in March, my wife would probably kill me. She still may as it looks as I am hoarding them and may need to dedicate a room of my house to running crap. 2) You can't buy Altra's anywhere within 450 miles of St. Louis. I would hate to buy a pair of shoes I've never tried and be stuck with them. So I like to try them on before I make my decision.

Within this 6 month period, I actually became somewhat internet-friends with Jeremy over at Altra. We had chatted back and forth and I even went into a few running stores here in St. Louis to try and get their product in here. It was the least I could do. Unfortunately, like most other things clothing/fashion, it takes new things about a year or two to come to St. Louis. So, that's when Altra and I started talking a bit more about business. To my surprise they were willing to set me up basically as a shoe store here in St. Louis. So, I now have the ability to sell their shoes to the public. Kind of a weird thing if you look at it. I've never stepped foot into one of their shoes and here I am now authorized to sell them, and essentially I have started a small side business because of it. So anyway, I had to buy a pair to make sure I believed in what I was pushing. Funny how life works out.

Ok, back to the shoes. I took them out (today) on a Sunday morning for 5 easy recovery miles. This was going to be a good test of how far I had come as a minimal runner since putting on the NB's. We started running and immediately it stared raining. Well this was definitely going to be a good test for them. The route we took at a local park is a mix of asphalt, dirt, grass, & gravel. The shoes performed well on all surfaces. I was a little weary on their grip with it being wet outside but they held onto the ground quite nicely. The shoes also handled the rain remarkably. In past runs, I had noticed that my shoes (Brooks Adrenaline) would become water logged and heavier. These shoes seemed to take the water in, but more importantly, let the water out which kept the shoes from getting weighed down. They felt really light on my feet and I liked them on the pavement. Since switching completely over to the 101s, even for road running, I forget what padding feels like between my feet and the ground. 

The fit of the shoe is great also. I have large, wide feet (14EE) and my feet had room to move around. I kept the typical lacing pattern that most shoes use, but I think I will switch it up to the hybrid lacing style that Altra promotes on their website. I think I need just a tad bit more room width wise. Well either this or I will slap some Yankz on there and call it a day.

Alternate Lacing

So after only 5 miles, I am a fan of these shoes and incredibly happy with the progress I have made as a minimal runner. I am about a month out from the Rock 'n Roll St. Louis Half-Marathon and I hope I can do it in these shoes as its going to be all pavement and I want to save my feet a bit. 

Oh and I wouldn't be a good business man if I didn't say this... So if you want to buy some of these bad boys or any other Altra products, drop me an email  or DM me on Twitter (@RunShepRun).

Finally, just a disclaimer, if these shoes would have sucked, I would have written so. While I stand to profit from these if I sell them, I wouldn't BS my readers. The fact that I can regard these so highly, strengthens my decision to sell them, I just went about it a bit backwards.

Breakin the law

Running used to be a monotonous chore for me when I first started. It was something I didn't really want to do but knew in the end I could lose some weigh if I stuck with it. In the past year however I have started running with a group and my passion for running has really taken off. I think the whole group & social dynamic of it is wonderful. Now I am not going to give a dissertation on Running and the Social aspect of it. If you want to read something like that, check out this amazing post by The Una Runner here.

I am going to briefly talk about a run I went on recently with someone from my normal running group and 2 strangers. Well, strangers is not the right word but rather Online Personalities might be a bit more fitting for them. I am "friends"  with them on Twitter & Dailymile. It started when one of the online personalities got a new pair of trail shoes. She was pumped and the shoes were new and pretty. They needed dirt on them badly. She mentioned on going out to a local state park and breaking them in. Well what would happen later in the week would be one of the most fun 3.3 mile jaunt I've ever been on.

The 4 of us planned on meeting butt early (5:30am) at a local State Park. However we shortly realized a couple things that would make this more of an adventure than your typical run: 1) It would be dark as hell at 5:30am and 2) The park doesn't open until 7am. Well number 1 was easily remedied with a trip to Home Depot and the purchase of a head lamp, and well number 2 was remedied by sneaking into the park from a trailhead that let out at a local neighborhood.

Law Breakers

Since I had a long run planned for later that week I decided (with the person from my normal running group) that I would cut the run short with only a few miles and check off the "Breaking into a State Park" item off my bucket list. So the 4 of us strapped on our headlamps and set off into the woods. It was awesome. I really don't know why I was enjoying it so much but I think it was a mix of knowing I was getting away with something and not really being able to see where I was going. It was incredible and I wished I could have gone longer.

Anyway, half-arsed planned runs like this really spice can up your training and keep your training fresh and exciting. I'd love to hear some stories from you on crazy runs you have participated in. I don't care how fast you went, but what did you do to make it different?

The shoe that did it

This is going to be my first review on here. So I thought I would make it be about the most influential piece of equipment I've used over the last 5 years. Since this is about running, it is going to be about shoes. In the last 6 months or so, I have been very interested in the minimalist shoe movement that has been going on. My opinion on these shoes was extremely negative. I felt shoes needed structured and support the type of foot that goes in them. Well on a whim I bought some New Balance MT101s because I needed some trail shoes and well they were the cheapest option I could find. I started wearing them and almost instantly my form changed and I was running up on my forefoot and no longer heel striking. It was an interesting experience to say the least and I haven't really looked back. I am still a work in progress with the new form and my calves hate me at times, but I have notice that my legs  feel amazing when I go out to run and they are stronger than ever. So here's my review of the shoes that changed my entire running life.

Oh so pretty.

The New Balance MT101 is marketed as an "ultra-lightweight trail racer" but it is so much more. As I am transitioning from a structured support shoe to more minimal shoes, I have found the shoes to be ideal for all of my running needs. I started using them as they were intended, as trail shoes, but quickly found that I was running faster & more efficiently when I put them on. So, not being one for following the rules, I took them out on the pavement. I was pleasantly surprised with how cushioned my feet felt even with so much LESS shoe under them. They are so lightweight (7.8 oz listed at  NB website) I've even used them as a racing flat for 10k through the city streets. The shoes can do it all.

The fit of these shoes is wonderful. I have a tricky 14 EE size shoe. Even though these shoes are said to be a D width, there is plenty of room in the toe box allowing my feet to spread out unrestricted. This ample space coupled with the minimal heel-toe drop have really helped take my running biomechcanics to the next level.The one fit issue I have had with them is the EVA foam collar around the ankle. It is very abrasive and I have found it promotes blisters rather easily. This is simply remedied by wearing socks that come up over the ankle collar. The other issue I have had with them is that the traction on the soles has worn out a bit quicker than expected. This is probably due to the amount of road miles I have put on them.

Finally (and possibly most importantly) the cost of these shoes is a real bargain. While they are listed at $74.99 at www.newbalance.com, I have found these shoes much cheaper with a simple online search. My first pair I bought for $65 and recently I purchased my second pair of these shoes for $55. The great news about this is that prices will most likely continue to go down as this shoe will be replaced in early 2012 with the MT110. Check out an early review of the MT110 HERE (HT: Runblogger)

These shoes are a triple threat as a trail, training, and racing shoe for a terrific price and I highly recommend them. 

Selfish Goals

As discussed in my last post, I've ran a half marathon. It was barely running but I will take credit for it. I've actually ran 2 in my short running career. Both were the Lewis & Clark Half Marathon here in the St. Louis area. However, the Halfs were completed back in 2006 & 2007 and the website for them is non-existent right now so you will just have to take my word for it. Regardless, it has been awhile since I've tackled something like this distance.

With the previous two races, I've gone in expecting nothing more than to finish the first and to beat my time on the second. Both goals accomplished. Now that I've signed up for the Rock n Roll St. Louis Half I am trying to figure out what kind of goal to set for myself. My dilemma is that I want this goal to be achievable but I want to work to accomplish it. The first two Half goals while difficult at the time, in retrospect really weren't that tough. The first Half was finished in 2:38 and the second in 2:08 (there is about a 30lb weight difference when I was running these).

So what do I do? How do I figure out a goal that's tough but fair? I'll be honest and admit that I am a little vain when it comes to my running and I am first and foremost out there to make myself happy. The reciprocal of me being happy is I am a better husband/father, I am more productive at work, and I am an overall nice guy. So, I want a goal that is achievable with substantial effort not just to benefit myself, but all of those around me. It's pretty messed up that a race could actually make or break my mood for some time, but where's the fun in not challenging myself?

My fastest 5k'ish distance is just over 21 min or right at a 7min/mile. My PR for a 10k was just this past July and I came in at 47:01 which is a 7:33 pace. Consequently if I were to stay around a 7:33 pace I would be close to beating my first half time by 1 hour, but I want to be honest with myself here also and I don't think I am able to sustain that pace for that distance, yet.

So, being still kind of a newbie at running I have no idea how to figure out how how these times carry over to a longer run like a half for me. I am asking for some help from you. Thankfully, I have somewhat of a decent following only after one post and the running community across the Internet is very supportive and helpful. So supportive/helpful running community, what's a realistic goal for me? A sub 2hr Half would be awesome but I think I can do that and a 1hr 38 min Half is an uncomfortable stretch for me. I need some happy medium. I should probably just sack up and just pick a time, but that takes the whole "Social" aspect out of this and being self admittedly vain, your opinions matter to me. At the end of the day, I am essentially looking for a time to beat here,but I am also willing to accept other goals to achieve during this race that don't put my dignity at risk.

I am excited to hear your feedback.

Oh also if you want to play around with a pace calculator there is a good one here.

Lets get this out of the way...

Well I think that any first blog that is to be predominately focused on running has to address "Why do you run?" I don't think there's any other possibility. I could tell you how awesome my shoes are but you have no basis for how picky I am. I could tell you how speed work will increase your overall endurance and give you better times on your long runs, but you don't know how educated or informed I am. So I gotta start out with a good solid base so you can form your opinion of me.

And that's exactly what I had.. a good solid 272lb base. It was 2006. I was recently married and we didn't waste anytime to start having kids. Around March we had about 3 months left to go until our first kid would enter the world. I looked a picture of myself at a float trip we had had the summer before and it hit me. "You are going to be a Fat Dad." I went out the next day for what i thought would be an easy run. I knew I could get a couple miles in and the lbs would melt away. Well about 3/4 of the way into the run (which was barely a mile) my arms started tingling as I was running up a hill. I have been pretty active my life with volleyball and softball and I had never had this sensation before. I knew it wasn't good. I slowed it down a bit and was able to finish with my run. One mile. Almost had a heart attack. I was in trouble.

I decided to stick with it though. I had no idea why. The mantra of "Don't be a Fat Dad" was the only thing that kept me going at times. So, I decided that if I was going to go this right, I needed to go big. Naturally, I did what any sane morbidly obese adult would do: Pay money to run a half-marathon. I had ran races in grade school on the parking lot and in college we had Keg Races (this is a wonderful event). What could be different about this race?

Fast forward through my training... In a nutshell I didn't follow the plan exactly but I had a few 8 mile jaunts & one 10 mile run under my belt. That would be the last time I believe anyone who says "If you can run 10 you can run 13.1." Oh my wife also give birth to our beautiful daughter during the training time. I was a bit distracted from training with this happening also.

 **Warning this is going to turn into a Race Report of a 5 yr old race but its worth reading trust me**

 So here we are at Race Day. My first Half-Marathon. I am 20 lbs slimmer and I think I can probably win the damn thing, but man there are a lot of people. Luckily I had a friend with me at the start to help me with the anticipation of smoking everyone in the field. Also, I think my nerves were calmed by making fun of all the people in the their running gear.

The gun sounds and we wait... Since we were back at the 10 min/mile pace group, it took awhile to get to the actual start. We get up to the start and now we are off. Time to start picking these dudes off one by one. I quickly noticed that they weren't dropping like they were supposed to... and I had to pee. About mile 3 is the first of many humbling experiences. I am not going to win. Not to be out-done by that, I realize that I can't hold back the urine for another 10 miles which is about 2+ hours at that time for me. So I tell my buddy to go on without me and hopefully he will win. I go and stand in a line to pee. A line. Mile 3. I look like an idiot and all those "running people" I was making fun of are actually moving and I am waiting in a line to pee with the clock running. F.

Fully relieved the race goes on and on and on for miles (pun intended). I am totally digging the free gatorade out on the course too. I am under the assumption that if there's a watering station, I need to drink. So I do. I already took a pee I have a clean slate to work with... So while I am happy and hydrated, my body takes a dive around mile 8. My legs start to feel heavy. Very heavy. My math skills start failing also. I keep thinking I only have like 2 miles left but then realize its 5. This is why 10 miles are not like 13.1 because of the math involved at mile 8.

I push on. Mile 10 gets here and I quickly realize that I really should have trained longer than this distance because my nipples hurt and I am going into uncharted territory. Right around this part of the race I also get a bit frazzled because its one of those races that make you run by the finish line 2+ miles before you finish. So I run by the finish area. There's a ton of people there that are drinking beer and having an epic party much like Keg Races. Furthermore I am upset to be missing it the party because I am still stuck out on this damn course. I am also slapped in the face with the fact that i didn't win. And to make things even worse there is this 50 year old woman who will run for some time and pass me and then will walk and I pass her. I hate it when she passes me. As I go by the epic finish party we head off into a kind of wooded area that's well shaded and isn't too bad. I could stand this for another 2+ miles. Until I see what can only be described as the largest hill I have ever had the pleasure of running up. The hill goes up and up. I think I am just about finished with it, but then the hill doubles back on itself and goes higher. It is at this time I start swearing and realize another goal of mine was crushed. I had to walk. I tried to run but my legs were effectively not moving with any efficiency what so ever. As I make this decision I see that the company that was tasked with capturing this race on photograph has strategically placed a camera man at the top of this hill to capture the pain in people's faces. I kindly wave but want to give him the finger.

Finally, after this hill, there is only one place to go and that is down. This is where I really start knocking people off. I smoke that 50 year old woman and some other chicks too. As I am running I do have headphones on and have been listening to my soundtrack all day. I had planned it out so that if "Eye of the Tiger" came on I better be crossing the finish line during that song. Well it starts and I get fired up. I run it in to the finish and cross the line. I'm dead. I come in with a crowd pleasing time of 2 hrs 38min. I am thrilled to be finished but upset that I am so slow. As I weave through the finish line I see the payoff of this long journey. Not the free food or massages, but my wife holding my 2 month old daughter waiting for me. I about fell over with happiness knowing that all the training I had done for 6 months, the 20 lbs of lard lost, the chaffed nips, were all worth it for that moment.

So there you have it. A little long winded story about why I run and my first race that didn't involve Beer. If you are keeping score at home, I am down about 70lbs now and have only ran in 1 other half marathon. My 3rd Half is coming up in Oct 2011.