Go slow to go fast.

Shaking some rust off for the first 20 minutes or so today...nice and slow.  

Ran with Eric starting at the trailhead at NCAR this morning.

8 miles - 1:24:01 - 10:24/avg - 1770' vertical.

Ran a loop out the mesa trail to skunk canyon and back on the connector to mesa.  That trail has a lot more vertical than it seems.  It feels like you're running along the foothills and not gaining much, but always either up or down something steep about 15 different times, and the vert adds up quick.  I love the mesa trail, its a really fantastic trail through the forest with awesome views of the valley and the flatirons.

Sometimes directly after a 28-30 second 200 meter repeat when my heart is pounding and the nausea approaches rapidly, I ask myself as I walk or sloooowly plod around the curve, “Why the heck do you want to try and run a faster mile?”  And for the next 30 seconds I am nearly convinced that mile training sucks and I’ll just go back to training only for 50K to 50 mile events.

But then 30 seconds later I’m running another 200 meter repeat and loving the speed…until about the last 15 meters when the cycle and questions start over again.

Other times, when I have some company on the repeats, none of those questions pop up, and 28 seconds feels great.

Its an odd thing.

This morning I was able to start out the first couple 200′s with Patrick Hunt over at Fairview.  That was motivating enough to get me started right out the gate at 28′s.

Then I was on my own for the next 10 of them.  Halfway through, 90 seconds was still not quite enough recovery, and mentally I was caving in a bit as well.

Then I was able to jump in with Kenyon Newman and Bob on the last few, and I was right back to running 28′s.  Granted, I had a little more recovery between the last few.  But it was odd that at that point I felt like I could have done a few more at 28 whereas earlier I was falling off pace hard.

Here were my splits for the day.

4 X 100 to get moving: 19, 19, 18, 15

14 X 200: 28, 29, 28, 29, 31, 30, 29, 32, 32, 32, 33, 31, 28, 28

Felt good to get a decent set of fast running in the legs.  Next up is a saturday session of 400′s with some 200′s to finish off.  I’m shooting for 69-70 second quarters and will see how many of those I can hold.  My last set of 400′s I was averaging 73′s a couple weeks ago, so its going to be a bit of a stretch I think.  But I’m going to give it a shot.  Because if I’m going to come anywhere close to a 4:40 at the pearl street mile in a couple weeks I’m going to need to be able to hold the pace for a set of 400′s.

So how is this all going to help me run a 50 miler in steamboat in september you ask?

I have no idea.  But I find myself drawn to speed work at this point.  At least I’m still getting in a 15-20+ mile run in each week.  I see the 50 miler as a fun day running through the mountains.   I guess I’m not all that ambitious about running hard and fast at that distance at this point.  I really just want to complete a 50 miler.

And after last saturday when I bailed on my planned 24 mile route after only 16.5 miles of running in the heat, it makes me wonder a bit about that.  But that was in 90 degrees so I guess I can’t beat myself up too bad.  The heat was getting brutal.

 These shoes are money.  Jun wasn't lying.

The Altra Instinct – www.altrarunning.com

Thank you Golden Harper and Brian Beckstead.  For creating a shoe that fits a normal foot and doesn’t have a built in heel lift.

I mean honestly, how hard would it be for more shoe companies to just make a shoe like this?  Its not that hard people.  But while its not rocket science, I applaud and appreciate Brian and Golden for taking the risk to start a new shoe company to create footwear that promotes natural running form, since its obviously so hard for all the big companies to do it.

Sure they have been coming around slowly over the last number of years, but as I look around I still can’t find a shoe like this anywhere else.  Even the new balance minimus shoes still have a slight heel to toe drop and the shape of the shoe still isn’t ideal in my opinion.   And it doesn’t have to have a pocket for each toe and require odd looks and stares from all passers by in order to allow the foot to move like it should.  Its really quite simple:

A – make the shoe conform to the shape of a foot and not a foot to the shape of the shoe.  (granted, not all feet are created equal, I get that, so perhaps this is just the shoe that fits my foot best.  But I have a hunch a lot of people would like this shoe)

B – Make it the same thickness under the forefoot as at the heel.  I mean seriously…why rob the body of its natural propulsive power and efficiency by sticking a wedge under the heel?  That doesn’t make any sense at all to me.

This is the first shoe I have ever worn that truly fits my foot and allows my foot to ‘feel free to move about the cabin’, freely and comfortably.

After testing it on an 8.5 mile hour long run this morning, I am definitely digging it.

I’m very glad to finally have a shoe that fits and doesn’t have a built in heel lift.  Soooo glad.  Its quite refreshing and still making my day.

The shoes arrived yesterday and though I already had a nice road bike ride up to the top of flagstaff with Nan this morning, I had to get out and break them in afterward.  And they did not disappoint.  

7.5 miles easy barefoot on the bike paths with Nan.  About 1:03.  It has turned into a Friday routine to run with Nan, which I really like.  We have a girl who lives with us right now who watches the kids for us when we want in exchange for free rent.  It allows Nan and I to get out and run and ride together a couple times a week, not to mention free babysitting for date nights every week.  It's really nice.  Nan has been running barefoot with me for the last 10 minutes of our runs, working on strengthening her feet a bit more which should benefit her.

AM:  Attempted a 4 X 100 meter at goal mile pace (70 second intervals) workout this morning.

After 200 meters into the first one the top of each of my quads were feeling sore and strained.  I could tell I still wasn't quite recovered from Tuesdays 200's.  Further emphasizing with clarity that the repeated 28-29 second 200's was a bit too much for me at the moment.

I decided to try one more to see if I would warm up.

Nope, still straining.

I did both of the 400's in exactly 70 seconds.  But I called it quits and jogged home.

 PM: Got out for another easy run.  After warming up a mile or so it turned into one of those effortless runs that left me completely invigorated at 9:15pm when I got home.  I am thoroughly enjoying cruising around in the Altras.  Definitely the best fitting shoe I can ever recall wearing.  They contribute a lot to the smoothness and comfort of the run because my toes can spread out and it is the closest feeling to barefoot I have experienced while wearing a shoe.  Other than the fivefingers, but the fivefingers chaff me in a few spots which is annoying.  So I'm happy to have a shoe that is flat, fits the foot right, and doesn't chaff.