Transitioning to Wider, Lighter, Faster

Preface:  This is not meant to be a shoe review.  This is a post about my transition into a better shoe for me.  It just so happens that my shoe of choice is a brand and concept that is relatively new, which is why I felt a need to go over some key concepts the shoe has to offer.

My main goal in the off-season this year is to transition into a better shoe; a better shoe for me that is.  Shoes are something that should be based on personal preference and form, not necessarily what's the most-hyped or the prettiest.  To find personal success as an ultrarunner, I feel that I need to get over my lower leg problems.  Posterior tibialis (specifically posterior shin splints) and blisters are the main culprits.  Posterior Tib happens when I run on the flats too much, and blisters only present problems in 100 milers.
The objective is to force myself into better form (to prevent the lower leg problems) and a wider shoe (to get over blisters).  I really don't buy into the whole minimalist trend that's currently spreading in the running community.  Don't get me wrong, I think it's great that minimal shoes force one into good form, but it's not realistic to wear a minimal shoe on long runs with technical trail under your feet.  The ideal shoe would be something that's wide, light, promotes good form, and has cushion.  Luckily, I have some great friends who've introduced me to the new local shoe brand, Altra. 

Altra branded the term "Zero Drop" which is exactly what the shoe offers.  Zero drop refers to the difference in ride height between the heel and the forefoot.  So there's none of the bulk in the heel that promotes bad form and plenty of cushion for a comfortable ride.  This is the most comfortable I've ever worn... hands down.  I wear them every day, all day, and they fit like a glove on my foot.  I'm only using their road version currently - the Instinct - just to work into the shoe.  Just like any "minimal" shoe, you need to start light and really work into them, focusing on a proper midfoot strike and overall form.  I have no idea how long the transition will take for me, but so far, so good.  I'm up to 6 miles in them and I'm hoping to put in a few back-to-back days in the upcoming weeks.

If the Altras work out on the road, I'll think about switching to their trail shoes that everyone is talking about, the Lone Peaks.  In order to keep my mileage and fitness up though, for now I'll stick to what I'm using on the trails.  The fact is, I won't REALLY know what's right for me until I put a shoe to the test in an ultra.  Luckily, I've got a few months on my hands to sort things out, so there's no time like the present.

Back From Sabbatical

So two weeks probably isn't a sabbatical technically, but it proved to be exactly what I needed; A wake-up call!  I've been sleeping like crap, eating worse, and the pity party has been on my tail non-stop.  I had ample time to think & reflect, and really focus on what the year ahead is gonna look like.  Time to get back at it and celebrate life instead of wollowing in the muck.

I think the most important thing was getting re-focused.  And with focus, comes goals and formulating a plan to carry them out.  My goals for the year on the racing front are looking quite similar to 2010, with a bit more sprinkled in...

• Buffalo Run (still undecided on 50K, 50 mile, or 100 mile)
• Squaw Peak 50
• Bighorn 100 (if I'm feeling ambitious since it's two weeks after Squaw Peak)
• Speedgoat 50K
• Wasatch 100 (lottery pending) or Bear 100
• Pony Express (50 mile or 100 mile)

Mix some adventure runs in there and it's looking to be a packed year...

• Redemption at Zion with the boys (Craig might have something up his sleeve here)
• King's Peak Double or Utah Triple Crown
• Timp (triple, quad, 24 hour?)
• Stansbury loops with the boys
• I'm sure something else will creep in here... Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim-to-Rim possibly?
• And of course, lots of training runs in the Wasatch

Thinking about such ambitious goals makes me realize that I need to train.  What the heck, I don't even hate training.  Ninety-nine percent of the time I get out there and really enjoy it.  I think I've just had a lot the other one percent variety recently because my head's been so screwed up.  After thinking about it though, races and adventure runs are absolutely what I live for.  The fact that I live in such a great place helps me realize that my situation could be much worse.  I could live in the middle of a desert, the arctic, or be relegated to running on a treadmill every day of the week.  Poor me that I have one of the best backdrops in the world in my backyard.  It's time to get out there and get er done.

I had also talked about trying to run a fast marathon next year.  I'll see how I feel, but if it happens, the only race I can see fitting in there is Salt Lake in April.  It'll be a last minute decision but I'll be training hard enough for whatever I do at the Buffalo Run, that I'll be ready if I decide to give it a go.

Wow, now I'm rambling.  Time to save some breath for more writing to come.  Super excited to get back at it!

Taking A Break

I haven't had much to say recently, which is pretty apparent in my lack of posts.  I've been lost in thought and haven't put forth much effort into anything to be quite honest.  I found out the day before Thanksgiving that I'm officially getting divorced, so that's been weighing on my mind.  We've been apart for 7 months now and things have finally come to a head.  I thought I'd deal with it much better than I have.  I thought I went through all the emotions 7 months ago... Turns out that's not the case.

After much deliberation, I've decided that I need to take a break from running for a minute.  I posted my intentions on my FRB page yesterday and said that my time frame for this break is indefinite.  Well, I'm already itching a bit to get out - especially since today is so nice outside - so I think I need to define this break.  Therefore, I've decided to take the next two weeks completely off and just reflect on my life.  I'll start running and training again on the 17th, which also happens to be my birthday.  How convenient.

The timing for this break actually couldn't be better to be quite honest.  It's the off-season, the holidays are upon us, and I'm thinking about what sort of goals I want to make for next year.  I'm really looking forward to the next few weeks without the added pressure I tend to put on myself, .  I put entirely too much pressure on myself over the last year and I'm actually amazed at what I was able to achieve.  I ran the best race of my life at Squaw Peak 3 weeks after she moved out.  How I pulled that off I'm still not sure!  Then things slowly started to dwindle from there.  It's to the point now where getting out to run just isn't fun.  And that's why we run, right?  It needs to be enjoyable; not feel like a chore.  I need to learn to love it again, so it's time to get re-focused and re-centered.

I'll be back in a few weeks after I've buried myself in plenty of books, listened to lots of 80's music, and put on about 8 pounds.  Haha!