Random Running Thread

[OakLeaf]

Welp ... doesn't seem like there's enough activity in this subforum to keep on with monthly threads, plus I couldn't think of anything running related that rhymes with June.

My big news is I actually showed some self restraint last week. I'd been wanting to try Skora shoes for a while, and they were having a clearance sale, and even though I've NEVER done any trail running and never thought I could run minimal, what they had left in my size was a minimal shoe. So of course I ordered a pair! I had some errands to run in town and there's a 6/10 mile canal trail, mostly firm dirt/grass with a little bit of #57 stone. I did one out-and-back and stopped. I've been trying to think of the last time I ran 1.2 miles and said I was done for the day, and it *might* have been as late as 1973, but probably longer ago than that. Everything felt great, but I could tell I was using some unaccustomed muscles and it wouldn't be a good idea to go any farther, so good thing I chose that short trail so I wasn't tempted. I definitely had a little bit of soreness and a lot of noticeable fatigue in my arches and hip internal rotators the next day! The shoes aren't a perfect fit, but that would be too much to hope for. For a very short one, they're absolutely close enough, as close as anything else I've run in. I really like the construction; the asymmetric lacing and half-attached tongue solve several problems I have with most shoes, and the uppers are just comfy. Yet to be seen how well they're going to work for me over longer distances, but if it goes well I'll be ordering a pair of their cushioned road shoes next (too much exposed #4 on the one hand, and concrete on the other, for me to ever consider minimal shoes on the road).

I'm signed up for that 10K tomorrow morning. It's one of those things where I'm not even remotely in shape for it and I don't much feel like running it, but I just need something to kick start my summer, and I'm pretty sure if I didn't run it, I'd wish I had. Sooooooo we'll see how it goes.

Mostly I see more wildlife out my living room window or pulling weeds in my garden than I ever do when I'm out making noise and stirring stuff up and going by too quickly to notice little critters, but there are times I'll see something cool on a run, and I had one of those recently: a mink chasing a baby rabbit. Mink are elusive around here - there are plenty of them, but this was only the fourth time I've ever seen one after 18 years in this house. They were pretty evenly matched in size and from what I could tell, in speed as well! I'm not sure who got the best of the distraction - when I came along, the rabbit froze on the edge of the road while the mink darted into the hayfield. Don't know what happened next - but if the mink got her lunch, I'm kind of glad I wasn't there to see it.

Who else?

[Crankin]

Nothing, except I, too, am showing restraint by not going to the LRS and buying a new pair of Mizunos for boot camp, AND, to stay on your topic, a pair of trail running shoes. I've always been intrigued by trail running, and I feel like I don't need to try and run as fast, can always hike/walk. My body doesn't seem to react so poorly to running on dirt. But, my light hikers are too heavy for this.
I am waiting until I get back from my cycling trip, to let my foot heal more. It's better, no bruising left, but the most pain seems to happen from fast walking. Unfortunately, I went for a ride really early Thursday morning and it was really cold, so I wore my winter cycling shoes and woolie bullies, which are much tighter than my regular cycling shoes. This irritated the foot, so back to the icing.

[roo4]

I've been doing a bit more running than cycling lately. This morning I am taking my kid on a run, probably just a mile. We're headed to a local rail trail. Soft, flat, no cars.

[yellow]

I'm finding it easy to discover new shoes that I like or love a lot these days. So many to choose from now. I'm not too fussy, so it's fun to try different things. Current favorite trail shoe is the PI N2, which is their neutral training shoe. I've found that minimal just doesn't work for me for big mileage. The PI shoes are what I would call a happy medium and I plan on wearing them for all races this summer. I think my next experiment will be the Salomon Sense Mantra 3. I have the Sense Mantra 2 and I like it well enough, but I don't reach for it for 3+ hour training runs. Word from friends in the know that if I like the 2, I will love the 3 and that I will like it for those long trail runs. We shall see. That said, I am currently cycling through at least 2 pairs of the PI shoes, a pair of Hoka Stinsons, an older pair of Saucony Peregrines that I hoarded in my closet because I loved them so much (I don't care for the latest versions), and the Salomon SM 3. Yeah, I have a lot of shoes. And that's not including the "rejects" that I don't reach for (meaning that they aren't anything special) and/or the ones that have become garden shoes.

I took about a month off in April-May (for a good thing--a Grand Canyon river trip!) so I decided to forego a big run for June and stick with July and August races. I am doing a race (trail, since that is really all I do) as a training run in 2 weeks in Idaho; the area and terrain are similar to that of a stage race I am doing in August so I kind of want to check it out. I have a rematch with the Tahoe Rim Trail 50 in July (it kicked my arse in 2013) and then the stage race (in Idaho, the mountains around Stanley) in August. I fully expect that to completely kick my arse. So I am building mileage and trying to get into the mountains and am focused on staying healthy. After that, who knows. Maybe a 50k in Oregon in September, maybe just riding my bike, maybe nothing. I keep saying that one of these days I will hang it up and just lounge on the couch for the duration I reserve the right to take myself up on that offer any time!

[OakLeaf]

Yellow! Good to "see" you. Those are some beautiful places you're running and rafting in!

I managed to break 50 minutes for the 10K this morning, for the first time. I knew I had it in me but didn't really expect to pull it off today. Going to be sore tomorrow ...

[rocknrollgirl]

Hi Ladies,
Yellow!!! Good to see you. I have been running and too lazy to post. I am just trying to be consistent. I have lost of of my speed since my surgery in Nov, so I am going to have to work on that. So right now I am just trying to get out regularly. I do not have any races planned until the fall leading up to The North Face Endurance Challenge at Bear Mt next May. So I have time to get things rolling.