The Shoe Graveyard

As a pretty active guy, I go through shoes like a runner goes through toilet paper. Trying to find  a pair that looks nice, fits well, and can last is tough. On top of that, I expect a lot out of my shoes. They need to be able to hold up to lateral movements for P.E. class (i.e. basketball, soccer, and tchoukball) and also at track and cross country practice. Throw in ultra training, and I'm basically S.O.L.

So far, I have had many shoes come close; however, they always end up dying. Below, I pay homage to those that almost made it.

First up - Merrell Vapor Glove.

One of the best road shoes I've ever ran in. My usual 5k racers.

I've been through 4 pairs (and 3 colors) of these bad boys! If you are looking for a minimalist shoe that can take a hit, look no further. Every pair I have owned has surpassed 400 miles. For a zero drop, low profile minimalist shoe, that is almost unheard of.

They are lightweight, fit like a glove, and grip like a champion. Yet, the Achilles heel is the upper. It is a weird tight mesh material that gets messed up pretty easily. Also, where the lower and upper meet is a super weak point. Every pair has blown out almost 180 degree from mid-foot, around the toe-box, and to the other side. But the crazy thing is, I can still wear them! Seriously, the tread is still great on my main pair, even after logging close to 500 miles!

Shoes #2 - Merrell Ascend Glove

Tough shoe with a good amount of foot feel. Stronger upper, but still fell short.

Yet another super durable shoe by Merrell (I swear I am not a spokes person, but if Merrell wants me to be, hit me up!). This pair didn't see as many miles, but it got trashed on the trail. Roots, rocks, water, poop, you name it --- it's seen it.

Speaking of rocks, I never once questioned my footing with these. I caught my big toe a few times with a few choice words, but never once complained about stepping on a sharp rock. They gave great ground feel with high protection. Sadly, this will be my last pair since they are no longer in production :sad face:

However, even with ~350 miles, they are still run-able. Again, the area between the upper and lower is busted. There is also another spot near my toes that got cut open. The tread, though still reliable, is starting to show some heavy wear. With that said, they will probably turn into creek shoes with my recent purchase of the New Balance MT10v1.

And finally - Skora Phase

Wear patterns galore! The no sew upper helps keep the structure sound, but the inside... not so much.

When getting close to retirement with my other shoes, I needed another durable shoe to help with high mileage and marathon training. Enter the Skora Phase.

Hands down my favorite shoe I have ever owned (two pairs!). The injected blown rubber (IBR) kept the shoe amazingly lightweight and cushiony, but still strong enough to hold up against small rocks and uneven surfaces. This 11mm, zero drop shoe was also chopped down a bit more by taking out the insole giving it a new stack height of around 9mm.

I ran these shoes into the ground... HARD! I literally burned a hole in them. However, even then, they were still SO FREAKIN' comfortable that I kept running in them. Because of this, I have ruined about 5 pairs of socks. Whoops!

After a few months of holy running, I decided to get another pair... uh-oh. Sold out.

No biggie, I will try another style. Sold out. Ugh.

I then messaged a rep and she helped me get the same shoe, but in a female style. SCORE! The fit was the same, and the color scheme was actually cooler in my opinion.

Unfortunately, shortly after this transaction, the company went into a bit of a hiatus. However, they should be back in September (hooray!). Just in time for another purchase before the Yeti100 :)

Take aways:
Shoes will always be the most important and most expensive part to a runner. Spend the extra $20-$50 on a shoe that fits your foot and is durable. Furthermore, with ever changing styles and trends, your favorite is likely to be discontinued, so find a shoe you like and stock up!

Greasy-Gooney 10k 2016

“Faster turn-over. C’mon!” I screamed internally. I knew my legs had more to give, but I just couldn’t get them to go. My lungs felt great, as did my core. My legs - or leg rather - just wouldn’t stride like it should. It was then that I knew a come-from-behind finish wasn’t going to happen.

The first half of the Greasy-Gooney 10k (Browntown, Va - Shenandoah Valley area) was surprisingly pleasant. Sitting comfortable in 5th place along with my running friend/coach Jeremy, I powered up the hill. My splits were consistent and my heart/breathing rate were on point. A newbie to the area closely followed. I made references to Jeremy about the other guy, and talked a little louder than usual trying to mentally break him. We continued to surge and hoped to finish the first 5k in strong fashion.

By now, the top 2 secured their positions. Mario (another running friend) in third looked more confident than ever and was creating a buffer between him and us. Newbie seemed to falter a bit. At the 2.5 mile mark, the hill increases its grade. Jeremy pushed ahead, but I stayed close. By the time we crested the top  (also the 5k mark), I tried to do my old cross country tactic - keep pushing past the top to break your competition. I lengthened my stride and glided passed Jeremy. This worked for about 15 yards, and then I heard the footsteps.

“All right. Let’s go, Jere…” Only it wasn’t him. Newbie came alongside, almost effortlessly. I did the only thing I could think of at them time. Ask short questions that would hopefully produce long responses to wear him out :)

We chatted a bit. He was from Arlington. Originally from Tennessee. And he went by Josh. Hey, a connection.

We ran about a mile together, and then Josh slowly pulled away. His new target, Mario, slowly got closer to him, but farther from me. It was about this time that Jeremy, who took a few extra puffs at the top, caught up.

We cruised together for about a half mile, and I made a comment on how the new kid was pretty good and might catch Mario. Jeremy must have taken it as a personal challenge. He glance at me and stated, “let’s see what I can do about 4th place.”

Game on. We were now coming off the downhill section (still slightly rolling), but hit a flat spot. If I could increase my turnover and be a bit lighter on my feet, I could reel all three in.

“Go!” I spurred, but with no results. My right foot continued to drive hard into the ground and without much forward propulsion. There was no pain, just an uncomfortable tightness. My stride felt as half as long as it should. This “injury” is really starting to get annoying.

The wind decided it wanted to get in on the action around 5.5 and almost knocked me sideways. It’s going to be one of those finishes...

From the strong uphill 5k and a steady 5:55 descent, I knew my position was secured, and I wouldn’t be able to catch the three ahead of me. A 10k PR was out of the question, as was the course record for my age group. Time to enjoy the countryside.

The Blue Ridge Mountains were more spectacular than I expected. The fall foliage really snuck up on me this year, and I have yet had much time to enjoy its beauty. As I swung around a few bends in the road, I said good morning to the spectating cows and to the woman on her cell-phone. I assumed she was watching the race, but as I jaunted by I didn’t even receive a glance.

“Good morning!” I proclaimed. “Good job,” she stated halfheartedly without a look away from her phone. Meh, priorities.

At the 6 mile mark, I decided to open it up a bit. If nothing more than for a terrible photo that I am eagerly awaiting to see (to be fair, it isn’t the quality of the photo or the photographer. It is definitely the subject and my inability to get a good race picture).

I crossed the finish line in 6th place (1st in my age group) with a time of 39:14. Not too shabby for running and winning a half marathon 2 weeks before, and getting a new marathon PR the week before that.

I sauntered toward the crowd of finishers. I learned that Mario also succumbed to Josh’s (no longer Newbie - he earned my respect) speed. Jeremy never caught them, but he came close.

The four of us went out for a 1.5 mile cool-down together and patiently awaited the awards ceremony. I won a random prize of miniature snickers. Josh received a pumpkin.

Overall, the race was great. Just outside my hometown, dirt cheap ($10), and beautiful scenery. I was able to run with my part of my running team, met a new runner, and even met a few people that I only knew online via Strava. I will definitely be running it again next year and for many years to come!

Winter Series #1 - Mystery Through History

Another year, another Winter Series. TL;DR – 8 races, points based on finish, high quality courses, cheap entry fee, and a lot of fun!

The mystery through history is kind of the odd ball race in the series. Most of them are 5Ks, but that’s not the case with this one. In fact, the distance changes year to year (anywhere from 3 to 5 miles)! Fortunately, this year I was paying attention before the race and heard the director state the distance. Well, sort of. I knew it was 4 point something…

In addition to the distance, the course was described. From the grunts and groans that filled the air, I realized that the hills would be a challenge. However, being from Front Royal, I thought maybe this was just the flat landers and treadmillers talking.

NOPE! Have you ever heard your grandfather talking about how he used to walk up hill, both ways, to and from school, in a foot of snow, barefoot? Welp, I found the hill he was talking about.

The first mile went well. I started out slower than usual (a new thing for me), and was hoping to build up the pace. I had the lead pack in sight on long straights and knew I was around the top 10. “Good,” I thought. I can settle in, work the hills, and then crush the finish.

NOPE AGAIN!

Alright… it’s been a while since I did a hill workout. Hell, I took a long time off from running in general since the Richmond Marathon. And the “workouts” I did were not intense at all. But these hills were tough. They weren’t huge. They weren’t long. But they were constantly rolling. I’d recover on a downhill and then my heart rate would spike again going up the next knoll. All I could do was focus on the 3 people ahead of me, and hope to stay with them.

Fortunately, one of those three was Brenda – a staple to the SVR running events. I passed her early on and then she reciprocated the favor around mile 2. I hate being passed, so I needed to stay close.

Climbing back into the woods before the finish, I felt refreshed and ready to rock. But so did Brenda. I followed in her shadow as we reeled in the other two guys ahead of us. She then slowly pulled away with every stride, but with less than .75 of a mile to go, I knew I had the guts to pass the other two.

(Heading towards the finish. Photo by Karsten Brown)

The woods section is enjoyable, but deceivingly long. Fortunately, I remembered my trail shoes as the trail is chunky rock. I blew by the two guys (whom I later found out went out EXTREMELY fast and gassed out) and focused on my finish. Though Brenda was now out of the picture, I opened up my stride on the straight, downhill finish. As I crossed the finish line and looked at the time, I wasn’t impressed; but I was still happy. 

4.1 miles, 27:24 elapsed, 6:34 pace, 8^th overall, 1^st for my age group 20-29.

Too Many Races, Too Little Time (and Money!)

With the hot summer days coming to an end, a plethora of road races have started to pop up on my calendar. Unfortunately, many of them share the same date or simply cannot be a part of my marathon training. Not to mention, some of them are so ungodly overpriced or conflict with my high school cross country program. Combine all of these factors together, and you’ve got one sad runner.

(source: http://completerunning.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/11/runningmoney.jpg)

A quick glance at my local running club calendar shows 7 races between September 07 and October 17. This does not include 2 other races that I am already signed up for (Ragnar Relay DC and the Leaf-Peeper Half Marathon). That’s roughly a race a week! There is no way that my body or wallet could withstand that type of punishment. I mean seriously, in a 2 month span, I could easily shell out somewhere around $200-350, depending on registration dates and club discounts to run all of them.

So, what can I do about it (financially)? I’m glad you asked. I have a few ideas milling around in my brain that I shall share!

1)      Don’t Run in (some) races: This is a hard pill to swallow. I love competing and comparing myself to others. And now, since I am close to fully recovered from chemotherapy, I am curious to see where I am at --- and need to make up for all the races I’ve missed!

2)      Setup a crowd-funding website: Honestly, this seems like the best bet. I contact a charity (probably http://www.forlucas.com – Team Runningdad represent!), ask for donations, take a portion of it to pay for my races, and give the rest to charity. Obviously, a set plan needs to be laid out, but that requires research and thinking. Maybe a blog post for another day, if I decide to go that route!

3)      Run as a bandit: Not going to happen. Proceeds go towards a good cause, I’ll be taking away resources from the race itself, and I know too many people who will chastise me for doing so. Plus, it is just plain douchey to do.

4)      Pay for it – Beg for forgiveness: My least favorite. Mainly because it will result in either 

      my castration or death. All I would do is secretly sign up for the races, not tell my wife, and then run for the hills so she *hopefully* can’t find/catch me.

Other options include getting sponsorships (I’m not fast or popular enough), mug somebody and steal their registration and bib number (I’m not strong enough), and/or run in the race and simply say I lost my bib number (see number 3).

Running is probably the most expensive, free sport there is. Race fees alone can crush a wallet. Throw in the cost for shoes, watches, vests, and other accessories and you’re broke.

Anyone have any ideas on how to make things cheaper?!