So, I’m having some shoe issues.

I’ve been running in Brooks Adrenaline GTS for the past year. I overpronate and have very low arches, which is why Felix, et al. at Luke’s Locker fit me into the Adrenalines. They’ve been alright - I’m not particularly wowed by them, but they seem to do the job. They just don’t have enough cushioning for my liking. I’ve been through 4 pairs, and after running in them for a month they always start to feel really flat.

Last week, I went to Luke’s Locker to trade in my too-small pair of Adrenalines for the correct size. Unforunately, Felix wasn’t in and to make a long story short, I ended up in a pair of Asics Evolution. They were wonderful. I tested them out by running on the store’s treadmill for 5 minutes, and it felt like running on pillows. Seriously. I loved them.

The next day, I went out for a training run - and within 30 minutes I had a blister on my right arch. I thought it might have been my socks, so I wore different socks the next day. Same blister, same spot. I went back to Luke’s, saw Felix and told him about the blisters. He said the arches on the Asics were too high for my feet (they did feel pretty high, but they were sooooo soft), and that the Adrenalines were still the best fit for me. *sigh* I asked if there were any compromises between the cushioning of the Asics and the stability/motion control of the Adrenalines….but apparently not. At least not for me.

Anyways, I’m hoping there’s a shoe out there that will fit me like the Adrenalines, but with more cushioning. The mere thought of running 10 miles on concrete roads in those Adrenalines makes my knees ache, let alone 26.2. I’m now researching shoe reviews and trying on different brands.

But, if anyone knows of any shoes that are for moderate to severe overpronators, accomodates flat feet/low arches and has great, long-lasting cushioning then please let me know.

Hi, everyone.

Yes, I’m alive.

I’m sorry I’ve been so absent from the blogstead. What can I say? Between the non-weather-related drama of Rita, some unexpected computer woes and an even more unexpected busy period at work, I lost momentum with my blogging activities. Bad on me, I know.

First of all, thanks to those who left comments and sent such nice emails this week (i.e., “where the hell are you?” heh.). Although I’d been meaning to update all week (really, I promise!), the comments/emails were a great motivator and a reminder that hey - people actually visit my little slice of cyber-heaven. yay.

Ok, enough fluff. On to the update(s):

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In 5 minutes, I hop in the car to head over to the Park for the dreaded 12 mile run.

Ok, ok, not “dreaded” - though I woke up a few times during the night, I’m feeling pretty rested and a lot more positive about today’s run than I have all week. The anticipation of this run has become a mental speedbump in my training (mental and physical) this week, and I know I’ll feel much, much better once I get through it.

It’s true how they (”they” being those marathon-y people) say that preparing to run a marathon involves both physical and mental training. This week was the first time I’ve felt this negative and insure about doing the marathon - but I also know that overcoming these thoughts is part of the training and the overall journey.

Anyways, I’m off to Memorial Park. JPP often includes hilarious pictures in his email messages - this one made me crack up so here it is.

I’ll write a report when I get back!

So, I’ve decided the solution to my nervousness about tomorrow’s 12 mile run is to stop putting so much pressure on myself, and try the walk-break strategy. I haven’t decided whether I’ll do a 9 min run/1 min walk or 11 min run/1 min walk, etc., but the important thing is that I’ve convinced myself that it’s OK not to run the whole 12 miles without stopping tomorrow.

I’ve been reading up on the walk-break approach, and it’s pretty interesting. Someone won the Boston Marathon once by using the walk-break strategy. Jeff Galloway, a US Olympian who’s run 116 marathons, uses the walk break strategy in his marathon training program. Below is a really informative article about it.

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So, we’re scheduled to run 12 miles this Saturday. I’ve never run 12 miles before in my life. Needless to say, I’m pretty nervous. I’ve been worrying about it all week.

Maybe I haven’t fully recovered mentally from my run last week? Or maybe because of the abbreviated runs this week? Or because I haven’t felt very energetic or strong?

Anyways, I’ve decided to try incorporating walk breaks into the run on Saturday. I think it’ll make me less anxious about it, and it won’t be such a strain on my legs….especially since I’ll be running a relay race later in the PM.

Confessions of an Adult-Onset Athlete
One woman’s journey from college couch potato to competitive marathon runner.

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Wow - after sharing my experiences/frustration from that miserable 10-mile run, I’m so appreciative of all the words of encouragement and support from my fellow Houston Striders.

This is one of the reasons I love running so much…..it has a perfect mix of independence (i.e., running can be a solitary experience) and groupness (is that a word?). I can run with others as a group, but each run/race has an element of personal challenge and achievement to it that I also really value.

Of course, running can also be an excellent team sport. On September 17th, the “Blog This, Striders!” team (comprised of Jon, Holden, Jessica and myself) will run the HARRA Cross Country Relay. We will, of course, kick butt.