Shoe Fetish

It has been two and a half years now that I have been tracking my training on this blog and three years since I have been training consistently and focused on triathlons. The run is the leg that comes least naturally to me and until now there were only a few times that I had felt comfortable, confident and in control while running. I have been lucky enough to string together some really good training in the last few months and I am finally starting to feel the 'flow' with running like I do in the pool and on the bike. I can finally do an easy run and my body responds to it as recovery work, I can stay strong on the long runs without my joints falling apart afterwards, and my mileage stays much more consistent now because I don't break down.

I don't know if this is common but along with my love for running has come a love for shoes I never knew I had in me. I get really excited about new color-schemes and trying new models to see how they compare. I don't know if I would call it a shoe fetish but I surely dork out on shoes way more than is normal. I have put a lot of work in to get to where I am but I wanted to acknowledge some of the tools that I use to get it done on a daily basis. There are a lot of different types of runs that I do and a good strategy for me has been to match the type of shoe I am wearing to the workout I am doing and the surface it is on.

I don't run on mondays as those are usually a recovery day for me. After I ride on tuesday I usually run 6 miles on pavement with some hills mixed in which I work but the rest of it is easy tempo. For this run I have been using a pair of Adrenalines that are about 2/3 worn because they are supportive enough for the pavement and the run is short enough that a fairly worn shoe is not a big deal.



After I coach mid day on wednesday I usually run on the track. Workouts are 8-10 miles and depending on the week are a mix of intervals from 3x2 miles to 12x400m. I keep a pair of Ravennas at the pool so I don't have to cart them back and forth and they are lighter and more agressive than my big mileage shoes but the track is so soft that my feet can handle it.



I have another post ride run on thursday which is usually 4 miles and I will usually use the Adrenalines for this unless it is an easier week then I will sometimes wear the Pure Connects and work some foot position and float focus into this short transition run.

Friday it is back to the track and depending on the week this is a 6-8 mile workout and can range from a recovery run to a speed-work/hill-work focus. If there is a race on the near horizon I will bring a pair of my racing flats up with me to fiddle with the laces and get my feet feeling good in them. For the shorter races I wear the T7 Racer and for longer stuff the Racer ST5





My long ride falls on saturday and I usually run an easy 2-4 miles afterwards purely as adaptational work. My legs and feet are usually really tired so I either wear the Adrenalines or I have a new pair of Glycerins that I have been enjoying too.


My long run day is sunday and on training weeks I will cover anywhere from 14-18 miles depending on terrain and what the weeks focus is. I either run the Glycerins or Adrenalines for harder surface courses on this run or if I adventure out into some of the beautiful trails that we have here in Santa Cruz, I got a pair of Pure Grits recently which are super plush!



So I don't know if you have been counting or not but that is a lot of pairs of shoes...throw in my cycling shoe collection and my casual/dress shoes and it really is ridiculous. My most recent obsession is the orange and white schemed Pure Flow...they are smokin' and if I get a PME this year these are going to be my reward :)


1/23 - 1/29/2012

Got started with some of my high quality sessions this week as planned. Hard track session on wednesday   was quite a challenge but it felt good to force my legs to go above and beyond what I usually would ask of them. Spent some quality time on my TT bike this week too which I definitely need to do more of to make sure my hips are fully comfortable being stretched down. I swam a timed 1,650 in the pool on friday   and paced it fairly evenly, finishing in 19:10 which I am pretty happy with. The weather is still doing me all kinds of favors and even though I know that is giving everyone else great opportunities as well, I am really glad to be able to have near perfect training conditions.


EARNED IT!

Swim 19,500 yds
Bike   12.5 hrs
Run    44 mi

1/16 - 1/23/2011

We got the first rain of this year this week and thankfully it was not all that heavy, a nice introduction back to my rain gear and weather/schedule navigation. I was feeling really tired and sore at times this week but enjoyed some fun adventures, great food and as always wonderful company. Back at it next week...planning on doing some really har sessions in this next block to get the race form back and running.

Swim 9,000 yds
Bike   8.25 hrs
Run   18 mi

1/9 - 1/15/2012

Swim 20,000 yds
Bike   11.25 hrs
Run    50 mi


I know this is getting a little repetitive but this amazing weather just keeps on rolling and for me that is a big help with my training regimen. I had another good week of training this week with some slightly tougher quality sessions. I was getting very tired by the end of the week and when there is more daylight I think I might try to spread my rides out a little more to help with recovery.
















Next week is a rest week and that works out well because my beautiful girlfriend's birthday is tomorrow so I can take the day off! We are gonna enjoy some lazy time, delicious meals ( I made that ^ !) and maybe a picnic in Big Sur...just thinking about a fun day off has gotten me through a lot here at the end of the week.

1/2 - 1/8/2012

The weather continues to be absolutely beautiful here and despite a few chilly mornings it has been warm and sunny every day! Work was way busy because of all the extra beach/surf-goers in town and I got overly stressed then ate an entire plate of cookies on monday so tuesday was kind of a bust. It was a good lesson in how critical it is to stick to my nutritional plan/parameters. Other than that it was another great week of training.



There were a couple of other important things going on this week for me. Some of you may have heard about this on facebook but Magellan GPS launched their new line of athletic watches and cyclocomputers  and the promotional imagery I shot back in the fall went live on the website. It is a little strange seeing your own face in this kind of context online but it was a fun experience and I made some great contacts because of it. You can check the shots out here under 'view gallery' but please don't poke fun at me :)

         


The other big thing that happened this week was that  traveled to San Francisco to meet my new team! Every Man Jack is the title sponsor and it is a great group of talented triathletes from all around the bay and I am really excited to be affiliated. Having a team that you can feel like you are working with is a huge boost mentally and will also provide great support at races this year as well as some new sponsorships. The most valuable of which is an association with Purple Patch Fitness from which I hope to gain some very valuable guidance and coaching. There will be more on the team to come as it is brand new and all the details are not exactly finalized.

Swim 18,300 yds
Bike   11 hrs
Run    40 mi

12/26/2011 - 1/1/2012

Well the amazing winter weather is persisting and I am absolutely soaking it up. It is in the 70's here on the first of the year and that makes consistent training so much easier. I started sprinkling in quality work this wee here and there paying close attention to how my body is responding so that I can stay up on all my planned workouts. I had to work a little extra this week because people were out of town for trips but compensated with a little extra coffee ;) and made it through. I am feeling really good about how my training is progressing right now and I am really looking forward to this new year! I hope you all have had nice holidays and have been positive and ambitious with your ambitions :)

Swim 19,400 yds
Bike  11.75 hrs
Run   44 mi