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 :)