Running Free

Great run yesterday. It was cool and dreary here in Napa, but I set out to do a 8-9 mile out and back. I was wearing my new Pearl Izumi Syncrofloat 2 shoes (PIS2) - 2nd time wearing them - and questioned the sizing. I have plenty of room in the forefoot and there is no slippage, but there my footfalls seemed to be slapping down on the pavement more distinctly than usually. I bought the PIS2 shoes via Road Runner Sports, and the sales guy said that they run about a half-size smaller than most running shoes; so, while I'm normally a size 11.5 for running shoes, these are size 12. All that said, the sales guy indicated that Pearl Izumi got their redesigned shoes right this time, and I've been fairly pleased with these PIS2 shoes over the limited runs that I've had them.

At the same time I bought my PIS2 shoes, I also bought a pair of New Balance ZIP 8507s (don't know how long this link will last - these shoes aren't even listed on the New Balance site anymore) and I've only been out in those once (on the treadmill for 6.25 miles). The sales guy warned me that they would be fairly stiff out of the box, and he was right! I've been wearing them for 1-3 mile walks, hoping that that will help break them in. I know that I'm going to have to get some more running miles on them to loosen them up, but I was attracted by the durability as a good training shoe - and the sale price. We'll see.

My body felt a bit stiff for the first few miles yesterday. I later realized that my labored breath was attibutable to an uphill slope on the way out. At the turn around I was at 32:40, or an 8:10 pace. My negative split on the way back was more like 31:30 (7.52 pace), but I put in an extra half mile at the faster pace, so my total of 8.5 miles was completed in 1:07:30, or a 7:56 pace. Average HR was 168, making it more of a tempo run than a long run, but I was pleased. I feel fine today.

I used a new sports drink on my run that I got for the holidays. It's called Nuun (fairly new brand) and comes in disolvable tablets which makes it convenient for traveling, long rides or races. I plopped in a "tri-berry" tablet prior to leaving, but since I can often find water on my long rides / runs this is a good, non-messy solution. Tasted pretty good with just a tiny bit of fizz; I'll have to really pressure test it when it heats up to see how well it manages rapid electrolyte replacement. Of note is that it has less than 5 calories, so for long rides, I'll still need some type of carbohydrate bar for nutrition / fuel. However, on my long rides where I usually carry one bottle of water and one bottle of sports drink, this might be the new water.

Little Isaac greeted me as I returned home, wondering why he didn't get to go with Papa, but we didn't bring the jogging stroller with us on this trip, so for now, he's living vicariously.