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Jon’s musing about running and things about running while running and after running and probably before running too

Went on a 7.5m offroad jog/walk with my kids on sunday. Such a great way to have fun with them. We all tripped up on roots and laughed with each other keeping a tally of who was the worst.

just doing some recovery walks and easy runs this week. Yesterday did a quick 5m walk in afternoon as my lower lats/dorsi were feeling tight.

i have this recollection that often on my sat run, there were lots of moments that i kept thinking about my form and cadence and how ot was changing. Also recall 3 or 4 “Stillness in Motion"
Moments. Kind of cool.
 
had an interesting convo with my brother. He was inspired by my starting to jog around on a consistent basis. My route coincidentally in my neighborhood going one way is ~5miles and i think its an imposing distance to start. I never thought about just turning at 1mile and going reverse, like i might in a different location, but totally viable.

he and i were talking that a 1 mile walk might be anywhere from 13-20mins (if you dont have other exacerbating conditions). Thats not that hard to carve out of a day but he said he had “no” extra time. It really shows how much other daily stress can affect what we do. But gotta start somewhere sometime.

On the flip side, i started a different 5k training plan that has me rest a couple days and do 30min easy run on others. Having conditioned my head wrongly that “its go big or go home” i am gonna have to think about other ways to spend the other 45-90mins i usually try to do to make running a part of my lifestyle, without feeling like I havent done enough
 
I’ve been kind of following the 5k training plan from Polar. Its so hard to keep my HR i. the intended zones (below and above). Like trying to keep my HR under 140 while jogging or over 160 for more than 2 mins while keeping moving.
the variety of the training is a bit more interesting than the monotone 5m walks i am still doing. The HIIT trainings are rough. Even on the flat roads I found to minimize the power issues.

Hopefully it’ll get easier with both as my fitness gets better. I still feel like i am moving slow bit i am ok with that. Rather be slow than on the edge of injury.
 
I’m not sure how folks really choose their favorite training shoes. It seems between models and years so many things change. and how do you know if you like firm or cushion soles unless you put a ton of miles into them. I feel like after a bit of break in, they all kind of feel good, and first and second impressions feel very different than third. And i have been trying many models of just brooks lately and havent even looked recent models from nike, saucony, hoka, asics, adidas etc.

i also believe that i slightly supinate/underpronate, based on wear patterns, which is exactly the opposite of what most stability/motion control shoes try to fix. They tend to attack over pronation and often appear to cause more issues than it fixes. And footstrike issues?? Too much to consider right now now.

i’ve been reading articles all over the web sorting through all kinds of info but the
Most interesting seems to be at fellrnr.com.

i do notice that i often need to address my form so as not get lazy form or under/overstride as the pavement changes. I’d love to find some other info on my form from wearable tech, but its pricey and the only thing I’m thinking I’d get out of it is some basic but interesting info that i dont know i could affect.
 
Just used a pair of maxi-cushioned shoes for first time ever for 2.5mile jaunting.

So in the last 6 months i’ve used everything from minimal to firm, firm/cushion combo, cushioned, to maxi cushioned.

Wow, what a difference in each, especially the maxi but i am not sure i can tell which i favor. I can feel the difference immediately, but by mile 4 they all seem to feel nice (maxi obvi excluded).

i’m trying to figure out if the maxi affected my pace, stride or muscle/body feel. Hard to tell right now.
 
So i’ve found that the more i read and reread shoe reviews, i always pick up a new nuance of the review, hopefully as intended. I am finding that a particular shoe that has been described as firm, the brooks levitate 2 & 3 which share same midsole and tread, feel really nice once I get past a certain distance and feels fantastic going uphills. This was brooks forefront high tier daily trainer that wasn’t cushioned like the ghost/glycerin. I havent tried those.

It makes me wonder how lighter weight typical daily runners or people with good form feel in all these different trainers. Do they even try to minmax certain characteristics or do they just go.

I’ve noticed my ability to run well (feel/form/distance) is getting better but my pace doesnt seem to be moving to the left. I guess in time it’ll progress.

yesterday enjoyed a 3 phase run with my 15yo daughter. 2.5m easy run, 3.5m HIIT, finishing with a 2.5m easy home. Then a 5m walk with my wife and other kid. A bit tired in the evening but not bad. Threw some nice stretching in their too.

sunglasses in wind definItely needed during the day, as the sun went down it got hard to see in them, but it was still windy. Made do and finished without the protection.

changed the level of fitness on my polar app and my daily activity 100% target changed. Before i was routinely getting into 150-250%, and now its closer 100-150%.

still finding it hard to do a 45 min run, including warmup and cooldown. Mentally and physically it just feels like too little, but the body needs rest.
 
So today almost had no problem with the 45 min run. I say that in awkward pause. Went for a 5mile walk with my wife a bit after sunrise and then a bit before sundown went for the 45min run with my kids. Its a blast to run with them, they talk non-stop so it goes by pretty quick.

its definitely nice to take other routes to mix up the run, but then it starts to feel like a lifestyle as i look for good local routes. Seems like a double edged sword.
 
Knock on wood, I cant believe that i am starting running as a hobby at my age. Never ever would have thought i would be able to do it and/or even enjoy it or look forward to it. I am going to keep optimistic.

i think my pacing is keeping me less prone to injury and exhaustion so that’s a huge plus. It’s a hard to keep moving at a slower pace but I feel great, i can definitely feel that i’ve been working though.

today’s effort was a “long easy” run according to the training. Active 55mins below the aerobic zone (zone 2 of 5). I was slightly over by a couple beats, but not a biggie other than the constant reminder by the watch monitoring. I am glad it just buzzes (polar vantage m) and doesnt beep nonstop, a beep would be way more annoying then the buzz which is only slightly easy to ignore.

My levitates felt nice when i had good form and during the cool down they felt great, noticeably. I happen to be also stretching my feet daily. Sounds weird, but i am splaying my toes upward and stretching them for 30secs at a time for 10 reps a couple times throughout the day. Also writing the alphabet with my ankle and foot if that makes sense.

i keep a log of the miles on each pair of shoes and i noticed I am at about at ~65 avg miles on each pair of brooks levitate everyday trainers. (I have other model shoes with current mileage too) They all feel broken in and i like the way they feel. If i had just the one pair of levitates, there would likely be way more than end of life (almost 600-700+ miles). But since i have the stable of shoes, i havent seen too much degradation of them outside of the conformed footbed and some light tread wear. Somewhat glad to not have kit issues but always thinking about FOMO

running at the lighter pace definitely allows me to think about my form, breathing technique, and general daily thoughts. That doesn’t happen with the faster pace as i am thinking more about keeping pace. Each has it pros/cons.

definitely a lot of people not even close to stopping at all for stop signs in a pretty affluent neighborhood. From neighbors to amazon branded delivery trucks. Bad form.. someone is gonna get hurt eventually as the weather warms up and people don’t even hesitate to continue through and kids are out on bikes and scooters.
 
A new pair of shoes arrived today right at the end of my jog. A pair of minimalist style. Went for a walk with my wife for the normal 5 mile and it was pretty nice, had to get used to the no drop feel and change to gait, but feet feel fine and the oddest thing was the toe splay. I dont ever recall feeling this splay quite like this. So liberating, its hard to describe the feel. Even my wide New balances or Allen Edmonds never felt like this.

these shoes are wild imho. i dont hesitate to say that in the colorway i got they remind me and my kids of a certain hamburger mascot or circus employee, but no matter.. i definitely did not get them to impress anyone else.

i have a pair of 5fingers and low profile brooks, but these feel really different.
 
So these toe splay shoes are wild. They are called primal runamocs by softstar. They are zero drops with a 5mm sole. Pretty close to barefoot and a ton of toe box. Almost ridiculous, if not ridiculous and while not cheap, not insane for a made in the USA well made leather/vibram product.

yesterday i wore them on a 5mile walk and got used to them a bit. I didn’t want the pavement pounding on a zero drop minimalistic barefoot shoe today so no running, but a good hike through the forest with these shoes would be a good workout, making the ankle and foot movements more varied than a run. I have to reiterate who my toe splay felt. I dont recall this feeling ever. Went about 7+ miles and feet felt good but i was getting tired thighs, hungry and running out of energy.

Not A bad off day.
 
It was cold this AM. ~32°F and sun but decided i need to get used to earlier runs again. Its hard to start the trend to earlier, it i feel like thats a good goal and doable even if another cup of coffee is calling my name. I think the hardest part, outside of getting out the door, is arranging the cold climate clothes to be ready to go.

Went for a phased target run today where its supposed to be HR zone 1-2 10min warm up, 15 min easy jog in zone 2, and 5 min cool down again HR1-2. This is a really difficult thing for at least 3 reasons. But the plan is the plan and i can only deviate so much.

first, a 15 min easy jog is really short, it feels like i should be doing more.

second, a HR zone 2 jog is really slow, and i am constantly over it, its the zone between walking and easy jogging and i havent been able to get there. I just expect that as i get fitter, my HR will decrease and be in that zone or that the default zones may just be wrong because l they are estimates and I’ve not been medically tested. I am gonna say it’s somewhere in between both.

third, mentally you want to go faster, maybe just a bit, but its a short time and feeling good, the body just wants to go faster. But a plan is a plan and i am staking my health on the “fact” that my aerobic base is developing and improving.

i really really wanted to go faster, “luckily” there is a tempo run coming up that is sure to make me eat my words.

i also went back to a cushioned shoe after 2 days of easy “barefoot”. I could definitely feel the strain on my ankles, achilles and calf and it was nice but the barefoot wasnt bad, just different. I’ll keep slowly incorporating it each week on the shorter runs.
 
Was feeling like i could add a quick 30 min easy jog to work in the barefoot late afternoon yesterday. Not bad on my feet at all, felt really nice. I think though my form needs to slightly change. I thought good form was supposed to have a bit of toe push off, but the info i am getting says thats not really needed and maybe be more detrimental than beneficial in stressing the calf.
 
global_dev said:
Was feeling like i could add a quick 30 min easy jog to work in the barefoot late afternoon yesterday. Not bad on my feet at all, felt really nice. I think though my form needs to slightly change. I thought good form was supposed to have a bit of toe push off, but the info i am getting says thats not really needed and maybe be more detrimental than beneficial in stressing the calf.
Click to expand...
I tried running with more of toe strike a while back. After that one run I could barely walk for almost three weeks. I really hurt my calves bad. If you barefoot run...make sure you ease into it and make sure you are doing proper technique that is unique to you. Not everyone runs the same way.

When I lived in Hawaii, I was always in awe with those guys that would run the Honolulu Marathon barefoot. Running long distance always killed my knees and ankles.
 
dangerousdon said:
I tried running with more of toe strike a while back. After that one run I could barely walk for almost three weeks. I really hurt my calves bad. If you barefoot run...make sure you ease into it and make sure you are doing proper technique that is unique to you. Not everyone runs the same way.

When I lived in Hawaii, I was always in awe with those guys that would run the Honolulu Marathon barefoot. Running long distance always killed my knees and ankles.
Click to expand...
yup, you're absolutely right.. definitely easing into the "barefoot". Only doing it to mix up the training, and only lightly.. the research doesn't appear to support one method over the other and both make some valid sounding arguments ( barefoot/minimalist vs cushioned). I know it's heyday was a decade ago, but thats not important when it was popular. i did notice today that i didn't do any toe strike or push with the brooks ad it felt like good form. he argument against the toe push off was that its akin to doing a full body calf raise each time. not needed and very stressful.

i took 2 days off from running, but kept walking the 5 miles each day (mon & tues).. and added in some bodyweight exercises and stretching.. not a lot though, as i dislike when my upper body is so sore that i can't brush my teeth or reach the coffee mugs on the shelf.. that just isn't fun (funny maybe) but def not fun.

todays running was only 30-40mins, but i added it into the 5mile route. warm up for 15mins, easy zone 2 jog for 10min, easy zone 3 run for 20 mins, and then the rest of the 5 miles walking recovery (in cushioned shoes). it was nice to see that my zone 3, which is right under my aerobic threshold HR 145 bpm was 10:30mins/mile. i'd like to get that pace much lower eventually, not sure how realistic that is, but i was moving slow to keep my HR just under 146bpm. i was a bit tired of last couple of days during the walk, both physically and emotionally, i think it was from unintentional calorie deficit and perhaps overtraining. just a bunch of work to do during the day and forgetting to eat more. i don't usually have a problem forgetting to eat as my family will attest to. but the last couple days were bigger dinners and smaller lunches.

20min green.jpeg
 
global_dev said:
yup, you're absolutely right.. definitely easing into the "barefoot". Only doing it to mix up the training, and only lightly.. the research doesn't appear to support one method over the other and both make some valid sounding arguments ( barefoot/minimalist vs cushioned). I know it's heyday was a decade ago, but thats not important when it was popular. i did notice today that i didn't do any toe strike or push with the brooks ad it felt like good form. he argument against the toe push off was that its akin to doing a full body calf raise each time. not needed and very stressful.
Click to expand...
I have read some things that efficient running really depends on the person. Some people naturally have a heel strike, others a mid-sole strike, and others a forward strike. I used to think that the toe strike was the way to go...that's when I hurt myself. Some people are just going to be better runners than others...I wished someone would have told me that before I joined the Marine Corps! 🤪
 
dangerousdon said:
I have read some things that efficient running really depends on the person. Some people naturally have a heel strike, others a mid-sole strike, and others a forward strike. I used to think that the toe strike was the way to go...that's when I hurt myself. Some people are just going to be better runners than others...I wished someone would have told me that before I joined the Marine Corps! 🤪
Click to expand...
I’ve read similar things. I think years ago though i was overstriding and purposefully landing on my heel rocking into the push off thinking that was what “runners” did, since i was always a sprinter. It didnt hurt, but didnt feel natural either. Probably didnt hurt because of the cushion.

But i can definitely feel the difference in all the strikes now that i am not dying tired after the first 2 mins 😂
 
today was an interesting day. pretty cold here and windy.. jogging activity was about 5.3miles over 1h5ms right but the HIIT session was 32 mins @ 5m on 3m off 4x right in the middle of it. I've gotten way better at not worrying about pace and concentrating on HR & form (including breathing) and spent a lot of concentration on cadence perhaps at the expense of stride and pace. normally i avg about ~82 steps per min (polar cadence is 1/2 of other apps for some reason), today it was ~90 steps, it may not seem like a big change, but it's 10% more steps and i felt like my turnover was way more but watching my shadow the difference was unremarkably boring. used the brooks ricochet model which is a mix of firm and rebound, but lighter weight than the more rebound & heavy levitate 2 & 3s according to Brooks.

for the data geeks (like me) i chopped off the warm up/cool down and this was the HIIT session. i was gonna go on a flat road, but last minute decided to go the usual route and added a jug handle hill in the first 5min. session. felt pretty good overall, but got caught in a headwind for the entire last session and felt a tailwind for maaaaybe half a second earlier going up a hill. i had a hard time getting into zone 3 on the recoveries, even though i was barely moving (slow jog, but not walking). sadly most of the recoveries were on downhills, and thats where i pick up the higher paces, but downhills are rough (trying not to brake too much and stay in control). i think the analysis below is why people opt for measuring power (economy) as perhaps a better and easier way to look at the overall picture.

still kind of feel like a slow runner though. probably gonna take some time for me to get more efficient and stronger at it.


 
Friday was a windy cool easy jog over the wetlands boardwalk about 5 miles total.

Saturday went on a quick hike with my oldest kid a 10k route. Beautiful weather.

Spent 2 days in the snow jogging, thought i would be cold, only issue was wind and cold loose wet sinuses. Sunday was slushy, monday roads were just slightly wet. No biggie, maybe even overlayered.

been really watching my cadence to increase it to meet my super stretch goal of a 10K in 40mins. Given that i can feel the 85-90spm (180) the next step is to maintain that while increasing stride. Otherwise, pace cant increase. There is no other way. However, right now i am just working on my base to make sure i can eventually maintain that pace.
 
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