Testing Out the New Shoes

Originally, the plan was for a complete rest day today after Quadzilla.  Since I skipped running on Saturday and felt good after yesterday's race, I decided to go for a very easy day.  I bought some new minimalist shoes last week and wanted to test them out.  They are New Balance 730.

The shoes I bought were pretty cheap.  I've been wanting to find something lightweight to run races in for awhile, but I didn't want to spend much money either.  When I saw these at the Crossings last week, I decided that I'd give them a go.  They only weight 7.3 ounces compared to my everyday Mizuno shoes which are 10.9 ounces.

I thought I would just do an easy mile.  That turned into a mile and a half after I started running and then on eventually to two miles.  It was very hot in the mid afternoon and that made even the easy run a little tough.  Whenever I could, I opted for some shade.

I ran around Louise Moore Park near my house.  It is a good place to go for a very easy day.  It is a mostly stone loop of just under a mile in length.  There is very little elevation change.

The new shoes worked out great.  I could really feel the surfaces that I was running on.  That was a little interesting because it is mostly stone, but some crushed rubber and wood chips.  The small uphill wood chip section is usually a bit of a main.

The run went well and the shoes seem good.  There was a little soreness in the mid foot afterward, but not too bad.  Even though I'm a slight overpronator, I think these neutral shoes will work as long as I don't wear them too much.  I plan on only using them for racing and speedwork.  If I really start to like minimalist shoes, then I'll go to buying more expensive ones as everyday trainers.  For now, these will be good enough.

After the run, I went nearby into the neighborhood and did 6 X 8 second hill sprints.  That was what I did last week too.  If I get out there again and do them this week, I'll probably do 7 reps this time.  They seemed kind of easy and I'm not sure how much they are helping me at this point.  Maybe I should be doing more reps.  Regardless, it doesn't hurt to do them.  I wish I could find a steeper hill to work with that is close by.  The hill under Route 78 at the Parkway was actually perfect for doing these.

I'm still not quite sure on my schedule tomorrow.  I'm planning on meeting Michele at Jacobsburg at 4 for a very easy run and to introduce her to the trails there.  I'm thinking I might do my speedwork in the morning, maybe run the Blue Eagle 5k course.  If I do that, then I can make Wednesday's Steps workout my main workout.  Otherwise, I'll need to have two hard workouts on the same day again.  Kelley also wants to run together later in the week, maybe Friday.  I suggested Lehigh Gap if we do get together.

2 miles - 18:33 (9:17 pace)