The Fit Test

 So I determined that if I want to PR in my next race I would need to run 12 miles in 1.5 hours. That would be a 45 min 6 miler. I was going to run a 10k just to see if I could hit the 45 but then I thought about it. In the race I would be running 13.1 miles. Testing myself at 6 miles with fresh legs will tell me nothing about what I can do after 8-10 miles. So I decided on a 12 mile test run. And I had to run it in such a way that I felt that I could run the next 1.1 miles at at least the average pace of the 12 miles. After all, if I burnt myself out and had to walk the last mile, the effort of the previous 12 miles would be undone.

Mother nature blessed me with a day in the mid 50s, light breeze (my planned race will likely be breezy so this was a good thing) and plenty of sunshine.

Time?

1:28:40

Pace 7:21/mile

9 seconds per mile faster than planned. Included stopping to kick a ball back to some volleyball players and a relatively slow start due to fumbling with my phone.

And unlike last March, my heart rate never approached max. Which means there was plenty in the tank for the last mile and to drop some seconds in the second half. 

With the upcoming winter training, these numbers should improve by March.

The one disappointment is my cadence. It's way too low for what I want to do. There is definitely some efficiency work that I need to do.

$60 Carbon Plate? Yes Please

 So after watching a YouTube video by a runner who went to various discount stores to score running sneakers, I decided to make the same trip. What did I locate? Well the first score as a Boston 8, in blue. There were a lot of pink ones. Sorry, I don't do pink shoes. Period. Stop with that. Those were $35. When I purchased my first pair last spring I paid way more than that. 

So I decided to see what else was out there and I ran across the following:

Yeah, it's "old" tech when compared to the current Nike offerings but:

1)  I'm not being paid to run
2) I'm not being paid to review sneakers on YouTube.

Also, while carbon plate shoes will give you some extra speed, the fact of the matter is that running efficiency and training is what's responsible for most of your performance. You gotta do the work. Period.

But back to the sneaker. $60. For a carbon plate shoe. This originally retailed for $130. Why would I pay that?  However; one of the problems with this shoe showed up rather quickly. After a 5 miler to see how they feel, the sole was already showing signs of wear.  Clearly then I cannot do any kind of regular running with it. The plan now is to buy another pair and reserve them for racing days ONLY.

Word is that you should NOT wear these things regularly because it will change your gait. I don't know how true that is but I don't plan on wearing these for anything less than a fit tests and speedwork.

Also, these people were not lying about how stiff these things are. You cannot bend this shoe at all. Also, turning doesn't inspire confidence. I'll be honest, it didn't feel much different from my current rotation. It's light like my Pegs and Bostons. They are high but I wasn't feeling the "it felt like it was pushing me" thing that I've watched and read. Maybe it's because they are "old" tech. 

Anyway, assuming the Sham is not cancelled again (announcement on Dec 15), I'll probably run it in these. I was originally going to run in the Pegs but if these add a little bit I'll take it. Especially for $60.

Yes please.