Pacing Yourself

[pshaw_raven]

It's an interesting week running-wise.

I helped out at the Gate River Run yesterday, and got there early enough that no volunteer coordinators were around, so I just helped with expo setup. We put up the booths, unpacked merch, set up clothing racks, stuff like that. It was actually kind of fun, but I had to leave around noon to get back to my end of the world on time for Neighbor Kid Pickup and etc.

The local 5/10k is done. Last year's Black Creek Bowl was the last one - I guess they weren't making enough money off it. I enjoyed having a local race that wasn't at a stupid time of year. There's a couple nearby that are in JULY. Because who wouldn't want to get out and run in the middle of summer in Florida. I heard heat stroke is fun. So I'm sad to see that one go.

Fox and I managed to sign up for the Disney Wine & Dine half marathon, but the Two-Course Challenge was sold out. I don't know if they just limited the number of bibs they released today, or if this has to do with their new "pay to win" Club RunDisney scheme, or what. The theme this year is "villains," so that may be attracting more participants. We're considering taking a Two-Course spot if we can get it and just paying Disney the cancellation fee for the half. I kind of like being a challenge runner, mainly because I like torturing myself and I like feeling special. I'm also looking at treating the 10k as a warm up run and spending the majority of my summer training to run the half in under two hours. I know my paces aren't exactly spectacular but I think I can do it with the right training plan. After all, I was able to set my sights on a sub-one hour 10k and do that with a couple of minutes to spare. It was the same pace I'd need for the half, I just need to just used to running it for longer.

I'm also not a hyper-fan of Disney Villains. I like some of them, but mostly I'm "meh." I wanted last year's challenge medal because it had the Three Caballeros on it, so of course I'm all about birds. Anyway we'll see what happens for Marathon Weekend signups next month - I may have to give up my Dopey streak.

Also, the cold front can't come fast enough. It's hot and I am miserable. UGH

Comments

[cdayzee]

I'm curious: on average how often do you purchase new running shoes? My feet are starting to hurt again, so that's my sign that I need to get a new pair. These don't seem that old. My running app says I've used them for just over 100 mi, which is when I replaced my previous pair - however it just tracks runs & not when I use them for walks, so I double that number & figure it's accurate enough - but I feel like that's still too often. Since you're a runner, I know you'll have some insight on this! :)

[pshaw_raven]

Hey! :D Right now, on average about every two years, but I also buy two pairs at a time and swap them out every other run. Typically I look at how they feel when I run and the tread wear. By the time (for me anyway) the tread starts getting smooth on the middle of the sole, about where I land and push off, it's time to replace them. Shoes I don't run in anymore get to retire and enjoy the remainder of their years as walking shoes until they absolutely wear out entirely. I had a pair of Skechers that "died" last year and I should have dumped them sooner because they were the cause of my hip and glute pain last fall.

I try to keep track of how much mileage my shoes get but I tend to forget to log runs and rely on Fitbit to have that info. Just giving a ballpark estimate, I think the shoes I've gone through have had around 300-350 miles.

[cdayzee]

Thanks so much for your response!!

Yeah, the tread in the middle of my sole has worn smooth. That & the pain I experience are good indicators for me. I find it kinda frustrating because I don't do a lot of running, so I'm not understanding why my shoes wear out so quickly. The past 3 shoes have been Brooks, so they're good quality.

I'm curious - about how many miles do you run per week, on average?

[pshaw_raven]

Right now I'm doing around 20 to 25 miles a week, but of course that increases if I'm training for a longer race. Often without any other plan in place I'll run between 3 and 5 miles each day.

I know you said you weren't running in them, but is it possible that you are putting in enough walking that it's wearing the shoes down? The impact and stress on the shoe is different but in a way, miles are miles.

[cdayzee]

I run in them but when I use them for walking, my app doesn't track it. For some reason it only tracks runs. :shrug: I wish they would allow me the option to also track it during walks. So that's why I'm having to guesstimate the mileage with walks included. Plus, I walk more than I run. I had been walking every other day. Recently I've been running every day but I don't know how long my body will allow me to comply with that lol.