Beginning of week four of my training...stoked that the weather has been so nice, but I am afraid this will not last. Last week's training went pretty well, just need to control my "antsy-ness." For example, I had planned speed days for Tues/Thursday, but ended up getting too excited and ran back to back speed days. Took Friday off, ran my 10miler on Saturday (in the horrid rain), and was pleasantly surprised on how fast I did it in...even though it felt like crap the whole way.
Since reading "Born to Run" I've been interested in different types of footwear and the capabilities of the human body. It is mind blowing to think that some people have run barefoot for years or that there are runners out there who compete in races well over 50 miles. Reading this book has led me to others about marathons and ultras...peaking my interest in what my body could possibly withstand. So many people in our society think that running a mere 5 miles is ridiculous. I believe anyone in moderately good health could run this distance...this is not an unattainable goal.
My boyfriend and several friends have been running occasionally in the Vibram Five Fingers. Awaiting my pair, since they have been back-ordered for a while now, I ponder on how I should incorporate them into my training. I don't want them to "screw up" my training, but then again I don't want to be too hesitate and not try these babies out! I love the idea of being closer with the ground I'm running on and how "free" I'll probably feel in them. I've gone through countless types of shoes and am anxious to see how these will stack up.
Since high school I've been put into a pretty high cushion shoe. Being in between a neutral and supinator, I have slowly backed off the higher grades and tried other brands and grades of cushion. I've also been more conscious of how my foot is striking the ground, in an effort to make my gait more neutral. I'd like to wear a lightweight trainer for this marathon, but am worried how my feet will take to such a minimalist shoe. I've got a while to shop around...
Week Four: Sun!
