One thing about all this pandemic stuff going on is that while I do have a schedule, at times remembering what day it actually kind of slips away to something that ain’t all that important – other than it is Friday which means a shorter, but something with a faster element thrown into the run at some point or a course time trial.

I know I am weird sometimes, but I do enjoy running fast for me and the challenges that it brings to my running. I just have to be smart and pick my spots versus attempting to do it too often.

So yeah, today was Friday, mmm at least I hope it was because I did what I like to do on Friday’s run and chase after one of MY, not someone else’s Strava segments. Which means that I get all geared up in what I will probably wear on my next actual race day, do my warm-up routine, listen to Bennie bark his head off as I get ready to head out the door and know that I am going to run faster than usual at some point in the run.

Since they had just redone the dirt road road down-back, I decided to stay on the tar, which meant if I was going to chase one of my segments that I would probably go after Shepard or Pepin. It also meant that I changed my mind about which shoes I wanted to wear.

1.0 – 8:01 / The first mile was mostly all about warming up and getting the old noggin in the correct space to run faster than usual. Although going down the hill I still am not all that crazy about steep downhill running in the Razor 3s. There is something that just doesn’t feel right with my running style and those shoes going down a steep downhill.

2.0 – 7:31 / I did have on my ear buds. When I am by myself and want to go faster, I find that I do better with the music going. I tuned into the race music and when I hit Pepin, I hit the jets. Well let’s just say picked up the pace and felt that I was flying right along…well for me at least.

I struggled more mentally with keeping the pace going after the first 100 yards and then did better after I rounded the corner. I am still struggling with the mental side of the idea that I can run fast a little more often and that it doesn’t mean that just because I am running faster that I am running to exhaustion and compromising my immune system. I did have that conversation, more an argument with myself as I passed the private way and told myself that once I got to the end of the tar I wasn’t going to run hard again during the run.

That finally sank in and I was able to pick up the pace again and kept rolling along with the music. It does help focus me on the cadence that I want to maintain. Unfortunately, I forgot that the finish for this segment is the end of the tar, not the turn-around and shut it down about 15 yards too soon. Guess I have to be more aware of the actual segment.

The good news was that I did manage to still snag my fastest run on this segment by a few seconds. Yeah, me!!! I now own the second fastest overall segment on Pepin, which means at some point I will try to get rid of those extra 15 seconds. I know that I have it in me, I just have to get the old noggin into the game a little more.

This is one of those segments where a fast runner could do some really nasty times on it, so I am hoping that I can grab this segment before AG (a very good local runner who just moved in down the road finds it) and with it being a fairly gradual downhill, it makes me look faster than I really am.

After I started breathing normally again, I ran comfortably back up to the 2.0 mile point and still had a 7:31 second mile, which is faster than I usually run this second mile.

3.0 – 9:47 / Nothing fancy here, but I had worn the little toe separator on my right foot and it was starting to bother me. Oh yeah, this is where I get to run up Philbrick Hill, not fun in the heat.

4.0 – 8:26 / While I picked up the pace naturally on this portion of the course, my right foot was throbbing pretty badly as I went around Howard Circle. The toe separator was killing my right foot and I swore that I woundn’t use it with shoes I was wearing again. I did have to laugh at Lucy – the Great Dane on the Circle, she wanted to go run with me in the worst way and her owners were having to keep her corralled until I went by. She is a good big dog.

I finished up and walked almost a half mile to cool-down. Not that I cooled down very much in this heat, but by the time I got back to the house the heart rate was closer to normal.

• Distance: 4.01
• Time: 33:46
• Pace: 8:25
• Shoes: Skechers GoRun Razor 3 Hyper. Once I got off the steep downhill section on Philbrick Hill they felt great and did fantastic on the segment chase down on Pepin. However, the little toe spreader, does not work with these shoes, so if I am going to run longer distances in them, I have to remember to use vaseline between the little toe on my right foot.

While I was running easy, I got to thinking about the Nike Wildhorse 5s I have been using as my daily walk/trail shoes and how my right foot has been more sore lately since I changed to those shoes. It doesn’t have a lot of room in the toe box height-wise and has a snugger vamp (sock liner) to hold the tongue in place. So I decided to change them out with the Salomon Sense v1s that I had in the back of the truck.

Also while running this morning I got to thinking about my GlideRides. I really like them a lot and they are coming up on their 200 mile review, but I am noticing that when I run in them a lot that my both my ankles seem to be bothering a lot more than they have in a long time. While I was thinking about what to write on that 200 mile review, I remembered that the GlideRide is supposed to do something with the ankles and wanted to do a little more research on that before the I do the review.

When I went to the ASICS product site for the GlideRides this is what it said:

The GLIDERIDE™ shoe helps you run longer while expending less energy. GUIDESOLE™ technology in the sole is the key function in the GLIDERIDE™ shoe. Improved cushioning, which is a result of FLYTEFOAM® technology and GEL® technology cushioning also helps reduce the overall load on the foot. The stiff forefoot and dynamically curved sole increase running efficiency by reducing the movement of the ankle joint. Additionally, the shoe’s center of mass is closer to the heel, so it’s easier to swing the foot forward. The rolling motion you feel in this shoe actually propels the foot forward for increased efficiency by reducing the forward movement of the ankle. This lets you run farther with less effort. The GLIDERIDE™ shoe with GUIDESOLE™ technology lets you conserve energy for efficient runs.

quoted from ASICS.com https://www.asics.com/us/en-us/glideride/p/ANA_1011B060-001.html?width=Standard

I am wondering if this reduction in the movement of the ankle joint is resulting in the discomfort I am feeling in my ankles. Because it almost feels like I have to change my stride a little for the GlideRides to feel the most comfortable. Too darn many sprained ankles back in the days when I thought I was a 5’7″ power forward. 🙂

So I might let the GlideRides rest for a week and use my Beacon v1s for a change of pace and see if my ankles continue to bother or if I am wandering down a rabbit hole that is a waste of time. However, this is the kind of stuff that I do enjoy, figuring out a problem and potential solutions or at least more knowledge about what is going on.

I hope the answer is just my aging body catching up with all the old abuse, but if it is the GlideRides it will be a shame, because I do like the way they fit and feel so far and are the first shoes in 2020 that will be making it too 200 miles.

Overall, a good run in fairly hot weather, where I copped one of my long-time segments and could have gone faster if I had my head a little more in the game and remembered where the segment actually ended.

Now is the time to figure out my running shoe rotation going forward, especially since the final deletion of my eBay account is now final. No more of those impulse buys for running shoes from there. Which is a good thing I have a feeling.

A pretty long post for a simple 4.0 mile run down to Pepin.