The Night Runner

It seems like most triathletes get their workouts done early in the morning. I've made a few attempts at this over the years, but it just doesn't work. You never really know when the kids are going to get up, but once they're in bed, there's a pretty reliable few hours in which to fit in some training.

So I'm a night trainer. This means that I can be found running around Metcalfe in the dark. It's nice and peaceful, I have the roads to myself, and I don't have to worry about sunscreen. And my running had been going pretty well. Swimming and biking seem to have stagnated, but running is really just a mileage game. Nice easy Zone 2 running so far, no speedwork, and no injuries.

Magic Shoes!

 

I think I finally know what I need in a shoe. Last year my Solefit gait analysis recommended some mild stability control in my shoes, and that they should be pretty lightweight. I ended up on Saucony Fastwitches, but the 4mm drop proved to be too much for my achilles (the New Balances I was on prior were 10mm drop).

So the conclusion was that while some stability is good, it's got to be with sufficient drop. In theory, a shoe with those properties should keep my knee and achilles issues at bay. A few shoes fit this criteria - the ever-popular Asics DS Trainer being one, but I've ended up on a pair of Brooks Ravennas. If I had one complaint it's that the forefoot is a little narrow, but they seem to be stretching out a little over time. And that fact that I'm running niggle-free for the first time ever is the key takeaway.

Another milestone: for the first time I'm running 5Ks under 25 minutes while staying in Zone 2. Not sure how this will translate into improvements in race speed, but it's a good sign of improved aerobic conditioning. The bad news is of course I've been sick again (a chest thing that isn't going away), but it's interesting that despite the constant illnesses and inconsistent training that I'm making gains in my run. Swim and bike are terrible right now, but both of those depend on being able to hit quality sessions, whereas the slow-and-steady approach to running seems sufficient.