New Kicks Coming …
First, an injury update. I’m happy to report that my self-diagnosis on my Achilles was correct. I have not had any soreness in the area where I thought my shoes had been rubbing. Good news! Which brings me to the principal point of today’s post. Running indoors and concentrating on speed have helped me realize that my everyday trainers (Brooks Launch) are not entirely appropriate/optimal. Despite my improvement over the last couple of years, in my mind’s eye at times I still view myself as “a lumbering big guy” who weighed 228lbs and required a lot of support and cushioning in shoes vs. today at 188lbs. Below is my shoe evolution:
NB 858
NB 1062
NB 826
NB 903
Brooks Launch
Next up in my shoe evolution?
They are kind of old school looking, huh? Asics Piranha SP 2 Racing Flats. While I have absolutely no intention or desire to partake in the barefoot running movement, I do want a minimalist shoe to help me go faster. I actually picked up a couple of pairs of them as they were on sale for 2 for $54.88 each. Hello bargain! At 4.02 oz, I probably have socks that weigh more than these kicks. Since they are so light and minimal, I will only wear them on the track or in races of 10k or less.
It’s certainly an interesting pictorial of my evolution. The new kicks arrive on Friday. I can’t wait to put them to use on Tuesday night.
Omg, I love LOVE love the pictorial evolution! It’s definitely a reflection on your own running evolution–I’m seeing it before my eyes!
Re: your comment on my swimming–dead on. I’ve had a sinus infection that makes my head feel heavy, so I’ve been avoiding te water. Hoping for a good swim tomorrow tho (:
Great! You are making such huge strides in running by all of your XT.
Nice new shoes! Almost something I would wear casually.
Thanks. More excited about the price!
yay new shoes. and that is a wicked awesome deal!
I just could not pass them up … and the miles are starting to add up on the Brooks.
I just bought a new pair of Brooks running shoes. I hope your evolution isn’t necessarily a condemnation of the Brooks brand.
Nope. Still like Brooks a lot. I would have gone with the Brooks ST Racers or T6’s, but the price of the Asics was so low that I had to get them.
Nice! Congrats on the new shoes… and glad to see a fellow New Balance fan… our shoe evolution has been similar… I’ve run in 1063s (which came after the 1062s, of course), and my NB 903 are my favorite shoe ever… I’ve gone through 2 pairs of those, and was bummed when they were discontinued… I also have 904s now. Even though my last 903s are pretty worn out, I actually wore them for an easy 4-miler today, and am considering wearing them for a 4-mile race I’m running tomorrow.
My next pair? Newton Running: http://www.newtonrunning.com/
I loved NBs until they discontinued the 826s and never gave a replacement. I also liked the 903s too. Newtons look great, but they need to come down in price for me to pick up a pair.
Good luck in your 4-miler!!!
Yeah, Newtons are really pricey, but I’m hoping they’ll last longer for me since they’re specifically designed for midfoot strike runners.
Thanks re: race! Heading up to Lake George shortly…