In Search of the Perfect Running Shoe

Earlier this year Adidas discontinued their Response Trail running shoes. I wish they would have given some kind of advance notice because I would have bought 10 pairs and stored them in my closet. I’ve been running in them for 11 years. (Marathon Girl, looking over my shoulder as I type this, reports she’s been wearing them since 1996.)

It was Marathon Girl that introduced me to the shoes when we were first dating. I resisted trying them until I bought a pair of Nikes that sucked. We went to the store and found a pair of Response Trail shoes. It was love at first wear.

I have flat feet. Very flat feet. Wherever I go I wear customized orthotics in my shoes or else my feet turn inward and hurt like hell. It’s nearly impossible to find a shoe that had the perfect blend of cushioning and support. The Adidas Response Trail shoes were perfect. I could go on long runs and my feet would feel fine. The shoes would last forever too. I could get tons of mileage out of them before they needed to be replaced.

Then, when I went to buy a pair in March, I couldn’t find them anywhere.

Since then I’ve been trying to find a pair that has the same mix of cushioning and support. I haven’t been able to find anything that works. At least not yet.

All the ones I’ve tried so far leave my feet feeling like I’ve run barefoot on cement. It’s made it hard to go running every morning. I’ve done it but it’s not the same.

Tonight, while looking for another alternative, I noticed that Adidas brought out another response shoe—the Running Response ReRun. It’s not a trail runner but a lot of the people who have bought them are former Response Trail runners. Reviews are mixed. Those who wore the old Response Trail either love them or hate them.

Hopefully, when the shoes arrive later this week, I find myself in the former category.

My feet need a break and now that the weather is warm, I want to enjoy long Saturday runs with Marathon Girl as much as I possibly can.

Why I Run

Lately I've been going on some 12-mile, Saturday morning runs with Marathon Girl (who is trying to get back into shape after kiddo number six). The first question most people ask when they hear about these long, Saturday morning runs is what race I’m training for. I always smile when that question gets asked because I’m not training for anything. I’m not a big fan of races whether it’s a 5k or a marathon. I run simply because I love running.

Every runner has their own reasons for strapping on the shoes and hitting the road. Some train for races and look to improve their time while others do it to lose weight or numerous other reasons. But for me running is like writing—it’s something that’s in my blood. I have to do every day or I go crazy. If I don’t get at least 30 minutes of running and at least an hour of writing in every day (preferably first thing in the morning) my day just doesn’t feel complete, I don’t have as much energy as usual, and I can’t think as clearly. And if I can squeeze 90 minutes of uninterrupted, kid-free running time with Marathon Girl, that’s even better.

So if you see me pounding the pavement early in the morning, just note that I’m doing it because I love the fresh air and the way each step makes me feel. It’s my sanity check in an increasingly crazy world. It’s a way to bond and grow closer to Marathon Girl. It one of the few things I truly love to do.

Running: 12 Years and Counting

This month marks 12(!) years since I got my fat butt off the couch and started running in an attempt to lose weight. When I started running in the evenings all those years ago I never thought I’d stick with it after I shed the weight. But here I am, some 4,380 days latter still running 5-6 times a week. And there are no plans to stop any time soon.

The one thing I have noticed in the last year is how many of my friends, family, co-workers, and former mission companions, and old college friends have started running on a regular basis and kept at it. It’s kind of fun to log into Facebook and see so many people log their running times and share photos from the races the 5ks or marathons they’ve run. Some have taken up running to lose weight while others as a way to deal with a divorce or health issues. But whatever the reason, it’s nice to see how happy and healthy running has made so many people I know.

In the meantime, I’ve still got to figure out a way to catch up with Marathon Girl . . . :-)

Family Runs III

One of the benefits of having a baby in the summer is that you can take her outside. In our house this means the baby gets to come with us on family runs. On Saturday we introduced that baby to her first family run. The baby slept the entire way and her four-year-old sister didn’t poke her or otherwise try to disturb her during the four mile trek so Marathon Girl and I considered the run an overwhelming success. So successful, in fact, we’re taking the whole crew on another long run Monday morning. It’s fun to watch the way our family runs have morphed over the years. Instead of pushing everyone in running strollers, our two oldest boys are now on bikes and big enough and strong enough that they can easily outpace mom and dad and will now wait for us at corners or stop signs for us to catch up with them. In a few years they’ll be old enough to stay at home by themselves instead of having to come with mom and dad. We try to make the runs as fun as possible for them now in hopes they’ll want to keep riding their bikes with us (or, perhaps, run with us) when that time comes.

Though I hope the kids don’t grow up too fast, I personally can’t wait for the four year old to get off her training wheels next summer so she can ride alongside the boys. Two weeks ago I pushed her and the two year old in the double-wide running stroller. The two kids and the stroller weight approximately 100 lbs and after 45 minutes of pushing them I was seriously beat. Having the stroller get to heavy has always been a sign that it’s time to kick the kid out of the stroller and make them bike it. Our oldest daughter’s days in the stroller are seriously numbered.

And for those who are wondering why Marathon Girl is running only a month after giving birth, I don’t know how to explain it but that woman’s body just heals remarkably fast. (For the record, I've been telling her to wait and take it easy.) She’s not up to her prime speed yet but Saturday she was running faster than me and a lot of the other runners—and she was pushing the two year old in our single wide. Can’t wait to see her run some more marathons next year.

A Cross Country Run

Most readers of this blog know I love running. I’ve been doing it consistently for 11 years and it’s such a big part of my life that I go crazy if I go more than a day without putting in least doing a couple of miles. Despite my love of running, the one thing I don’t do very often is enter 5k or 10k races (or races of any distance for that matter). I’m just not that into getting up and driving across the valley just to do something I can do by opening my door and going outside. I know a lot of runners, including Marathon Girl, enjoy the challenge of racing others and seeing if they can make a personal best.

Me? I’m not that driven. I’d rather hit the Start button on my watch and start running then hit stop when I’m done a three, five, or 10 miles later. I have personal best times I try to beat but if I beat them, great. If not, no big deal.

So yesterday I did something unusual: I ran in a local 3.2 mile (don’t know why it wasn’t and even 5k) race that was sponsored in part by my employer. When I arrived I surprised to learn that it was a cross-country race. This means instead of running on sidewalk or the road, you’re running around on grass—in this case running approximately three one-mile loops around the perimeter of a local park.

Running on grass isn’t like running on cement or asphalt. It’s like running on sand. There’s no bounce after each step and you usually end up running slower than normal. It also works the muscles in your legs a lot more. The course also included two hills. Again, not too big deal. Because I live practically next to a mountain, running hills during part of my run is something I do just about every day. In the end the grass and hills didn’t affect me too much. I finished in 24:12 (7:34 pace) – much faster than I anticipated under the circumstances and was very happy with my performance.

The only downside was that the cross country run made my body feel old. By the afternoon my feet and back were aching. Today my entire body felts stiff—something it rarely does even on days that I push myself. I know those kinds of aches and pains simply come with getting older. Still, I was hoping to put those off for at least another decade. J

So tomorrow I’ll go back to my old running ways: running outside on my familiar routes. Maybe my boys will ride with me. Maybe I’ll run alone. Either way, it’s going to be fun.

Running: 11 Years and Counting

This morning I celebrated 11 years of running by going on a four mile run. My two oldest boys tagged along on their bikes—very happy to be outside so early. We had a great run and afterwards sat on the porch for a few minutes drinking ice cold Gatorade before we had to inside get ready for the day. As we sat on the porch I thought about how much I enjoy having my boys come with me on these runs. When I first started running, it was something I enjoyed doing by myself. Granted, I didn’t have any kids then but I relished the solitude. The exercise helped me clear my mind and focus on different things.  Then Marathon Girl came along and everything changed. Running with her was a great bonding experience for the two of us. She kept pushing me to run faster and keep up with her. I loved the challenge she provided but most of all I just liked being with her and sharing some time with her doing something she loves.

It’s kind of the same experience with my boys. There’s some father-son bonding that goes on during these runs. When they’re not racing far ahead of me and tell me to catch up (they get that from their mother) and I enjoy talking to them or just listen to them chatter on about whatever’s on their mind as we navigate the running paths in our neighborhood. It seems like I learn more about them during these morning runs then just about any other time. I enjoy this time so much that on the mornings I end up running alone, I find myself wishing they were riding along with me.

There’s a part of me that’s amazed that, after 11 years, my body is still able to run mile after mile every morning. I keep thinking that one day it’s going to say enough and force me to swim or bike instead. But I’m happy my body is still holding up because I can still do the occasional run Marathon Girl—even if it means taking all the kids with us. And I’m glad my boys like coming with me. I hope they know how much I enjoy having them with me.

I hope it’s something they want to do so long as my body can keep putting one foot in front of the other.