Asics GT 2000 Review, OR is it!

FINALLY,  a few weeks ago I hit the 400 mile mark on the chosen shoe for 2013, my Asics GT 2000!! Now, I had all intentions of writing a review of this shoe, but as I was taking some photos of new shoes to compare the used outsole to, it made me change my mind about a review. Why? One of the most common questions we get asked in the shops is, "How do I know when my shoes are worn out?" I'd like to use my GT 2000 with 400 miles to explain how we determine if a shoe is worn out.

The first thing I noticed, while there is some dirt on the midsole and some discoloring of the upper, the shoe doesn't look that bad! This is a common theme to which I will make a few references. What I'm trying to say, even though the shoe doesn't look that bad, it was time to move on. This idea is especially important to note if you are a treadmill runner or if you run on a track.

The pics above compare the forefoot from my GT 2000 with 400 miles on the left and a brand new GT 2000 2 on the right. The most noticeable difference is the wear on the black rubber outsole.This is the first thing I look at when someone asks me about the life of their shoe or if their shoe is done. It's the most obvious sign of wear, particularly in instances where the rubber that was there to protect the shoe is worn through. Similar to a "penny" test on a set of tires, you can see the depth of the flex grooves on the left are more shallow. Now, you may be thinking, "That shoe on the left doesn't look that bad." and it's true! It really looks fine. Thus the reason why simply turning the shoe over and looking at the bottom isn't always the best method for judging the wear on a shoe. The fact that my shoe with 400 miles on it doesn't look bad does lead me to another bit of advice. If you have the means, have an EXCLUSIVE running shoe and wear other shoes around! Wearing your shoes to the gym, grocery store, or bar counts as mileage. So, you may have 400 running miles on the shoes PLUS 200 "trips to Hop City" miles, in which case your shoes will look much worse.

This next bit, I'll wander off course a bit and show you a picture of a different pair of shoes. The green pair on the left is a brand new Nike Flyknit Trainer and the one on the right is my pair with 250 miles on them. I'm using this pic to show how a midsole compresses, one of the other indications of how worn a shoe is. The easiest way to judge compression of the midsole is to compare the worn shoe to a new pair. The trained eye, one which basically looks at shoes all day (Me), can tell without needing the new pair. What I look for are those noticeable creases that indicate the decrease in thickness of the midsole, and thus, the diminishing lack of protection from impact forces and pressures associated with running on man made surfaces like asphalt and cement.

The final way to know if you need to ditch your kicks I often refer to in the store as "running indicators". "Running indicators" are things like unusual soreness, chronic pain in joints, shins, or feet, unusual fatigue and difficulty recovering. The more you run, the easier these are to identify! I have many customers who ignore the looks of the shoe, don't track their mileage at all, simply walk in say "my knees hurt" and buy a new pair! There's one big flaw with this method. If you wait til something hurts, it's often times too late. I DO NOT recommend this as a reliable method in choosing to buy a new pair. 

Just a few more tips to help with this whole process. 1. Rotate shoes. Wearing the same pair of shoes every day for running simply doesn't give them the opportunity to rebound or regain their "memory" (yes similar to a memory foam). AND a recent study has shown rotating shoes does slightly reduce the risk of injury (hey, Runner's World said it, so it must be true. Right?) 2. Track your miles! Lots of ways to do this. I'll mention a few. Use a written log, write the date of purchase with permanent marker on the inside of the shoe under the insole or shoe liner (this method works for those "same ole, same ole" runners. Same course, same miles, EVERYDAY), and/or join one of the many new running sites like my personal favorite, Nike Plus. These sites allow you to use YOUR method of choice (phone, watch, manual entry) to upload all your running info to a site to track your training. I personally like Nike Plus because it allows me to list up to 8 pairs of shoes to track. 3. VISIT YOUR FRIENDLY, NEIGHBORHOOD RUNNING SHOE GURUS AT THE TRAK SHAK!! Yes, we will tell you the truth if you bring in a pair of shoes and ask, "are these shoes worn out?". Yes, we would obviously love to sell you a new pair of shoes, but we do believe honesty is the best policy!

As for the chosen 400 mile shoe for 2013, the Asics GT 2000, I meant to review in this blog. My favorite of the 8 pairs I have had over the years in this ever popular GT series. The new to 2013 midsole design with larger Gel units in the heel and forefoot, a lower heel to toe transition (10 mm's), and Guidance Line made for a very smooth ride in a lighter weight package. Version 2 was released earlier with a few modifications, including a newer, lighter midsole material called Fluid Ride, and just having tried it on, I expect a similar performance from a great line of shoes!

Review # 110...Percent that is!!

Everybody knows I haven't written the first review, much less the 110th! I thought I'd start the gadget and gear talk I promised with the singular item I believe has kept me running consistently over the past couple of years, and that is 110% Compression Gear, and more specifically the Double Life Shin Sleeves. I'll start with a little background.

I have had four "diagnosed" stress fractures in my right tibia. I say "diagnosed" because I'm pretty sure I've had more, but I just ran through the pain "back in the day"! The last stress fracture was at the Talladega Half Marathon a couple of years ago. There was also a period of time my calf would either cramp or strain on the first step of a run! My previous cures were rest, massage, and ice, and I have been telling people for YEARS to ice injuries after runs, but I'll be honest, I didn't really ice either. AND WHY? It's just not that convenient! Oh, and I don't own an ice bath.

So, we get a visit from 110% Compression Gear one day, and it was one of those "Why didn't I think of that?" moments! What is it? 110% is a collection of compression sleeves, socks and tights that combine the benefits of compression and ice. The Double Life Shin/Calf Sleeves, I mentioned earlier, are a double layered, graduated compression sleeve. The internal layer provides the recovery benefits of compression, while the second layer creates a pocket in which to slide an ice inserts to get the recovery and injury prevention benefits of ice. The whole thing is sold as a kit in which you get a pair of sleeves, 5 reusable ice inserts, and the packaging acts as a cooler which can keep the ice inserts frozen for up to 6 hours.

Why 110%? I'll start with the most important point to be made! Compression + Ice allows you to play harder! (That's plagiary at it's finest right there!) I found that the compression socks and sleeves help reduce those harmful vibrations and pressures that effect your lower legs at impact and aid in return blood flow, flushing that dreaded lactic acid out quicker, improving recovery. The ice helps reduce inflammation on a targeted area and is most effective if used directly after activity or when the targeted area is most inflamed. That is about as technical as I can get!

Now for the practical! Lose the ace bandages and Saran Wrap, leave the bag of peas in the freezer, and stop freezing Dixie cups! The convenient: I don't run from the house that often, so I can leave the ice inserts in the truck and use them right after a run. The neat freaks: NO MESS and your couch, floor, pants, or socks don't get soaking wet as the ice melts! I think that's all I have!! Stop by and let us measure you for a pair of shin, knee, or quad sleeves!

20 FRICKIN' YEARS!

I get this Facebook notification the other day about my 20 year class reunion, and it made me think, "If I've been out of high school for 20 years, then I've been in Birmingham for 20 FRICKIN' YEARS!!" Actually, it's down to the week! This week in 1993, I loaded up the Maxima station wagon (yeah, I said it), and drove DIRECTLY, per my Mom's instructions, to 1600 9th Avenue South. How is this relevant to a running blog? Well, I remember my first run in Birmingham!


I'll start with a little background. While I had run track for 5 years and cross country for one season in my high school career, I was clueless! The majority of my running was actually on the track. It was mainly 400 meter repeats at practice, and at least 4 events at meets, twice a week. That led to a 3rd place finish at the state cross meet and a couple of 2nd's at the state track meet in the 800 and 1600, so I can't complain too much. There were a couple of calls from and visits to colleges, but by the end of the state track meet, I didn't know what I was going to do. I then received a call from a grad assistant coach at UAB, Mr. Scott Strand, who invited me for a visit. I liked UAB! It was close to home, the guys on the team seemed pretty cool, and quite frankly, UAB offered me more than the other schools.

I received a summer training schedule from my new head coach, Phil Schoensee, and it might as well have been Chinese! The easy 4 and 5 milers during the week, I understood, but there were tempos, Fartleks, HYF (How You Feel) runs, and lastly, in August, a couple of 10 milers. My longest run to this point, had been 6.2 miles in a couple of 10K road races I ran just for the heck of it, and they were races, not just head out the door for a run, type of runs! So, I did what any confused, invincible 18 year old would do! I tossed the training schedule and played 2 to 6 hours of outdoor, pick up basketball at the local outdoor court every day!

DUM, DUM, DUM! The day arrived when I had to report to school early, in my Maxima station wagon, to start training with my new team for the forthcoming cross country season! Phil told me he, Scott, and my new roommate, Bob, were going to pick me up at the dorm at 3 PM, and we were all going for a run. I unloaded the car and put on my brand new Pegasus Racers and Nike running shorts, purchased the week before at the Nike Outlet, went down stairs and nervously waited out front. Just to clarify, those guys I just mentioned, Phil - a member of 2 national champion cross country teams at Wisconsin, Scott - an All-American at Auburn in the steeplechase, and Bob - a state champ 2 miler from Michigan. Again, there I stood in my brand new pair of short shorts and running shoes!

Phil drove us to his house on Sterrett Street in Homewood. We got out, and he said, "I've got a nice 7 mile route."! Yep, my first run in Birmingham, with my new coaches and teammate, was going to be my longest, EVER! Luckily, 2 to 6 hours of pick up basketball translate to an 18 year old as at least a little fitness. We started out pretty easy, but as the pace increased, it started to hurt. I don't remember all the streets we were on, South Lakeshore maybe, but I DO remember taking a left on Ridge Road, the very same left we take on the Wednesday night 5 miler, and seeing that damned hill ahead! I was successful at faking it up until that point, but if we were going up that hill, I'm pretty sure they would have sent me packing back to Boaz! THANKFULLY, we took a right on Roseland and headed back to Phil's!

I made it through that run, learned what I could to be a better runner, and here I am, 20 years later, still making that left on Ridge, and definitely making a right on Roseland!! 

Time for a Little Change

I'll admit it! I'm pretty stubborn! When I first started writing this blog, I pretty much swore off writing any product reviews. While my intentions were innocent, basically wanting all of my followers/friends/customers to form their own opinion of a product, my reluctance left me with little content for the blog, considering all I talk about most days are running products and my training is fairly boring unless, of course, I get stalked by an owl! So, it's time for a little change! Let's face it! I don't know a whole hell of a lot about, well, a whole hell of a lot! What I DO know a little about is what I wear and use, running on a daily basis. I'm not going to get carried away though. While I want to inform and share a little about the latest gadget or footwear, the LAST thing I want this blog to be is a constant review.

I'll get started with my MO. As far as my mind is concerned, you can NOT have too many shoes! The shoe geek in me would fill the whole basement with them! I'm restrained by a. an effort to keep only the number of shoes I can actually use or train in and b. my wife and kids need some space to store things as well. HA! Since I'm not running 100 miles a week and I want to try as many as possible, I rarely put over 200 miles on a pair, so this year, I picked a style and decided to go for 400 to get a true feel of what we recommend as a maximum mileage to our customers. The "chosen one" for 400 this go 'round is the Asics GT 2000. The other shoes I'm rotating are the New Balance 880v2, Nike Flyknit Trainer, Pearl Izumi Road M3, Mizuno Wave Sayonara, and Nike Flyknit Racer (for those "feeling frisky" days). You'll notice right away, I don't stick with a particular brand or a specific category. While I should probably be wearing a support shoe all the time, I think its good to mix it up a little, and I'd go crazy if I only wore one brand or style!

Being a running specialty store worker/manager/part owner has it's perks! One of which, other than the obvious access to the latest footwear, is access to the latest gadgets, and I take advantage! For instance, I emptied my back pack the other day to make room to pack for a weekend trip. It's contents, 3 sets of Yurbuds, a Nike + Sensor, 4 watches and 2 pairs of compression socks, all of which I use. You will often see me on the road wearing two GPS watches, carrying my phone, in a belt or or armband of course, and sporting headphones attached to an iPod, all for the sake of research! This is my burden! (It was hard to write that last sentence without laughing a little!).

Just a few more things you need to know to get an idea of topics you may see in future . While I am picky about a few things, coffee - no flavored, beer - no twist cap bottles, food - no fruit, music - no country, I'm really not that picky about shoes. I'm pretty sure I have never said "I can't wear that color" OR "That shoe gave me shin splints, I can't wear it again"! While we're on the topic of "pickiness", I am SUPER picky about sunglasses! Since 1992, I have only worn Oakley and try to wear sunglasses every run, including clear lenses in the dark, if the mood strikes. I guess that's just my thing!

Well, I guess that's all for now! I look forward to writing more about the sport and products I love and hope you all enjoy! 

The BIG 5-0!

Well, it took a little while, but I finally did it! I finally ran 50 miles in one week. Now, to my ultra running friends out there who are brave enough to take on 50 mile races or two to three marathons a year, that really doesn't sound like a big deal, but to me, it is huge! To catch you all up on my "training" schedule, my week consists of running 6 days a week. On the week days, I mostly run during the time I have between dropping my kids off at Mother's Day Out and 10 AM, when I'm supposed to be at work. That allotted time could be anywhere between 30 and 45 minutes depending upon how efficiently I get a one and three year old fed, dressed and out the door. I then try to get in a longer run on Saturday mornings, and that distance is contingent entirely on how I feel. It could be an hour and a half or 45 minutes. The particular 50 mile week, I had a little extra time in the mornings on the weekdays and finished it off with a nice 14 miler on Saturday!

Why is it such a big deal to me? Well, there are some obvious time constraints during a normal week that do not allow for much more than 40 miles. I'm not complaining! That is plenty for someone with no goal other than to remain consistent, so hitting 50 was kind of cool! Remember that word "goal" because I am going to return to that subject shortly. Secondly, I've been trying to recall the last time I actually hit the 50 mile mark in one week, and quite frankly, I'm having a hard time recollecting! It is quite possible I hit the half century mark once or twice in 2007 while training for the Chicago Marathon. I hadn't given in to the GPS peer pressure in 2007 and was too lazy to keep a written log, so I have no evidence to back my story. So, that leads me to 1998, my last cross country season at UAB. My point, IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME!

Back to the "goal"! Apparently when you run 50 miles in one week, you are supposed to be training for something, as I have learned from many to whom I have mentioned my feat!  The default answer has been "life", "I'm training to live", but in an attempt to come up with a better, more clever answer and after giving it more thought, I have come to the conclusion, at the moment, I am training for summer mowing season! I swear, last summer almost killed me! There were several occasions, after stints in 100 degree heat index days, I thought I was just going to pass out. I attribute those days to a lack of fitness! Well, not this year buddy!! I've already set an early PR on an 85 degree, June day of 1:22, and I plan to DESTROY that come August!

Seriously, the mentions of goals from my running compatriots have motivated me to actually take a look at the calendar and find a race on which to focus my efforts. It seems I've finally reached a point of consistency and have gained some confidence, so what the hell! I'm thinking either 10K or half marathon around August. All suggestions are welcome!

A Little Stroll UP Memory Lane...

August will make 20 years I have lived in Birmingham, and I am ashamed to say this past weekend was the first time I have participated "fully" in the Ellis Porch Statue 2 Statue 15K! I say "fully" because back in '96 or '97, there was a 3 person relay part of the event, and The Trak Shak had a team. I was the anchor leg! I've been doing some research to find out exactly which year that occurred for a couple of reasons. First, I guess I'd like to know the actual year. Second, I need to find out if there are any photos floating around out there. You see, we picked out some matching uniforms from Pearl Izumi and let's just say, they were GROOVY! They were a prime example of why you DO NOT catalog/internet shop! What I remember of them is a lot of colors, mesh, and shorts that could only be called, and I wish I had a better term, nuthuggers! What I'm getting at is, I need to know who has photos and consequently, which homes to break into to destroy evidence! For those of you who know the course, you know the last 5K is the one you want in a 3 person relay. I had a GREAT time! I'm not sure the same can be said for Bob, our second member of the relay! 

Why did I decide to run the 2013 installment of the South's Toughest 15K? About 6 weeks ago, I decided to add at least one hill workout and one long run to my routine thinking Statue 2 Statue would be a perfect race to enter. The routine went well for a while. Three days during the week, I ran 5 to 6 miles easy before work, one morning I'd get up early and do a hill workout, and another day, I'd get up early and run a long and easy. Then, Scott and I got a late invitation to the Masters! A trip to Augusta, the week before Statue 2 Statue, resulted in two days of watching the most prestigious golf tournament on the planet, very little sleep, many adult beverages, and 5 days of no running. The week leading up to the race I took pretty easy, but none the less, the legs did not feel great.

So, it's Saturday morning April 20. I met Elena, the eventual ladies overall winner, at the store, and we jog up the hill to the start. I could tell in those 10 minutes, it was going to be a LONG day. I'm going to take this moment to mention the great job of the BTC and the race organizers for their recognition of and respect paid to the Boston bombings! Each participant was given a blue and yellow ribbon to wear, proceeds from each entry fee were donated to the American Red Cross, a blood drive was held at the finish, and just before the start, there was a moment of silence and a prayer for those affected by the tragedy. Many thanks to those in charge! OK, so I mentioned my legs felt less than stellar jogging up the hill to the start. The race started, and as a few have referenced in the passing days, I "sandbagged" the first 5K. The idea was to warm up and save some energy for that treacherous second 5K. The "sandbagging" was to no avail! My ever supportive family was at the end of the first 5K and it took all I had NOT to jump in the car with them and call it a day. I forged ahead, knowing the dreaded Stone River was to come.

Now, over the past few years, I've run up Stone River. I've ridden up Stone River. Hell, I've done hill workouts on my bike up Stone River! I know Stone River! Or so I thought! I guess I'll say, I was reintroduced to Stone River in 2013. The thing I've never done is run/race 5 miles before Stone River. I hit the bottom and thought this is where the hill workouts will pay off. Well, I made it to the top, but the best description I have of my ascent is taken from a friend's quote. I did the "Stone River Shuffle", which is a combination of shuffle/walk/cursing fit to the top! Along with not remembering the year of my last Statue 2 Statue participation, I also forgot the streets directly following Stone River. Brookwood to Overhill Road ain't no picnic!

After all of that, this is my learning experience! After all the climbing, you have to descend. I LEARNED I cannot run downhill, or at least, I cannot run downhill very fast! You see a big descent in front of you and the legs say, "GO!!", but the mind, my mind, was saying, "I think I'm going to face plant"! I guess my next training routine will involve relearning some leg speed! I crossed the finish line in 1:02:20. Good enough to win my age group and ecstatic to see my family at the finish! I'm very pleased with the age group finish, very pleased I ran the race, but a little disappointed to not break an hour. I guess there's always next year!!

All in all, I have to say this. The Statue 2 Statue 15K is a staple in the Birmingham race scene! It's unique qualities of a point to point race, a 15K, starting under Vulcan, which Wikipedia lists as the 8th tallest statue in the United States, and finishing near a replica of Lady Liberty makes it a MUST DO for all runners! Yes, it is a bit of a challenge, but is that not what we all as runners seek from time to time, a challenge! I hope to see you all there next year!

4/15/2013

It was a normal Patriot's Day morning at the store. Get the Boston Marathon coverage on the TV, check the social network for all the chatter of local runners in Boston, and set the Athlete Tracker to "Alabama" to follow our friends' progress. I watched a little of the elite races, took a break, came back to the computer, and then the normal Boston Marathon morning changed. The first post on Facebook popped up about explosions at the Boston Marathon finish line. My first reaction was that it was a hoax, but it didn't take long to find out it was real! My second reaction, I've got a friend who is working at the race and is probably near the finish line, I need to make a phone call! In between unanswered phone calls to my friend, the store phone started to ring off the hook with concerns from the running community and the local media. After a couple of interviews with local TV and constant attention to social media to check on our local runners, a phone call went through, and Jaime answered. "I'm OK" he said. Then he described being across the street behind the VIP bleachers when the first explosion happened and the "carnage" he saw trying to leave the scene. He was OK, and as best I could tell from phone calls, emails and Facebook, everyone I know was OK as well. I went home, hugged the kids and Lena, and watched the news coverage of the bombings. That was my April 15, 2013.

I mentioned all of that because in life's experiences there is supposed to be something learned or gained. Right? I really felt that on the run this morning. It seemed every wave or pleasantry exchanged to a fellow runner on the road meant a lot more! I thought of that list of names of runners from Birmingham racing in the Boston Marathon and how I knew them from seeing them on the road, hanging out with them at the store or recommending their next shoe. Then, to go even deeper, I thought of the time when I really wasn't running and how those same people were always concerned, asking how I was, and wondering when I would hit the road again, because. I'm a runner!

What I have learned from April 15, 2013 is, if you have every excuse not to run or need motivation to hit the road, there are few communities stronger than the running community! If nothing more than to be a part of something that transcends all boundaries and strongly connects millions, start running!

I'll see you all on the road in the morning or at the next finish line!   

What a weekend!!

I just finished working my 12th Mercedes Marathon Weekend, so allow me to just say, WHEEEW!!!! I'm still a little hazy as it normally takes me a day or 15 to recover, but I wanted to blog a little about what an amazing weekend we had. I obviously have the unique perspective of working for the race director, running with a lot of local participants, answering phone calls and emails from out of town participants AND running in the event, and every year I am impressed at how it can exceed expectations!

Not since 2004 have I heard and felt such a buzz surrounding this event! It seemed all with who I spoke were running the 5K, had a kid in the Kid's Marathon, knew someone participating on Sunday or were in fact running the half or full marathon! I credit first Valerie, my boss and race director, her assistant race directors, Kim and Jill, the staff at Birmingham Events, and the FOV's (inside joke) for their dedication to producing a PREMIER event weekend! Second, the Service Guild and Bell Center for Early Intervention, for supporting such a worthy cause! Last, and most certainly not least, Birmingham's running community for showing their support for a local event through volunteering and participating! TO ALL, THANK YOU!!

Now, on to the running! The weekend started the same. Wednesday night, load pretty much the entire store on to a truck. Thursday, put everything in it's place at Boutwell. Friday, let's get this show started! The doors opened to the expo at noon, and my intentions of running on Sunday started at a definitely. Then, 21 cases of beer were delivered added to 7 hours of standing in front of a register and a visit to the new pub at the Westin, the intentions dwindled to a definitely maybe. By Saturday night, after 10 hours of standing in front of a register, breaking down equipment, a visit to the shop, and some of the same shenanigans as on Friday, intentions were at a "we'll see".

Two thoughts made me head to the start line on Sunday. One, I told our Mizuno rep I'd run with him. Most importantly though, I told Max I'd get him another finisher's medal!! As I told some one on the phone today, there is no good advice to give someone who's been standing literally dehydrating themselves for three days. What I'm getting at, there was no race plan! I just wanted to make it to the finish! At the start, conditions were absolutely perfect! The gun went off and we headed out. The pace started nice and easy and we gradually picked it up, respecting the hills of course. I won't bore you with the details of a nice, easy long run, but the highlights were at miles 4 and 9.5 when I thought the left hammy was going to take me out, but she held on for a 1:34! Oh, and Max got his medal!!

 I'll leave you with a photo! Something I think everyone should see! Below is your race director, taking care of the last marathon finisher! You'll notice in the background, few people around, so it'll give you an idea of when he finished. His name is Ray and he's been a great customer of ours for years! He came strolling around the last bend when the folks working the finish line noticed him and escorted him into Boutwell. Val put a finisher's medal around his neck, sat him down and chatted with him for about a half an hour to make sure he was OK! One of my favorite moments of the 2013 Mercedes Benz Marathon Weekend and something I won't soon forget!