Training Check-in/Encouragement Thread

[JMTStone]

JMTStone. I'm always the right calf. I think I favor it. Or my run gait is not even. Do you have the same?
I'm not sure what caused it. I still haven't gotten my gait checked

I haven't gone to a specialty store to have someone or some machine watch me run to recommend shoes. But it has been recommended to me to do so. I think either the next injury or when I go over 10K it will be a necessity.

As far as compression socks go, people rave about them. You can find them for cheap online (using your Amazon.com link to the left of course). I've heard self-bandaging is not the same as the compression is inconsistent.

[cer]

I haven't gone to a specialty store to have someone or some machine watch me run to recommend shoes. But it has been recommended to me to do so. I think either the next injury or when I go over 10K it will be a necessity.

I would not wait on this, it can make all the difference. You can go and be evaluated and not have to purchase any shoes, but it is worth while to know if you need neutral shoes or if you pronate and what type of shoe to look for.

[NewDVCowner]

I just wanted to say keep up the great training all!

I'm heading to WDW on Thursday for the Wine & Dine and I can't believe in a week from now I will be back on a plane heading home. This is a very short trip (I couldn't get time off from work) but I'm excited to do this race for the first time. I'm in the second coral from the end. So many corals this time but it should spread out the runners quite nicely.

Great race to all running next week!

I'm flying out on Thursday as well for the Wine and Dine and am also in the second to last corral. Good luck!

[JMTStone]

I would not wait on this, it can make all the difference. You can go and be evaluated and not have to purchase any shoes, but it is worth while to know if you need neutral shoes or if you pronate and what type of shoe to look for.

Yes, Carrie. It is time. I will start looking around for places in my area. I think there's one near my work and get a second opinion as well.

[cer]

Yes, Carrie. It is time. I will start looking around for places in my area. I think there's one near my work and get a second opinion as well.

By the way, congratulations on increasing your distance. Very exciting!!!

[Melanie]

Yes, Justin. That helped me as well. Get better soon!

[badkitty]

I'm flying out on Thursday as well for the Wine and Dine and am also in the second to last corral. Good luck!

Safe travels!

I'm taking the red-eye out tonight and leaving home here in a few hours. Woo hoo! I never was able to get my AP linked to the magicband so I don't have any fastpasses. Oh well. We shall see what tomorrow brings...

[Tri Minnie]

Good luck to everyone running the Wine and Dine half this weekend!

This past weekend I ran a local 10-miler and experienced a range of emotions. Instead of really enjoying the race, I kept thinking about how many more miles I would have had to run if it were the marathon. On the bright side, I ran the race in an hour and 27 minutes and used the encouragement and stories on this thread to help the miles pass. Hopefully, I can limit my anxiety and rely on my training and all of the support on this thread as I prepare for the marathon.

Finally, I hope the injuries are subsiding and the training is going well!

[Yungbuck73]

Thanks for the tips. The calf is starting to feel better so i'm hoping to start back up on Monday. I have to find a place that can check out my gait. I also will be looking into the compression socks too.
Good luck to all Who are doing the Wine and Dine.

[cer]

Good luck to everyone running the Wine and Dine half this weekend!

This past weekend I ran a local 10-miler and experienced a range of emotions. Instead of really enjoying the race, I kept thinking about how many more miles I would have had to run if it were the marathon. On the bright side, I ran the race in an hour and 27 minutes and used the encouragement and stories on this thread to help the miles pass. Hopefully, I can limit my anxiety and rely on my training and all of the support on this thread as I prepare for the marathon.

Finally, I hope the injuries are subsiding and the training is going well!

Congratulations on your 10 mile! So fast!!!

It sounds like you are doing great. Right now my husband is dealing with nutrition issues that have pretty much sidelined him. We are learning the hard way that it is so important if you are running for over an hour to replace your electrolytes and have proper nutrition. (Water and gels are not enough for him.) We have found someone who is treating him and hopefully he'll be back running soon.

Keep up the good work!

[BrerGnat]

Thanks for the tips. The calf is starting to feel better so i'm hoping to start back up on Monday. I have to find a place that can check out my gait. I also will be looking into the compression socks too.
Good luck to all Who are doing the Wine and Dine.

Justin, you can pretty effectively see how you run by just looking at the tread on the bottom of your running shoe. If there are areas that are worn out more than others, that tells you where you tend to foot strike the most. If the outer edge of the tread is worn out, you are a supinator. If the inner edge is worn out, you are a pronator. If you hold the shoes up, so that you are looking at the back of them (the heel), you should see how level the sole is at the heel. If it tilts to the inside or outside, this will also indicate some amount of either pronation or supination. If it is level, and there are no areas of the sole more worn out than others, you have a neutral gait. If you see excess wear in either the heel or forefoot, you will want to get shoes that offer extra cushioning/support in those areas.

Then, just use Google and type in "running shoes for (fill in the blank here: pronators, supinators, heel strikers, forefoot strikers)". You will get hits based on the best shoes for the condition you have. It's really very simple. I have never had my gait analyzed, but it's very easy to see from the bottom of my old running shoes that I am a forefoot striker with a neutral gait. I also have Plantar Fascitis. I use Asics Gel Kayano shoes which maintain the neutral gait and are recommended for PF. They are great shoes too! Work like a charm. I find Asics work best for me, personally, and their website makes it very easy to find the right type of shoes for the type of gait you have.

[GMRO]

Justin, you can pretty effectively see how you run by just looking at the tread on the bottom of your running shoe. If there are areas that are worn out more than others, that tells you where you tend to foot strike the most. If the outer edge of the tread is worn out, you are a supinator. If the inner edge is worn out, you are a pronator. If you hold the shoes up, so that you are looking at the back of them (the heel), you should see how level the sole is at the heel. If it tilts to the inside or outside, this will also indicate some amount of either pronation or supination. If it is level, and there are no areas of the sole more worn out than others, you have a neutral gait. If you see excess wear in either the heel or forefoot, you will want to get shoes that offer extra cushioning/support in those areas.

Then, just use Google and type in "running shoes for (fill in the blank here: pronators, supinators, heel strikers, forefoot strikers)". You will get hits based on the best shoes for the condition you have. It's really very simple. I have never had my gait analyzed, but it's very easy to see from the bottom of my old running shoes that I am a forefoot striker with a neutral gait. I also have Plantar Fascitis. I use Asics Gel Kayano shoes which maintain the neutral gait and are recommended for PF. They are great shoes too! Work like a charm. I find Asics work best for me, personally, and their website makes it very easy to find the right type of shoes for the type of gait you have.

WOW, you said a mouthful! That is great info. I also find that when I used to just power walk vs. now using JG's R/W/R method that my shoes wear different too.

When I only walked my outer front of the shoes, little toe area, were worn pretty badly on both my left and right shoes vs. the rest of the shoe. Now that I run more per my work out, for a year now, I see that my outer fronts last longer. My heals have always been level - it's been the outer tips that would BLOW OUT when I walked in say 250 miles or less per set of shoes. HOLES actually would form in those areas and rest of the shoe looked good!

Now with R/W/R for 4min run / 1min walk I see over 300 miles per shoe set and I don't have the blow outs at all in those same areas. Sure they are worn - more on the outer front, little toe area still, but I'm getting a lot more mileage out of my shoes. I've always had very good success with Nike as they work for me and my duck flat feets!

For reference I run between 140 to 150 miles per month. Normal workouts during the weekdays are 5K's and 6K's for weekends.

Thanks for the great info!

And KEEP AT IT JUSTIN! Just don't forget to listen to your body and adjust during your workout/runs/walks. Every workout can be enjoyable but they can be different as to what your body needs or can do per day.

[PirateLover]

I love my Asics, as well! I'm going to use Nat's info to check out my soles, though.

I am so impressed by all of you who are completing these longer runs. I don't know if the day will ever come when I choose to go for a longer distance, but your stories sure inspire me!

I have a little bit of a milestone to report. With the nice weather we've been having lately, I've been running more outside. I think I've mentioned on here that the lake around here is uneven. There are two sections to it and the second half has some major inclines. All the way around both halves is about 3 miles. I have been struggling to feel comfortable on these runs and was getting that nagging voice in my head that said "you'll never be able to do the 10K comfortably." Well my DH took me out, and using a 1/1 walk to run ration we did 2 full laps plus a little extra to make it an official 10K distance, averaging just under a 13:30 mile. It took some effort, but if I can do it on that terrain, I know I can do it at WDW, so It sure gave me a lot more confidence.

[GMRO]

I've great things of the Asics, just never tried them. Currently my Nike Lunarglides are working super for me. Hate to change things when you get a recipe that works.

WOW, that is also very very great news for you! 2 laps!!! You will have no issues on the 10K. Just keep at it and do the R/W/R and you will be fine. I find it very refreshing...and trust me a year ago or so I would have never thought I could run at all. Just goes to show you what you can do when you do it the right way.

CONGRATS on your accomplishments!

[Yungbuck73]

You all are the best!!!!!
I will try the shoe test. I just went out was looking at running shoes and found that they offer little to no ankle support. I have bad ankles due to breaking my right ankle 2 times in the past. I looked at basketball sneakers, but they were not the high tops I want to wear. After trying many pairs of sneakers on, I finally went with a pair of New Balance training shoes. I had a pair of these a few years ago and they were great. I am only going to use them for my walks/runs. They are very comfortable. I also bought a pair of compression socks. WOW they are high up lol. My calf is still a little "twingy" so I'm gonna start back up tommoow, VERY slow. #runIcot is right around the corner and can't wait to see everyone.

[Melanie]

You all are the best!!!!!
I will try the shoe test. I just went out was looking at running shoes and found that they offer little to no ankle support. I have bad ankles due to breaking my right ankle 2 times in the past. I looked at basketball sneakers, but they were not the high tops I want to wear. After trying many pairs of sneakers on, I finally went with a pair of New Balance training shoes. I had a pair of these a few years ago and they were great. I am only going to use them for my walks/runs. They are very comfortable. I also bought a pair of compression socks. WOW they are high up lol. My calf is still a little "twingy" so I'm gonna start back up tommoow, VERY slow. #runIcot is right around the corner and can't wait to see everyone.

I found some New Balance that I love as well, Justin. I bought 2 pair, so I'm holding on to them as long as possible, as I can't see to find them anymore. Good luck getting started back up!

Maryanne, great job. Any inclines are great, since it's pretty flat at WDW. You'll be more than ready.

Heading out to Disneyland on Tuesday. Can't wait to do my morning walks around the resort!

[AgentC]

I tried on a pair of Asics that I loved but wasn't willing to spend $150 until I know this 5K/running thing is more than a one shot deal for me. I found a pair of New Balance on sale that is working very well for me.

I know I could Google it but for those of you who use compression socks how does it help you?

Great job Maryanne! I love conquering milestones.

Justin- Just take it slow and easy. You'll get there.

[Tri Minnie]

Congratulations on your 10 mile! So fast!!!

It sounds like you are doing great. Right now my husband is dealing with nutrition issues that have pretty much sidelined him. We are learning the hard way that it is so important if you are running for over an hour to replace your electrolytes and have proper nutrition. (Water and gels are not enough for him.) We have found someone who is treating him and hopefully he'll be back running soon.

Keep up the good work!

Thank you! I am glad your husband has someone working with him to figure out a nutrition plan that is best for him. I must admit that this is a struggle for me as well, and I am still trying to figure out what works best. I think one of my challenges is taking in fuel before I realize I need it. Usually I am 8-10 miles in and realize I should have had something 1-2 miles prior. It sounds like your husband is well on his way to figuring out his needs and getting back to running. Good luck!

[JMTStone]

What do you think? I ordered this for myself. I love bondibands. They keep the sweat off. This one I got matches our #runICOT shirts. I'd be willing to order to save on shipping charges. They're $9.00 each.

What do you think? Anyone interested?
https://scontent-b-iad.xx.fbcdn.net/...c5&oe=5287321B

[Tri Minnie]

What do you think? I ordered this for myself. I love bondibands. They keep the sweat off. This one I got matches our #runICOT shirts. I'd be willing to order to save on shipping charges. They're $9.00 each.

What do you think? Anyone interested?

That is really cute! I must admit though that I haven't had any luck with the bondibonds. They fall right off my head after just a few minutes. Do you have a secret for getting it to stay?