New Shoes: Brooks Glycerine 18

With a strong first two months of the year behind me and plans for marathon training about to begin, the time has come for new shoes. I wanted to get another pair of the Brooks Glycerine 17's I've been training in the last year or so. But, as usual, they are being phased out for the next edition of the line.

So, the Brooks Glycerine 18 it is.

As usual, the folks at Fort Worth Running Company gave me a good rundown of the shoe. Basically, this edition isn't a wholesale rebuild so it's very similar to the version prior. They feel basically the same although I need to put a few dozen miles on them to really get a feel for how they run.

I'll probably keep the old pair around for another month or so for long runs but, by the end of training, I should have phased them out completely.

New Shoes: Brooks Glycerine 17

I hit 400 miles last week with my workhorse shoes, Saucony Triumph ISO 4, and decided it was time to hang them up. I still have the Brooks Ghost 11, in the closet but, for some reason, I don't wear them that much. They have become my backup/wear around pair and I guess I'm fine with that.

Since I was in Fort Worth last week, I stopped by at the Fort Worth Running Company and tried on a few pairs. The new version of the Saucony Triumph had a ton of room in the toebox and felt a little weird. I opted for the newest version of the Brooks Glycerin instead. I've had a pair of these before and I know they are a solid shoe.

New Shoes: Brooks Ghost 11

With the prospect of marathon training looming, it is time to consider the the miles I'm about to put on my shoes. The current pair is holding up well but the lack of "rest" days are likely to age them in dog years.

So, being in Fort Worth today, I popped into The Fort Worth Running Company and picked up another pair. This time it's back to Brooks with the Ghost 11. This is another neutral sole shoe but it feels like it offers a bit more support than the Saucony's. There is also a bit more cushion in the heel, something that might matter as I start putting in much longer runs.

I'll try the new pair tomorrow but go back to the old pair for this weekend's long run. After that, the plan will be to alternate them day-by-day to give them time to recover between workouts.

New Shoes: Saucony Triumph ISO 4

I've put about 250 miles on my current pair of running shoes and they have held up pretty well. But I need to see about having a designated pair for when I travel. So I've decided to move the current shoes into quasi-retirement and get a new pair for summer running.

I went over to The Fort Worth Running Company and they were their usual helpful selves. I ended up going with the Saucony Triumph ISO 4. These are a bit more like a running flat than a regular cushioned running shoe. I'm planning on more gravel running and, hopefully, some trails this summer. In those cases, this shoe makes a lot of sense.

I'll try it out this week and, if there's no issue, it will be the new regular pair for my running.

New Shoes: Brooks Glycerin 15

For the last few months (despite the sporadic running routine) I've been using a pair of Asics Gel Flux 4 shoes. I bought these on sale at a sporting goods store. Turns out they were a half size too small and that was growing increasingly problematic as I have been adding on the miles.

So, yesterday, while I was doing errands across North Texas I decided to stop at Fort Worth Running Company. I have never used this store or even heard anything about them. But, in my experience, these local, privately-owned stores provide the best service and feedback I need. And this turned out to be no exception.

New Gear: Garmin Forerunner 35

My aged and well-used Garmin running watches have all passed into the great beyond. A couple of them with my exasperated assistance. I've had a few of these that have been durable workhorses and I've had a couple that... weren't.

While I can track my running OK with my trusty Ironman digital watch, there is a lot of information the new fitness trackers can provide. My brief experiment with a Fitbit showed me that. So, if I can get my running routine back, I would like to explore more of that.  So I went looking at what was available.

Basically, I wanted a watch that was 1) cheap and 2) had GPS capability. Anything beyond that I would entertain but those were the deal killers. And a lot of the low-end fitness watches now fit that profile (although "cheap" is a relative term here). In the end, I decided to go with the Garmin Forerunner 35 for the simple reason a lot of my past running information is on their online system.

New Shoes: Asics Gel-Kayano 22

So in addition to being rather ugly, the Asics I bought turned out to be maybe a half size too small. So I went to trade them in and encountered probably the worst service in a shoe store I have ever experienced. I finally just handed one of the employees the shoes and said "keep them" and walked out. Lesson learned, I guess.

Anyhow, I still needed a new pair of shoes.

But I knew the brand and style fit and the size I needed. So I looked online and found exactly that in a rather less grody color style (and for a bit cheaper). So they arrived and now I only have to go run in them and see how they work.

New Shoes: Asics Gel-Kayano 22

It's been seven-plus months and since I picked up my pair of Asics Gel-Kayano 21. They have just gone past 250 miles which isn't in the critical range but definitely getting into the ballpark of the shoe's optimum lifespan.

So I decided to grab a new pair to start switching out as they get less responsive to the mileage. I popped over to RunOn! in Coppell and tried on a half dozen pairs or so. After all the effort I ended up sticking with the Asics Gel-Kayano but in the next generation of the shoe -- the 22.

Ever since Asics has moved the stitching for the side decoration back where it doesn't hit the ball of my big toe, this has been a really reliable shoe. (Before then I would inevitably form a blister right there when my long runs got into the double digits.) This edition is pretty butt ugly but it doesn't have any orange or dayglow colors so I can live with it.

New Shoes: Asics Gel-Kayano 21

I have had a soreness in my hips the last couple of runs and, on one occasion, it persisted for more than a day. I haven't been doing anything extreme in these runs so the most likely culprit are my shoes.

I'm not sure how long I've been using that pair of Brooks Adrenalines but it's more than a year and possibly pushing up on two. Way too long.

So I went to the RunOn over in Flower Mound and got a new pair of wheels. I tried a number of different brands and styles but went with the latest version of the Asics Kayano. I trained in a pair of these for my first marathon and they are a solid shoe. Back then, there was an issue with the stitching that would give me blisters on the base of my big toe when mileage got up there. But they've changed that and I sure ain't looking at 40 mile weeks any time soon.

Marathon Training Summary: Week 11

Distance: 40 miles
Time: 5 hours 22 minutes

Comments: An odd week but pretty important one, nonetheless. The original plan was to recover from the half-marathon and get a solid long run in before the big mileage of Week Five.

But after skipping an extra day due to exhaustion and concerns about the sore calf I decided to just run a consistent week of 5 mile runs and get the long run distance I planned. Then, after setting out on the long run I just decided to go for the 20 miler and see how it turned out.

Well, in retrospect, I probably could have used the extra week to build up but there really is no avoiding the amount of pain that kind of distance is going to deliver. I have a much better idea of how tough that last 10K is gonna be and it ain't pretty.

If I had any doubt about exactly the toll this thing took the post-run pain underscored it rather pointedly. I haven't hurt this much since last January.

The ice bath afterward was downright brutal. Possibly the worst one save the first. But, on the plus side, I now have the recipe down. Take one half-full tub, add 80 lbs of ice in two batches, insert one runner and VOILA! twenty minutes of almost unbearable agony!

That said, I shudder to think the shape I would be in if I had not done it.

The plus side is that having completed this first 20-miler I think I can fit in another long run of that distance in the training time I have left. That should help a lot come race day. I gotta get in the last of my quality miles over the next fortnight and hold my breath for the rest.

Getting the 20-miler in last week took a lot of the anxiety off me. I now know I've got the mininum of one under my belt that most experts reccomend. Now, its a matter of seeing if I can work in another without risking injury.

But the additional mileage means additional issues. Now I have the new shoes that seem to alleviate the calf problem I'm back dealing with the old problem - blisters on the ball of my foot. To address that I'm going to experiment with different lacings.

Because how you lace your shoe dramatically affects how the shoe fits around your foot. Typically, I use the classic 'runner's lacing' where the lace goes through the top of each eyelet and follows a criss-cross pattern. This has the advantage of being one of the strongest patterns you can use but it is unforgiving if your foot has any type of peculiarity.

Following that, I do a few simple alterations such as a loop-lacing lock to hold the ends of the laces firmly throughout the run. (This is also reccomended for runners with a narrow heel since it holds the back of the shoe more firmly as well)

But I might take the advice I found on the New Balance website that suggests using two small sets of laces and lacing the bottom three eyelets with one an the top three with the other. That allows a more custom 'fit' for the lower half of the shoe.

This week is a big mileage week but more due to the amount in the training runs rather than the big bastard on Sunday. Although I'll need a bit to recover from the long run yesterday, I still think I can get up into the 45 mile range.

New Shoes: Asics Gel Kayano XII

After running in the old Asics this week without the nagging calf problems I went back to Performance Footwear to see about getting a new pair of something along those lines.

I did a few laps around the parking lot in different pairs - including my old Saucony's - and, of course, the issue never came back up. But, although frustrating, that's damn good news.

In the end I went with a type of Asics that had a similar build but without the over-the-top motion control. The Asics Gel Kayano XII is one of those goofy looking shoes that you feel was designed as part of someone's Halloween costume. But, it has that same comfortable feel I have come to associate with the brand and that's, by far, the most important thing.

Now one thing I didn't like was how the lace section rubbed against the toes. It wasn't a critical issue but it could easily become annoying with enough miles.

I'll use this pair for my run today and, possibly, tomorrow. If it solves everything and works, awesome. If not, I'll go the conservative route and take them back to exchange for the tried-and-true Foundation VI.

New Shoes: Brooks Adrenaline GTS 6

On Saturday, I headed over to Performance Footwear in Tempe and picked up a new pair of shoes. Although I just picked up a new pair two weeks ago but my training miles are really piling up and it ain't a bad idea to alternate pairs under these conditions.

More importantly, I should have a good read on which shoe I like best for my long runs by early December or six weeks out from the race. That's when I'll buy the pair that I'll run the marathon in.

Anyhoo, I ended up buying the Brooks Adrenaline GTS 6. I tried these on two weeks ago and liked them but opted for the Sacony Grid Omni 5 because of the comfort factor. The Brooks have a more firm 'feel' to them but not at all the bulky sensation I associate with the motion control boots I was wearing previously.

I also tried the Mizuno Nirvana 2 (not bad, loose in the heel), the Brooks Trance 6 (goofy looking, weird feel) and the Saucony Hurricane 8 (uneven feel, rubs the ball of the foot). But the Adrenaline GTS 6 was by far the best of the bunch.

I also stocked up on Balega hidden comfort socks. The double layer socks I tried last time just didn't fit my feet (the large was too small and the extra large was too big). The Balegas are thin socks with a moisture-free fabric that seems to work for my feet. I have had none of the blister issues that previously plagued me (of course that might be the shoes, as well).