The Running Thread - 2019

[TheHamm]

Not sticking to a plan in order to love running... Or a summary of the discussion I had in my head with this thread during my long run today


So many QOTD and discussions we have here end up being processed over (running) time... One migt recognize looking at weather before a run, being visible, on the opposite side of the road, gears choice, motivation, etc. Thanks for all your inputs.

I had looked at the weather forecast yesterday to time my run so I rolled out of bed thinking « I have to beat the rain »... Turns out I was already too late, it was pouring and freezing so I figured, might as well wait until it gets warmer. My goal is not to be completely miserable. We ended up with a suprise snowstorm so, this afternoon, I dressed light, put spikes on my shoes and left for my longish run. I was careful to avoid cars and snow removal trucks. And I had to talk myself into being happy to run. Ouch.

I finally put a finger on one of the nagging feeling I had: It is impossible to embrace the current weather/road conditions, love running outside AND successfully stick to a plan. So, after almost five months of trying to approximately follow a plan, I give up until... WHEN?

I will stay in maintenance mode and run three times a week to achieve a monthly distance of 100k (62 miles) and have fun doing so but when is a good time to resume speed work? I figured, after I register for Dopey 2020! Yahoo!

I am basically writing this to reiterate that knowing why I run and checking in my inner fun at doing it is so important!

One thing that saved me this crazy winter is that I had a time based plan. Conditions are so slow that it would take me forever to cover a given distance and would leave me frustrated. I will remember that lesson for the harsh months.

The next one is that snow and ice make it impossible to maintain proper form but are great to reinforce ankles. I will celebrate that one by virtually putting the cost savings for a Bosu training ball into my runDisney fund.

I am glad others have imaginary conversations while running!

I think winter is a slog in many ways, and running appears to be no different. I love your idea of a time based plan- I think I have been doing that without recognizing it, and would be less irritated at my lower than anticipated mileage if I just call it a total time goal instead of a total distance goal. Thank you for sharing your challenge and your work around the bitter cold, ice, and everything else winter is trying to throw at us!

 

[PrincessV]

Others' winter is my summer: here in FL, summer is the off-season for running (in my area, anyway.) All pace/distance/time goals go out the window and I run based on perceived effort and ability to withstand the heat, not to mention lightning storms. Some days that can be 8-10 miles, and others it means 2. I have a general outline of what I'd like to do each week, but ultimately, I yield to what the weather delivers and roll with it!

 

[LSUlakes]

QOTD: Lets discuss running inserts for your shoes today! Do you have any sort of insert for your shoes and if so why?

ATTQOTD: I currently do not, but there was a period of about 4-6 weeks I did. I was just trying to get to the starting line was willing to do anything to continue training for a upcoming race. Someone suggested these inserts and they did help me get to the starting line! After that race I took some time off to recover and never had to go back to using them since.

 

[cburnett11]

This weekend we have the following folks with races:
09 - @cburnett11 - Rodes City Run 10k (NG / N/A)

Mini Race Report: This is the 2nd race in a 3 race series that takes place annually in Louisville. The races are typically 2 weeks apart... 5k/10k/10miler. AKA known as the "Louisville Triple Crown" because yeah it's Kentucky. In April we'll have the 4th race (not in the series, but most people will do it after these 3 races) that is actually affiliated with the Kentucky Derby Festival which is either a half (miniMarathon) or full. Most runners on that day will choose to do the mini as it was the original race before the full was added on many years later. Anyways, I didn't have a goal for this when I posted my race schedule here. I was hoping to maybe get a small improvement over last year's PR at this race (47:45). Race temps were nice on Saturday, with just a little headwind in the first 1.5 miles of race. I tried to run smart the first couple miles as there is some gradual uphill. Midway through the race I realized that I was averaging what I finished with last year, and I knew the 2nd half of the course was easier. So I started pushing it a bit, but wanted to make sure that I left enough for the long straightaway finish (~.8 miles). Ended up my last mile was fastest with the whole run having a little bit of progression. Surprisingly I ended up at 46:20 for an improvement on my PR of 1:25. It was a good racing day for sure.

 

[Slogger]

ATTQOTD-No running inserts for me. There was a time not so long ago that I put in inserts hoping to extend the life of my shoes. Mixed results at best.

Now if somebody could come up with a mummy wrap cushion so I would stop bruising my big toe, I'd give that a try.

 

[Chaitali]

I tried inserts a couple years ago because I was having foot pain and the running store recommended them. They helped with my feet but led to sharp pains in my knee So I stopped using them and haven't tried again since then.

 

[run.minnie.miles]

ATTQOTD: No inserts for me either. I have worn the same style of shoe for 5 pairs now and am having good luck with them, so I don't feel like I need them.

 

[PrincessV]

ATTQOTD: The only "inserts" I use are are DIY heel lifts made from craft foam, because my cranky peroneal tendon like a slightly higher heel than my NB Beacons come with.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

I tried inserts when I had PF a few years ago and they made my pain worse. That is the only time that I have tried them. My wife, on the other hand, has had great success with inserts while recovering from PF. Her friend also uses inserts for walking and running - she gets terrible shin pain without them. I do not know what brands we have used, but it is obvious that they work for some people and not for others.

 

[Capang]

ATTQOTD: I don't. When I got fitted and they scanned my feet they told me it looked as though I'd broken my right ankle at some point (officially that would be a no, but unofficially I did have several ankle injuries as a kid that no one ever bothered to take me to have looked at, that's what happens when you're the last of 6 kids). They tried several different kinds of inserts but they all made the right ankle even worse than before. So we just went without.

 

[huskies90]

QOTD: Lets discuss running inserts for your shoes today! Do you have any sort of insert for your shoes and if so why?

ATTQOTD: I do not and frankly I am not sure what they do to help so looking forward to responses from those that use them.

 

[TheHamm]

QOTD: Lets discuss running inserts for your shoes today! Do you have any sort of insert for your shoes and if so why?

Every time I go in for new shoes they put a pair in because I have odd arches. They are better in some models of shoes, but not significantly better that the GTS so I have skipped them.
However, I am 100 miles into a pair of shoes and my foot hurts where it strikes so I am concerned I have crushed the cushion (It does look compressed on one foot), and was wondering if there was some sort of insert I could use.

 

[rteetz]

QOTD: Lets discuss running inserts for your shoes today! Do you have any sort of insert for your shoes and if so why?

Nope.

 

[cburnett11]

ATTQOTD: I do not use inserts. However, my wife uses inserts (not running specific) to turn her feet in a little because she supinates. Most athletic inserts seem to be made for overpronation, so she's just used some small leather inserts that start at the back of her shoe and only probably don't even go half way to the front. They slope a bit and help turn her foot inward. She could probably use something more comfortable, but really haven't found much specifically made for supinators that run that looks like it would be helpful.

 

[baxter24]

ATTQOTD: I use Sofsole inserts. I pronate pretty bad so they provide some relief. Tried the Superfeet brand one time and I swear they gave me IT band issues.

 

[IamTrike]

I've had mixed results with inserts. I've had the running store professionally fitted ones twice. The first time I got them done they were amazing. They molded perfectly to my foot and they really relieved the PF pain that I was experiencing them. The way they were cut they only worked in the shoes that I bought them with though. I wound up going back to those shoes even just to walk around any time arch pain came back. The second time was more recent. I was fitted with custom insoles at another local running store. Those didn't seem to mold as well to my feet and I think they caused more pain than they alleviated.

I think the big difference was in the way they fit the orthotic to my foot. In the first store after they heated the insole it was placed in a sort of thick foam block. They just had me step down on the insoles one foot at a time and stay that way for a decent amount of time. At the second store I think I stepped on the insole on the foam but then that picked my foot up and the person in the store kind of tried to further shape the insole to my arch. My guess is that the foam wasn't dense enough to really from the insole to my foot at the second store.

 

[sky13]

ATTQOTD: I haven't had any inserts since I switched to my current running combo (On Cloudsurfers/Feetures socks) a couple of years ago. But previously I had other shoes where I needed insoles as if I was doing any sort of distances with them I'd start getting pain in my arches, which stopped happening once I used insoles.

Half wondering about whether to try them out again due to my new-onset plantar fasciitis though!

 

[kirstie101]

ATTQOTD: For a while I was wearing inserts by Superfeet, the blue ones, on the advice of a PT that I was seeing while I was recovering from an ankle sprain. She said I needed the arch support. I was running in Brooks Adrenalines at the time. I wore them for a year or so but eventually stopped wearing them in the more supportive shoes. I switched to just wearing them in my Asics GT 2000s which are slightly less supportive than the Adrenalines. Then I decided I just really preferred the feel of the shoe without them and stopped wearing them completely. I've been running without them for a couple years now. Still switching back and forth btwn the two shoe models. Though I have been battling some ongoing PF issues so I admit I'm considering them again. I'll probably go to my LRS in the near future and see what their opinion is. In the past they never recommended inserts for me.

 

[camaker]

ATTQOTD: I have tried commercial inserts a couple of times and they always hurt my arches so I stopped trying them. Last year when I was dealing with my shin injury, though, I was diagnosed with an atypical curvature to my right tibia by my PT. That curvature was making my posterior tibialis muscle work much harder to pull the foot into line on each stride. As a solution, the PT took my existing shoe liners and added a slight wedge of flexible TPU under the right forefoot along with a slight amount of arch padding to both feet. She called it "posting" the foot. I haven't had an issue with that shin since and won't run without those custom inserts.

 

[cavepig]

No inserts here currently. I tried green Superfeet ones with I had plantar fasciitis bad a few years ago, but all they did was squeak so I returned them. Didn't help at all & seemed so hard.

I have also used Dr. Scholl's arch supports (they were like 3/4 length) probably 4-5 years ago because my arch was mad. But, then I switched shoes and found them unnecessary as the new shoe had better arch support I guess or whatever was bothering me healed.