Sneaker review

About a week ago, I was pretty much at end-of-life for my two pairs of sneakers. Rather than push it a little bit too far, to include two marathons, I got my newest replacement pairs. And while one of them was my regular -- ASICS Gel Nimbus -- which is a really solid, supportive sneaker, and one which accommodates a custom insole, I splurged on the Metaspeed Sky for my second pair. The Metaspeed is essentially ASICS' answer to Nike's VaporFly. Given my newest sub-3 attempt at Chicago, I figured having the extra "boost" might be helpful.

So far, I've done a few runs in them. Walking in them in the lead-up to the walk is *really* weird. The feeling from the carbon plate is rather awkward. However, that's not a big deal, since I won't exactly be walking in them during the race. These shoes are kinda fascinating.

First off is just the experience of getting them on. With my normal sneakers, regardless of brand, I usually get a wide (2E) shoe. These only come in medium/normal (D) width. So, it definitely takes a little bit of effort to make sure I maximize the amount of space available to put my feet in. While it's a little tricky getting on, once it is, it's a pretty comfy fit. We'll see how I feel about that on Sunday late in the marathon as my feet gradually swell.

Then there's the material covering the top and sides of my feet. VERY thin, lightweight. Where the Gel Nimbus has a LOT of cushiony material there (which soaks up SO MUCH sweat during longer runs), there's almost nothing there on these sneakers. It's so noticeable that I could feel the self-made breeze through the tops of the sneakers as I ran -- instant cooling for my feet. And after a long enough run where the sneakers should have been noticeably wet, even if not soaked through (I only did 13 miles on Sunday), these were pretty much dry right at the end of the run. Nice!

Then there's the main crux of any review -- how were they to run in? While the high stack is a little awkward at first, it's mostly unnoticeable once the run is begun in earnest. These sneakers are very comfortable, lightweight (about half the weight of the Gel Nimbus), and definitely require less effort for the desired result. How much is from the carbon plate and how much simply from the reduced weight is for others to determine. Regardless, with less effort needed to achieve the desired outcome, that means it's likely to be able to endure the desired speed for a longer amount of time with less likelihood of hitting the wall, all else being equal.

If the reduction in PR time is actually comparable, then not only is sub-3 doable, but maybe even dropping down as far as approximately 2:57. (!) Wouldn't that be spectacular! Not sure I'll push that, since there will actually be a 3:00 pace group for Chicago, so I have no reason to break away from them (and risk blowing up my tiem/effort) until inside the last mile.

Looking forward to seeing just how well these hold up for me on Sunday.

Always looking for the next race

Chicago and Boston are both next week, and I have several more marathons scheduled through late November, the possibility of one in December, Dopey in January, and Big Sur in April knowing that once I can register for Boston 2022 I will be able to get in and do Boston 2 Big Sur. And I'm *still* looking to sign up for more marathons.

So, naturally, I took advantage of today's opening for the London Marathon ballot.

Frankly, I'm hoping that I manage to get in via the Abbott World Marathon Majors Age Championships. We'lll see what the next several races have in store for me and what my total points will be. While I'll have 5 qualifying races, only my best two races will count towards the score.

Cancellations and schedule in flux

Despite MCM just announcing 1-2 days ago that they were very confident about proceeding with the live race, they just canceled it -- 2021 is going to be virtual once again. Guess that finally answers my question about whether I will be able to run MCM this year as a pacer -- nope!

So, since I was counting on having MCM or another race prior to New York City so that the 50th running of the NYC Marathon is my 50th marathon run (only a few months before my 50th birthday), I needed to finally sign up for that extra race. Done. Now to make sure that all four of my races across that one month timeframe actually happen as LIVE full-fledged events!

What a difference the shoes make?

It's crunch time. Less than three weeks remain until Chicago and Boston Marathons. I'm not in my taper yet -- I have only a 2-week taper. My last long run (22 miles at 7:10/mi) is on Sunday. My previous long run (21 miles @7:20/mi) didn't go well, as far as pace was concerned. I fell off that pace early, and rarely got back to it. As I got increasingly tired, my form got worse, which made things more difficult and slowed me down further. Definitely discouraging, even though I know I totally have it in my to manage both of these. (After all, my PR is 3:02:02.)

Doing the math in my log, I notice that my sneakers are basically at end of life, being about 900 miles total between the two pairs (so, about 450 miles each). I've got time to get new sneakers and wear them in enough prior to the races. And while I'm at it, I'm going to splurge to get the ASICS Metaspeed Sky. 

(Think the ASICS version of the Nike Vapor Fly -- having the carbon plate in the sole that is supposed to reduce your time by 3%.) Should be interesting to see how well the run on Sunday goes with these new sneakers, assuming the store has a pair in my size for me to buy; the website only has normal width, not 2E wide. Will it be easier (assuming all other regular variables aren't a detrimental factor)? Stay tuned.

EDIT: Well, I was hoping to pick up these Metaspeed Sky sneakers today, but my local running store doesn't have them. :-( I've wound up ordering them online, but doubt they will arrive in time for my long run on Sunday. (The turnaround is never THAT fast.) Hopefully they will fit well enough, despite being normal width, rather than my usual wide. Mercifully, I get free returns within a 90-day window, but hoping I don't need to take advantage of that.

Motivation is Key

Seems like this has been a recurring theme in some conversations I've had lately: with a friend, with an A/C contractor, and with my doctor.

Typically after taking in some rays for a while at the gym's outdoor pool, I will go swimming for about 15 minutes. Time DRAGS on and it's kinda tough for me to properly count the number of laps I do (which is only 7 or 8 in that timeframe). I can't fathom swimming for much longer than that. Let alone doing the challenge my friend has been looking forward to completing next spring: swimming across Lake Erie. Good lord! She's got the strong desire to do this and loves swimming. No doubt in her mind (or mine, even) that she will manage this feat.

A few years ago, she made an attempt at the Marine Corps Marathon, for which I paced her. Unfortunately, her training for that was not sufficient to meet the minimum required pace. She had always talked about how she "wants to die" every time that she was running -- she HATED it that much. With that mindset, she was very much set up for failure.

Earlier this week, one of the contractors who came to my apartment re: replacing my A/C unit struck up a conversation with me over my various marathon medals, etc. He has a goal to run a half marathon and, maybe, ultimately a marathon, and was floored at my PR of 3:02:02 and current goal to break 3 hours. We talked a little bit about the evolution of my training styles/methods over the years, as my fitness and my goals changed. With the motivation and correct mindset (wanting the goal and liking the activity to get you there, as opposed to wanting to die while undertaking the activity), it's achievable.

Talking with my doctor yesterday, I brought up the question that my friend (above) has asked on occasion: what's next (after I break 3 hours), given my having already gotten a 6-Star medal and a Guinness World Record? I don't have a solid answer for that. My doctor pointed out that whatever my tactical goal may be, that the long-term goal that he is focused on, as my doctor, is my health. While the races are the thing that I am focused on (as most regular marathoners are), it's all of the training that I do that keeps me healthy, and that THAT should be my true motivation.

What's your motivation? Do you set yourself up for success by having a good mental frame of mind? If not, what are you doing to "flip the script"?

Squeaking into Big Sur

Phew! Earlier this week (Monday?), I saw a notice that those of us who had been registered for Boston 2 Big Sur 2020 should have received an invitation to early registration for Big Sur Marathon 2022, and that upon our registering for Boston 2022, we would be allowed to upgrade to the B2B challenge. I hadn't gotten that invite and sent an e-mail with the required information. If they had replied to that e-mail, I never received it. (That frequently happens with Haku-related races and my .edu e-mail address.)

Talking with someone at work today, they mentioned Big Sur being their one run marathon, which briefly set me off, knowing that the time window for the early registration had closed. Mercifully, I got out of work early today, and upon getting home, I called up Big Sur. A couple of e-mails later with the needed info, and I'm in! Good thing this happened today, because if I had realized later, they would not have been able to help me out. Thank you, Big Sur!

Looking forward to doing B2B. But there is *so* much more that I need to run before then. Let's keep the races happening, people. Sorry for the preachiness, but if haven't vaccinated and can do so safely, please do. Let's squash COVID and its various variants, put it in the rear-view mirror, and return back as close to normal as possible.

Things Are Getting Real

Training continues apace, and the Majors are starting to communicate some of their race week details.

The New York City Marathon sent out an e-mail the other day with the details related to: 1) the procedure for reserving a 1-hour window at the expo during which you will pick up your bib, 2) the various transportation options related to getting to Fort Wadsworth on Staten Island on race morning, and 3) the procedure for bag check during the Friday and Saturday of the Expo -- NO race-day bag check will be available. For those details, click the above links on the https://nyrr.org website. Alas, they have not yet updated the information related to Marathon Monday on their website.

BAA just sent out an e-mail today related to the long-awaited Health & Safety Policies they will be implementing for race week. In short, if you provide proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test taken less than 72 hours from start time, you'll be fine. Plus masks to be worn at all indoor locations. Read the above link for the full set of information.

And a few weeks ago, the Chicago Marathon also sent out an e-mail providing their Health Procedures and Participant Requirements. Similar to the others, proof of vaccination or negative COVID-19 test is needed. The various relevant parts are scattered throughout their FAQ page.

Keep at it, everyone. Hopefully all the race's you're registered for will actually be held. Stay tuned in with their respective policies. 

And if you haven't yet been vaccinated and don't have other health conditions which would make vaccination ill-advised, please go and get one. They're ubiquitous, free, and mostly painless (especially if you take it in the shoulder of your dominant arm). They prevent most people from getting COVID, and in those relatively small number of people who still get it, the symptoms are vastly mitigated, making it less likely to need hospitalization let alone dying from it.