Running for Charity - Week 1

Posted by agoyette on 5/7/2007 on agoyette's blog

Well I came out of my first week of training with 2 major observations. The first observation being that I need a new pair of running shoes. The second observation being that I might actually be able to run a marathon.

I covered 19 miles with 2 rest days this first week and concluded with a “long” run of 5 miles on Sunday. I am sure that is not that long to most people on this site but for me it was. Overall the runs were good and done without any major problems. I notice my shoes aren’t that comfortable though and if I am going to be running this much I need to invest in a good pair that fit me perfectly. While I was in Dicks sporting good over the weekend I noticed they had this machine which tests your running style and foot type / impact. Combine this with some research I did on the web and the shoe that seems to be the best fit for me is the Adidas Supernova 6. I have a high arch in my foot and need a cushioned running shoe to help spread the impact. So if anyone has any feedback on this shoe or a recommendation for another, I am all ears.

Over the weekend I also discovered the bike trails in Philadelphia. The trails are great and I can run in peace without having to worry about being run over by a car (only a cyclist or rollerblader). Where I catch it is an odd point so I abandoned trying to run by mileage and decided instead to just run by time. On Sunday I set my watch for 25 minutes, once it beeped I turned around, running for 50 minutes total. The run was great. I felt good at the end and it seemed to fly by. It was 60 degrees and breezy out which made for an enjoyable run. I was amazed how little I actually think about the run I am on or running in general when I run. I get completely lost in thought on the most random things when I am running that I nearly forget I am running at all. That is probably a good thing if I plan on running for 26.2 miles, although I am worried I will use up all my good thoughts by then.

So all in all I am felling pretty good heading into my second full week of training. I hope to run 6 miles this upcoming Sunday and cover 20 miles for the week. Also on the fundraising side of things I am up to $875 out of the $2,800 I need to raise. So I am moving along there as well and my goal is to be over $1,200 by week’s end, so if anyone wants to help me with that it would be greatly appreciated!

http://www.active.com/donate/tntepa/agoyette

Thanks,

Adam

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2 comments

simon says:

Try before you buy and make sure you can return them -- that would be my advice if you're thinking of Adidas Supernova.

I won't even get into the high arch/need for cushioning thing, but just say that my experience with a version of these shoes wasn't great: the ones I used had a nasty seam inside that cut my toes.

Good job on building your mileage. As you're starting to be aware of your shoes (and your feet and legs, I presume!), you might consider doing more of your running off-road. The bike trail looks beautiful, but it's a hard`surface, and it's that continual impact that will eventually break you down, whatever shoes you use. Can you find places to run on grass or slightly softer going?

by simon on Mon, 2007-05-07 14:02

agoyette says:

I actually run on the side of the trail, there is a dirt / grass area that it seems people have used for the same reasons in the past. So when it is available I try to do most of the run along the dirt and grass side and spend as little time as possible on the actual cement.

Also I plan on doing my longer weekend runs at Valley Forge Park which is all dirt trails so that should help save my legs.

by agoyette on Mon, 2007-05-07 14:33