Types of Runs (Part 1)

I remember when I was starting out I would read these terms like "fartlek" and "tempo run." Honestly, it was kind of annoying not knowing what they were referring to. I eventually found this article giving a quick blurb of what they were. However, it wasn't comprehensive enough and I felt like for newbies we could use a little more explanation and logic behind the runs. I for one just....."ran." I ran a moderate pace that made me feel somewhat tired and stopped, or I ran hard, trying to complete, say, 2 miles as fast as I could. And if I were just trying to keep fit and burn calories, this would have been perfectly fine. But I'm also interested in competition and decreasing my times and for that I've found structured runs in which each run had a specific purpose to be indispensable. So here's my list of the types of runs with my comments on them.

Interval Run
This is to increase your VO2max and your "speed." I think of it as a top speed increaser for long distance running (yes, this is a way over simplification). Usually what it consists of is running a set distance at a very fast pace and taking a "rest interval" of a set amount of time and then "repeating" the distance again at the same set pace. For example, say you ran your last 5K race in 23:00 minutes flat. Then "6x800 repeats" for you may mean you run 800 meters in 3:11 (the time should be at least your 5K pace, preferably faster). Then you rest or jog for the amount of time it would normally take you to run one lap, say about 90 seconds. Then you "repeat" another 800 meters in 3:11 and rest again for a total of 6 times. The key is to try to keep your 800 meter run at the same 3:11 (or whatever time) pace. You'll feel it in the later laps and that's where you're getting faster. This workout is usually only done once a week and you should feel pooped at the end.

Intervals are almost always done on a track. One lap = 400m = about a quarter mile. Bring  a watch.

Tempo Run
This is to increase your lactate threshold and improve your ability to maintain your race pace. This is done by running at near 5K  pace for a moderate distance, say 3-5 miles. Say you're that same 23:00 5K racer from above and now you want to run a half-marathon. Your 5K pace would be a 7:24/mile. For a tempo run you'd run 3-5 miles at around a 7:45 - 8:15ish/mile pace. This type of workout will help your muscles to hold a 7:24/mile pace easily on race day. A Gps Watch that can give you your current pace is pretty useful for this kind of run. This workout is usually done once or twice a week.

Long Run
This is to build plain endurance for your slow-twitch/intermediate fast-twitch muscles and raising aerobic metabolism. For distance running ("distance running" usually refers to races over say, 800 meters. Middle distance being from around 800m to 3K and long distance from 5K and up), this is usually the core workout for all long distance races (though I personally see the interval and tempo run workouts as the core of the 5K race, but I'm a newb and have never won a race so whatdoIknow). It is usually done by running at about 20-40 seconds slower than your race pace for a long distance. If your expected goal is a half-marathon at 8:00/mile, then your long run is run at about 8:20-40ish/mile pace. Normally you build up the miles until your long run is above your race distance. So maybe you'll peak at around 14-15 miles if you're training for a half-marathon. This workout is usually done once or twice a week. At the end of the workout your muscles should not be in pain like in a tempo run. Out of breath, sure.

Easy Run/Recovery Run
This one really weirded me out as a beginner. The idea is that after a hard workout, say a crazy interval session, the next day you run again, only super slow in order to bring blood back to your running muscles to quicken recovery. How slow? At least 2 minutes slower than your 5K pace. Say your 5K race pace is 7:30/mile. Then your easy pace is at least 9:30. If you run faster than this you are just doing a medium run, which I've found to not be productive when training for races. Me, personally, I can't run that slow. It screws with my mind and my form. I never do easy runs but it is considered a staple. I prefer to simply not work out my legs the day after a hard workout.

It's like a running version of this.

Fartlek
This is some Swedish word for "speed play." Its just a glorified way of what I see as "messing around." You ditch the GPS watch or any watch all together. You run at some moderate or slow pace, pass a stop sign, race fast to that bus stop down the block, slow down to a moderate pace as you pass by the blonde Swedish girl, race up the hill to that corner store, etc....Your fast sections might be based on distance, say around 200 meters. They might be based on time, say 30 seconds, its up to you. How hard should you run? "Kind of hard, but not too hard." No pace target and you make the distances up as you go along. It builds strength and speed, but I don't usually see it as an endurance thing. Also, it's fun.

This is what good fartlek running form looks like.

Strides
Not a workout per se. But it refers to really fast portions in the middle of a workout or the "finishing kick" at the end of a workout where you run really hard to squeeze out the last bit. Usually you'll be doing say, a long run and at the end you speed up to near sprint speed and end it after 60-120 meters or so. It's also often done in the middle of a workout, say your long runs. One of the advantages I see for this over a track sprint is that your knees don't explode from the sudden acceleration of a true sprint. You also don't run as fast as a sprint which also saves your knees.


I'll add more in a later entry. But I personally see these as the key runs. The FIRST program highlighted in this book I use sees the interval, the tempo run and the long run as the key runs you have to focus on in order to decrease your race times. The others can be left out if you adhere strongly to the rest of the program.

My Run In With The Skechers GoRun Speed (GoRun Racer)

I stopped by the San Francisco Skechers store and to my surprise found the Skechers GoRun Speed (the salespeople referred to it as this and not the GoRun Racer). I had heard through some forum talk that it would be released in April, but the salespeople told me that they actually had some men's pairs in stock about a month ago, sold the few pairs that they had and then got another small shipment of womens shoes two days ago.

I was surprised to see that they kept the "GoMeb" on the heel counter. I like it.

Though I thought it looked bullet shaped, I was happy to find the toe box could accomodate
my toes just fine. This is the women's model, mind you. I am not a woman.

*checks pants*

Nope, not a woman.

The shoe felt light. Definitely racer category light, but not as light as my GoBionics.

Though I could bend it to this degree, it took some force. Enough force to leave a permanent
crease in the sole where it bent (sssshhhh). This being a racer, I didn't mind that it wasn't
super flexible.

The sole. The purple GoImpulse sensors didn't feel like the hard rubber like in my other
GoRuns. They actually felt kind of squishy, which I like. More notably, there seems to be
a carbon plate in the middle of the sole that may run through the heel. I would guess (just a guess)
that this gives it some extra spring and pop.

A closer view of the carbon (plastic?) plate. And the ummm, crease.
I feel really guilty and totally intend to buy from this store now, especially since I've
had a genuinely great experience with the salespeople. Positive word of mouth is all
I can afford to give for now.

The heel counter was unexpectedly stiff. This is my real effort to make it collapse.

Note that the printed name as "GoRun S." The salepeople
immediately called it the Gorun Speed when I asked for "that work of beauty in the window."

The insole is NOT removeable. Or well, it is, in that it's glued on but only
around the middle portions of the insole.

The front 2 centimeters had a lamination type of thing going on. 

Inside the box. Looks to be the men's colorway.

I got to put them on and jog in the store. Jogging 20 meters in a store on hardwood is by no means comprehensive, but I loved them. They felt pretty flat, maybe 4-5mm drop or so. The ride height felt significant along with the cushioning, despite being stiff when I tried to bend it. But it could've just been the hardwood I was jogging on and again, 20 meters isn't much to go on. They felt firmer than my Lunaracers. The M-strike technology felt almost non-existent but I was definitely mid-foot striking, so it at least wasn't making me heel-slam.

My initial impressions made me want to buy them right there and then, as I suspected they wouldn't have it around for long and if it was really only to be released widely in April, oh man....The only reason I didn't is that I can't afford to just keep buying $110US shoes (that was the retail price) as I just purchased a pair of Mizuno Ekidens a few days ago. I felt (and apparently, so does this fellow named Meb) that they would be very appropriate for long races up to a marathon so I considered it for my first half-marathon race the next day, but even I know better than to make such a drastic gamble. But mostly, money.

Again, these were the women's shoes as that is all they had, but I thought the colorway looked fine for a guy, and the toe box fit fine for me.

*edit*

My friend recently bought me a pair. I have a (very long) unboxing and preview video in this post: http://newbierunnerblog.blogspot.com/2013/02/skechers-gorun-speed-unboxing-preview.html

First Half-Marathon Race Report (Kaiser Half-Marathon)

Just finished my first half-marathon about 5 hours ago and I thought I'd blog about it now while the memories are fresh in my mind. I'll never have another first half-marathon in my life again, right? Best time to share with my fellow newbs just how I felt.

The race took place in San Francisco's Golden Gate part and has been voted one of the most scenic races in the US. I actually run Golden Gate park all the time and I would have to agree. I chose this particular race for 3 reasons 1) I live within walking distance of the start line 2) At $55 it is far less expensive than any other half-marathon I've found and 2) The timing in my schedule just worked well. I didn't see any charity it was donating to, but Kaiser is a non-profit health organization I support in and of itself as it is. Weather was 47 degrees and sun peeked out around 8:20am. I wore a long sleeve tech shirt, running tights and shorts over them to hold my gels and because I'm too modest to run in just running tights as a man. The shoes I wore for this race Nike Lunaracer+ with a pair of polyester liner socks. They're a 6mm drop dedicated racer with a stiff springy bounce to the sole. The main reason I selected them however, was their lightweight combined with Lunarlon cushioning. For my 5Ks I usually go sockless and go with a firmer shoe. In my experiments during my longrun training, however, I've found the cushioning to be indispensable and the Lunarlon foam has that perfect balance of being very cushioned but not being mushy, robbing you of precious responsiveness and toe-off spring.

When engaging an unfamiliar opponent, adaptability is key. Proper weapons selection,
however, remains no less crucial to victory.

The race started at 8am, which felt late to me as most of my 5Ks have started at 7am. My roommates were pretty darn rowdy and I couldn't sleep until 4am-ish. I've learned by now though that entering any competition with a negative attitude accomplishes nothing but to hinder performance and so I completely tossed it out of my mind the moment my alarm went off at 6:45am. I really feel like I can't stress enough how important it is to leave the negativity at home when you're trying to accomplish something monumental and positive like your first half-marathon.

Start line.

I lined up at the front of the pack for the 8:00/mile pacing group, which was in fact my actual goal. The race started with some riling up for the SF 49ers (it's the Super Bowl today) and off we went, right on time. My plan was to run miles 1-6 at a 8:20 pace, miles 7-10 at an 8:05 pace and to gun it for the GO miles at mile 10.25 hoping for 7:30s splits for the final miles.

The crowd. I noticed there were definitely  a lot less brightly colored racer shoes and
tech shirts from other races at this event. Don't know if that meant it was a less
competitive crowd, cuz I'm not at that elite level to be able to judge,

Mile 1:
Just flew by. I was still fumbling with my iPhone trying to get get a proper pace going as it was having trouble locking on. I made sure not to panic over it as the first few mile should feel too slow. By the time the phone was in working order and I got my facebook cleared up (yep, I facebooked during my first half-marathon), I was surprised to hear my mile time announced in my earbuds. 8:30 splits. Behind, but I knew that the silliest thing I could do was try to speed up to make up for it in the next mile. Just didn't let it phase me.

Mile 2:
By the time I realized I was running without music, this mile flew by as well. The pitter patter of other racers is apparently sweeter music than anything coming out of my Ne-yo & Calvin Harris mix. However, I forced myself to turn on the music as I always did, because I wanted to deviate from my set habits as little as possible. At the 2.75 mile mark I stopped to the side to gulp down a non-caffeinated Gu gel pack. 8:03 splits.

Mile 3:
This is when the first hitch came up. I suddenly had to pee. I had hydrated well into the night and woke up several times to urinate and didn't drink anything form the time I woke up to the time of the race. Where was this coming from? No idea. But I had to pee and at the end of mile 3 there some porta-potties wwwaaaayy off to the side. There was also a water station at this point. Another problem: during my longruns up to 12 miles, I never drank water. I am dead serious. Simply because I wasn't able to bring some and didn't trust the public fountains. Introducing water would be a new variable and like I said, I always want to decrease unknown variables. I compromised and took some some gulp and tossed the rest. In the hesitation of deciding whether to pee or not (I did not), I slowed down. 8:36 splits.

Miles 4 & 5:
This is when I forced myself to go into zen mode to ignore the decision of whether to pee or not until the next porta-potty station around Mile 6. As planned, I took a caffeinated gel pack at mile 5.50, doing it quite smoothly and losing almost no time. I also felt like I was getting a good feel for the pace and decided to go mostly by feel. End result? Both mile split times were 8:07. Zen.

Miles 6 & 7:
Forgot I had to pee for the rest of the race. Score. Now, the Kaiser race is known for having a net downhill. Unbeknownst to me, this is where it occurs. I noticed a downhill slope giving me a boost and decided to NOT let it take me for a ride. As in, I slowed down a little to conserve effort, thinking I would have to make up for it soon. Still, splits were 7:59 and 7:55. I thought, hey, it's past mile 6, time to ramp it up anyway.

Mile 8-10:
This was the hardest part. At this point the course goes onto the Pacific coast on a road known as the Great Highway. It's gorgeous. Well, usually its gorgeous, just as I got to it it became overcast. Which was good for me because hey, I can stop to appreciate the beauty anytime, I live within spitting distance of the coast. Overcast meant no unnecessary rise in temperature. So what made it so hard? Quite simply, the monotony. It's a straight road for over three miles including the turnaround. When you're trying to take the race one mile at a time, monotony basically tries to tear away the veil you're trying so hard to keep over your eyes. A second psychological factor was the fact that my iPhone GPS was now reading 0.25 miles more than each mile race marker that came up. I know it wasn't the phone because everyone's GPS watch would go off within seconds of each other every mile. The markers were just wrong and it began to worry me just a teeny bit. At this point the race leader came around the other way, which actually boosted my sense of motivation because DDAAANNNNNNG look at that form and speed!!! Splits were 8:10, 8:17 and 8:04. I took a non-caffeinated gel pack as planned at mile 8.25.

Mile 10:
It's GO time. Or so I thought. The mile markers they had actually seemed to be getting worse in their accuracy at this point which meant I had to be conservative when to gun it. I took my last caffinated gel pack at mile 10.25, a calculated deviation from my plan to take it at 10.50. I eased down on the pedal to mile 11, fully expecting the race to be at least a quarter of a mile too long. 8:04 splits.

Mile 11:
GO time. I didn't sprint but I started zipping by just about everyone in the pack I was with. Definitely didn't get passed any any point and people around me were beginning to pant. One fellow went down in front of me with a spectator stopping to help him. He called for a medic and a cellphone. I was in mid-stride to stop as I had a cellphone but it looked like another spectator had a phone as well. Very soon a motorcycle officer whizzed past me the other way, no doubt to help him. 7:59 splits.

Mile 12:
Had it in high gear now where my form was beginning to change. I could feel my footstrike shifting from midfoot to almost a forefoot strike and my arm swing was getting a little bigger. We were still on the Great Highway and folks were beginning to stop and walk, to my surprise. This was also the same time I passed by an older gentlemen who had also gone down and was being helped. I wanted to fully gun it but 2 things threw me off. 1) the mile markers were a full quarter mile off now and 2) my iPhone indicated my overall pace was now 7:55, much to my surprise, causing me to ease up just a tiny bit and focus on just keeping my current pace under 8:00. 7:48 splits.

Finish:
The course veered off the Great Highway and back into Golden Gate Park. With the turns and hills I couldn't tell where the finish line was and the GPS was no use now. I looked down and suddenly saw the GPS reading backtrack and say I was doing a 8:10 overall pace. Screw it, I was gunning it. It was all uphill at this point, however, so 90% throttle still meant a 7:20ish pace. Still, I was passing everyone and I kind of felt guilty at this point because I was hoping this would motivated everyone to join in on the kick. Instead I was just passing people at a solid clip. When I spotted the finish line, about 400m away.....

I full throttled it into a sprint. Honestly, I felt like a douchebag because everyone was just panting and no one joined in on my kick and I'm sure it was quite noticeable this one dude was just blasting past everyone down the final stretch. The announcer called it out, but he didn't call my name as I had my bib on my shorts, facing away from him. Just as well. Final splits including the extra distance: 7:30. Final distance: 13.37 miles on my iPhone GPS. Final time: 1:47:34. Average pace of 8:04/mile.


Met my friend as I walked down the line, still having a lot left in me, not breathing nearly as hard as I should have been. Got my cotton t-shirt which was much better than I expected and got my first medal (yeah, finisher's medal, but whatever). I didn't really check out the expo much. I have to admit, for the past year I was one of those folks who cared A LOT about the t-shirt and swag. I won't lie that it has tipped my choice towards one race over the other before. But I dunno, this one was different. I just wanted to race it and finish it. I didn't even opt for the polyester wicking shirt option despite the fact that I dislike cotton shirts. It just felt different. And while I wouldn't dissuade anyone else from enjoying the medals and photos and swag (DO enjoy it, it's half the fun and it feels great to be celebrate amongst other runners!), I just didn't care for it this time. Probably because the half-marathon is such a longer endeavor than the 5K and for once I really systematically trained for a road race. And you know what? It feels great. Knowing "I did that," that's some permanent swag I'll get to bring with me everyday.


Some highlights and lessons from the race:

I never looked down. I noticed this around the time of the Great Highway. I looked down literally once during the entire race to check to make sure the time-chip tag was still on my shoe. Other than that, I literally stared straight down the road and I have zero doubts this increased my performance greatly. Head up and eyes forward is a universal trait of good running form and there are many many types of "good running forms." I don't know why it happened like this but I'll be sure to keep it for my future races.

Carbo loading and tapering works. I don't carbo load and I don't taper. Because I do 5Ks where it's not as big an issue. I think this was actually my greatest mistake as to why I didn't reach my 8:00/mile target. I underestimated myself and was too conservative with my pacing. I could have easily ramped up my pace in each mile by 5 seconds, maybe even 10 seconds, and shattered my expectations.

I stop to take gel packs. Literally, I've learned that for me it's not worth it to try to run and eat/drink at the same time. I just stop over, enjoy my 10 second break and the rest usually makes for a faster pace which makes up for lost time anyhow. And no stomach cramps and messy hands from trying to run and dine.

I got to go pee afterwards. Best highlight of the race.

Calm Before the Storm (of my first half-marathon)

So tomorrow morning will be my first half-marathon, the Kaiser Half-Marathon event in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. I've been running for almost one year now and have competed in over a dozen events, most of which were 5Ks. I signed up for this event about six weeks ago and only started training for it about five weeks ago. I know this generally isn't an ideal situation but I'm surprised at the progress I've made, with my long runs increasing by about two miles each week while also dropping down in pace. The honeymoon newbie period, I suppose.

I decided to use the FIRST training schedule from a book I found, Run Less Run Faster. I've always preferred high intensity workouts and liked that this training schedule pushed for such faster times than most any other. At the same time, the three day a week workout helps make my life a lot easier with daily life to care of in between workouts. I would highly recommend it and I've gotten very obvious results from it. To give you an idea, I used to consider my longruns 4 miles. With this compressed workout schedule I've pushed that to over 12 miles without injury or severe discomfort.

Thank you, literacy.

My only concern is my tapering schedule. With such a compressed workout schedule, I decided to do a 12.25-mile long run last 7 days ago, a shortened interval workout 2 days later (with incredibly poor times) and a 2-mile threshold run at under 5K pace 2 days after that. I've basically stopped running cold turkey for the past 3 days. This is considered a pretty abrupt taper and I'll know if it was a good idea or not tomorrow morning.

I've laid out all my clothes (which I've already tested out in that exact combination for my longruns) with the gel packs inserted into the pockets in the exact order I plan to take them. I prefer my bib on the shorts because I've found sweat to accumulate under it when pinned on the shirt. So I've pinned the bib exactly on the shorts where I want them, ready to go. I'll be running with my iPhone in my hand with earbuds on, despite originally planning to run with my GPS watch. The reason for this being that I've trained the majority of my runs this way and the other being that I've found my GPS watch to give different pacing than my iPhone. So between saving some weight and risking inappropriate race pacing, I've opted to go with the iPhone like the newb I am.

I don't really feel nervous (other than the obvious OCD paranoia demonstrated in the previous paragraph. To that I credit the very reason I chose to do a half-marathon when my body type and (lack of) training clearly dictates I should be a short distance runner. Namely, that I "shouldn't" be able to do it. I am not a long distance runner and to me, well, that just means I have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Quite frankly I'm excited for the race itself. No matter what happens, as long as I finish I'll be getting a personal record and it'll certainly be faster than the alternate-universe version of me who decided not to try, right?

This is my new wallpaper.

Mizuno Wave Ekiden In-Depth Preview

So after a few weeks of mulling over it, calling stores all over the San Francisco Bay Area to try on a pair and scouring the web for reviews to no avail, I gave in and just ordered a pair of Mizuno Wave Ekidens (actually, two pairs and this turned out to be a good decision) from Road Runner Sports. My main concern was sizing as I feel like racers are more finicky than other running shoes in this area. Road Runner Sports has a 90-day exchange policy even after running in the shoes if you join their VIP status, so there we go.

A little background: My first pair of "real" running shoes were the Mizuno Wave Ronin 2s. 8mm drop semi-racer, about 7 ounces in my size. When I ran 1.5 miles non-stop that first day without the usual knee and shin pain from heel-striking in traditional running shoes that would've stopped me within one mile, I knew that this minimalism and mid foot strike business was going to be for me.

I've tried over ten pairs of shoes since then and the Ronins are still my best fitting and to which I set my gold standard to. The toe-box was roomy which allowed my toes to splay on foot strike to disperse the impact and gain some stability as they should. The light upper allowed wind to rush through and eventually had me running sock less, further encouraging toe splay and enhancing ground feel. 8mm of heel drop was lower than the 12mm found in traditional running shoes which helped me transition towards minimalism and mid-foot striking. Cushioning was firm, but on the softer side of firm. After a year I've developed a more solid mid-foot strike and have been most comfortable in heel drops 6mm and lower. So the search was on for a new lightweight racer with medium-firm cushioning for 5K races.

Got my Ekidens last night and the first thing I noticed: they didn't fit like my Ronins. The toe box was not nearly as wide as my Ronins and even worse, the roof of the toe box was uncomfortably low, so that it felt claustrophobic if I bent my toes up.

Lower profile of the Ekiden (right). Toe box roof felt very cramped after wearing the Ronin 2s (left).
It's like looking at a slick Corvette parked next to a dune buggy.

Note the wider footprint of the Ronin versus the Ekiden...that's one-half size up.

Top view. The last looks straighter but it didn't feel much like it when worn.

The heel fit felt fine and the midfoot was a little tight to the point that I could see that the shoelaces closer to the ankle was stretched MUCH further apart than the laces closer to the toes.

This gave me a hint as to the problem. 1) It was too small (even though I ordered it the same size as the Ronins) and 2) the laces were set up to be too tight. Good thing I also ordered an extra pair half a size up, just in case. This one was straight across the laces and roomy enough in the toe box. However, now it was too loose and sloppy in the mid foot and arch. As of now I still haven't gotten a chance to actually run in my Ekidens, but I have put the smaller "correct" size on several times which I believe has stretched it out a little. I've also re-laced it to allow more room in the toe box. This seems to have helped significantly.

My lacing (note "under-over" and ankle lock)

Original lacing (note the "over-under" lacing
of the  top lace)

Further enhancing my suspicions that the Ekidens run small, I compared the length of the shoes from the heel to the toe.

Same sized.

Ekiden one-half size larger.

Of course, what's important is how it feels on the inside, as one upper may be thicker than the other, the toe spring may be tricking your eye, etc. For now, just from feel, I would say the Ekidens run 1/4 size small after stretching out from a few wears. I've decided to keep the smaller pair and my hope is that they will stretch out to normal size once I've actually run in them. I do recall my Ronins stretching out once they were broken in.

Enough drama about the sizing. I will get into the actual cushioning, springiness and performance, etc. of the shoe in a future review once I've put miles on the shoe, but I can tell you about the construction. First thing I noticed in that regards: the ridiculously thin tongue.

This is certainly one way to save weight.

I was kind of shocked they actually tried this, but it IS a dedicated 5K-10K racer, I guess. It's folded up on itself a few times when I've put it on and I'll have to see if it slips during running. Or maybe it'll just cling onto my sweat and solve the problem.

"Oh, you wanted an insole? Yeah, I bet
you'd like me to stop cattle prodding
you, too, huh? MAN UP, YOU."

The shoe weighs a measly 4.6oz in size 9 and they've done several things to achieve this weight. The other trick is that there's no real insole, a la the Mizuno Wave Universe 4, the most dedicated racer in Mizuno's lineup. It's just some white felt.

One very weird thing: there's this piece of plastic film that I think is supposed to be some kind of stabilizer sewn underneath the roof of the toe box. It's plastic, it's noisy, it's uncomfortable and I'm guessing it isn't necessary. I'm hoping it won't be an issue when running. I shoved my camera into the toe box to take a picture of it.

Wut. Is. This.

Thin upper + visible backlight = weight savings!

The thin mesh upper feels surprisingly comfortable though not as smooth as the liner in the Ronin 2s. I don't expect any blisters running sockless, but again, I look forward to confirming.

The ankle collar is a faux leather thing. They feel comfortable so far, but only time and a bleeding achilles will tell. There is a heel counter present and I would describe it as half the stiffness of the Ronin's, just as I was hoping.

Not the gray thing. The white thing at the
bottom is the "Wave plate."

I think other than the Universe, I've never seen a Mizuno lacking in the company's proprietary Wave plate. While it's labeled as such on the bottom, I don't buy it that this is a Wave plate. I've never seen a white one and so far I don't really feel it in the shoe, either.

So far the Ekidens appear to live up to the hype as a middle ground between the true minimalist Universe and the transitional racer Ronins. The sole feels like a 5-6mm drop as advertised, it's flexible and can be folded into itself like the universe but it is stiffer as I would prefer it. The weight is also just in between the two shoes. I look forward to coming up with a review once I've put some miles on them and for now, if you're looking to purchase a pair, do consider ordering half a size up if you don't like your running shoes tight.

A Little About Me

I'll make this short and quick so you can move onto the good stuff.

I started running about a year ago, in my late-20s. Before that I could never make it more than a mile without succumbing to severe knee and shin pains. On the other hand I've always been good at sprinting short distances, faster than most others. I've also always been involved in high impact sports, particularly in a laundry list of martial arts which I still practice. So athleticism-wise, it just never added up that I couldn't run more than a mile before breaking apart.

So about a year ago I ran into a strange shoe at the sports shop called the New Balance 730. It caught my attention just for being so ridiculously light and connected to the ground when I put them on. As I read deeper into it I discovered the concept of minimalistic running and mid-foot striking, which I plan to go deeper into for the new runners.

And that's what this blog will be about: a blog for new runners. As I see myself at the tail end of the beginner stage of the sport and at the same time, more athletically inclined than most others who are starting off, I feel I'm good position to share knowledge to new folks just starting off. Sort of a "all the mistakes are still fresh in my mind and I can relate" kind of thing. I've also coached martial arts through the years and one of the key aspects I found to being successful at it was the ability to empathize with a beginner's mindset. So all in all, take my personal anecdotes and advice with a grain of salt.

Some additional information about me is that I'm a fourth year student in professional school in the healthcare field. I get sent all around California for my rotations but I'm primarily based in the San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles. I also compete in triathlons (still only in the sprint category) and am always learning some kind of martial art at the moment (right now I'm exploring the different areas of MMA). I'm most interested in 5K distances and my favorite distance is the 1 mile. My best mile time so far is 6:21, my 5K 22:30 and in about two days I will be competing in my first half-marathon with a goal of 7:55/mile. I'm very open to new athletic areas and going back to my martial arts background, my first goal in any new sport is to study the correct form and technique before diving in deep with sheer willpower and athleticism.

And so that's it. I'm sure I'll keep revealing more as I blog. Here's to us newbs.