Brooks Pure Grit Resole? Maybe?

Feeling really good as of this morning. Mileage is heading towards 50 plus miles this week which is pretty much back to normal for me. I'm running faster than before as well which is nice to see. Really psyched to begin running to work on Saturday mornings which is about 17 miles on trails one way. Been vigilant about stretching and preventative exercises to reduce injury which keeps me from wasting time on my computer!

Really stoked on the Brooks Pure Grits I've gotten and have been focusing on more of a mid to fore foot landing. The shoes are awesome in every way but the outsole totally sucks. It slides on wet pavement and don't want to know what it's like on Welsh slate! I'm just going to assume they are horrible in UK mud as well. No problems on the footpaths and canals I train along though.

This is the first version of this shoe and supposedly the Pure Grit 2 has better traction but I'm still skeptical for UK conditions, the shit is REAL here. No nice pulverized granite here! I kind of retired the Puma Faas Trail's I had been running in. Excellent shoe but after a couple longer runs I developed blisters on the outer balls of my feet, the last is just too narrow. I was kind of bummed about this but enter the Pure Grit!

Pure Grit sole - horrible!

I did a little research and I may have Lancashire Sports Repair resole them with an aggressive fell running sole (the Walsh PB fell shoe sole). Not sure how this will alter the stiffness of the shoe but since I won the shoes I may just do it and see how it works. The outsole is tried and true here in  the UK so traction-wise it should be bomber. I e-mailed to be sure they can do it since it's an odd shoe. Looks like they can but may have to cover/fill the toe and heel "gaps". Honestly I don't think they do much anyway.

Walsh PB outsole - eats people

So all is well for now I guess. Still a little soreness sometimes on the inside of my right knee but only after I run, never during. Ice and stretching seem to keep it in check. Otherwise injury free for now. My tweaked back is all good after a few days of no lower back exercises, I think it was really weak and actually strengthening it bothered it.

Well the mileage is slowly growing. My legs are feeling it and I'm once again adjusting to less sleep. Got out in the light the other day, sun was actually out which was nice for a change. Beautiful day! Wish the little one was with me but it was her nap time.

Rode the trainer today for 40 minutes but also am staying on top of my body weight exercises and stretching every day. Kind of tweaked my lower back the other day so been taking it easy with the back arches. Overall feeling pretty good and am eager to ramp it up but need to hold the reigns back to avoid any injury.  

Racing off the couch

Well yeah, we're back in running mode. Had been running a few miles a day and increasing a bit each time I got out. Then the wife pressured me into running the Wyre Forest 8 today which I did last year. I wasn't sure what to expect from my legs but I guess the race went well.

Wyre Forest 8 map

I was slower than last year and finished 5th but any injuries never presented themselves, well except for the odd MCL thing I have had going on which is mildly sore post race. The race course ended up being very muddy and wet, and the wind in any open areas was brutally cold. What a miserable day, I think it was in the upper 30's and raining. Legs felt alright but I could tell I hadn't ran consistently since mid-December!

Wyre Forest 8 Elevation profile - about 1550 vertical feet

Anyway, nice to have a little confidence back in my legs. Now it's time to train again.

So a good friend turned me on to a stretch that may have solved my leg issues. It's call the Couch Stretch and really works on the hips and quads. After a few days of working on this I got out for a run yesterday, 3.6 miles, no leg issues! So I'm hoping I have solved this thing. Self diagnoses are funny, I originally was dead set on this being IT band but it ended up being something different. I wonder if I would have just went to a physio if it would have been solved right away?

grey, yet again.

at least I got outside for a run!

So hopefully we're back in running mode. My knee is feeling yesterday a little bit so ice and more stretching and I hopefully will be good to get back into this. 

Injuries, Body weight, Wales again in fall

Well I'm still churning it out on the trainer. I guess it fills a hole for now. I did however get out yesterday for a run. I was feeling alright in the leg department and figured I'd give it a go. I made it about 3 miles with no pain in my knee which is a start. I went real easy on it, 8 minute miles, and although I just said "no pain" being worried about it made me think so it did feel weird, if that makes sense. Hopefully all the calisthenics I'm doing are helping as are all the stretches etc.

Speaking of calisthenics I've been stoked on the Convict Conditioning book I got for Christmas. Despite the kind of weird "bad ass" kind of cover and wording on the front of the book it kicks ass! All body weight exercises with the main exercises being basically push ups, pull ups, back bridges, hanging leg lifts, handstand push ups, and squats. Each exercise has a ten step progression that increases in difficulty with an ultimate goal of the very difficult version; for example one arm handstand push ups in the handstand progression beginning with headstands. The cool thing is that the most basic, or first in each progression is just that, basic and very easy. The program is meant to build on each version increasing strength and flexibility. It takes very few reps and you can do it anywhere. Even after a few weeks of going through the motions I've noticed a difference in my strength. The best thing is that even though you are putting on muscle you are not putting on size, great for an endurance athlete. Also it's functional movements in natural body positions versus lifting weights which can put you in unnatural positions possibly resulting in injury. Pretty cool.

So last night at 00:01 on February 1st the registration for the Beacons Ultra went live (they've updated the website, check it out). Since the race filled last year in 24 hours I was up first thing today and registered. The race isn't until November but I had such fun this year I wanted to do it again. It will be nice to run a course I know and with it being a long ways off I should be back running by then. It's also nearby, about 1:45 drive, so maybe I can get the wife out to watch for once. She could always visit her sister on the south coast of Wales and then drive up for the second half of the race. I know it's lame if you are not "into" racing to hang out waiting for finish, especially for a race that takes over 6 hours, but it would be fun to have her and the little one there. The other down side for spectating is that this is in Wales, in November. Despite having nice weather this past fall the area is notorious for shitty weather. We're talking upper 30's and rain. No fun!

Well at least one long range goal in the works.        

I'm not sure how long I'll give this until I try running again. It REALLY bums me out not getting outside. Started spinning on the trainer almost everyday with a hard workout every three. Luckily the bike doesn't bother my leg/knee however the roller has been for some reason, not sure if that's good or bad. I've been thinking about setting up my mountain bike for night riding to get out early mornings just for some fresh air but have yet to do so. Getting "geared up" for going out for a ride is so time consuming though, considering that the trainer is FAR more efficient. If the weather was better I'd take the little one out in the bike trailer but for now probably best to avoid that due to the ice and snow everywhere!  

Back in the UK, injured

Well I've been back here in the UK for about a week now and have yet to get back into a routine mainly because of the little one. First I thought it was jet lag, then her final canine tooth, but not really sure. Last night was my first full night of sleep for quite some time which was nice.

However my normal early morning routine hasn't been working since the little one has decided to stay up late and sleep in, thus I've been too tired to get up! I have been running as my IT band allows me ( up to a staggering 4 miles!) and then hitting my wind trainer which has been a life saver. Today I got on the treadmill while the little one slept, I made it a mile before 1. she woke up and 2. surprisingly my knee started up! So I think the little one's actions that have not been allowing me to run are for good reason, she knows I need to give my knee a break. I've been doing all sorts of body weight exercises, stretching, rolling, etc. to strengthen any weaknesses and ease the pain. Still unsure of where this ITB issue arose from.

The few short runs I've been on have been great and I want MORE. Really psyched on the Brooks Pure Grit shoes I've been running in and want some Pure Floats, too bad I get shut down after a few miles. I'm actually kind of worried about the 50 miler I'm signed up for in April, with these injuries I'm kind of running out of time for training.

Well, I'll try to keep up on the fitness with the bike and hope for the best soon.