Running has been almost non-existent this fall and early winter. After I got a new pair of running shoes in September, I developed a bad shin splint on my left shin. This happened to me last year as well, when I replaced my shoes.
I thought I needed to break them in more, so I tried running low mileage- a mile or two, a few times a week, in hopes my shin would start to feel better. It didn’t, and it started to feel worse. I was really disappointed because the wonderful people at Boa Technology put a custom pair of Boa laces in my new shoes, since I had these on my previous shoes, a pair from The North Face, the Boa Arvuna, which I adored. I loved those shoes, but they were discontinued. The Boa lacing system is superior- they don’t come untied and they stay tight. I swore after having the Boa system, I would never go back to regular shoe laces. I wore the new custom shoes at my last race, the Denver Race for the Cure, before the shin splint developed.
By the time I could finally admit the shoes were not working for me, it was December. I switched back to my old shoes, which were too small, while I decided what shoe to get next. My old shoes hurt my feet, which is why I needed new shoes in the first place. I felt like I was in a shoe black hole during the holidays and I cut down running even more because of foot pain.
In the meantime, I decided to play soccer once a week in an indoor co-ed league. It looked like fun, and I thought it would be good cross training. Some of my friends played on the league as well. Shifting my attention on soccer delayed my decision on running shoes.
For some reason, I was having a really hard time saying good-bye to my North Face shoes. I had accomplished a lot of running goals during the past year- some of which I never dreamed I would be able to do. I was not sure if I’d be as successful as I wanted to be with another pair of shoes. It sounds silly, but I suspect I’m not the only person who is attached to an important piece of gear for their sport.
Meanwhile, John suggested I look into Pearl Izumi running shoes. I read up on some of the pairs, and I had heard good things about them, but until you can wear them and run in them, it is hard to make a decision. Over New Year’s we visited a Pearl Izumi outlet store. The salesclerk who helped me said she ran a lot on trails and road, and recommended a pair, the Syncrofloat II. I tried them on, ran around the store with them, and they felt good. But they had laces. I wanted Boa laces. And they were white and light pink. I wasn’t crazy about the color. But I noticed as I ran around the store in them, for the first time since my North Face shoes, I didn’t have any shin pain. The laces seemed to stay tight too. So I compromised and made the best decision I could. I bought them.
I started breaking them in slowly- on a treadmill, so I could return them if I noticed any pain. But I didn’t. In fact, I started to like them the more I wore them. They were comfortable. After running in shoes for over a year that were half a size too small, my feet felt like I had little pillows on them. However, I was reserving my final judgment for trail and road running.
In January, I put the Pearl Izumi’s to the test. I ran short distances- under two miles on trail, road, and bike paths. No shin pain, or any pain anywhere else. The laces stay tight and I haven’t had them come untied yet. I was almost ready to return to my serious running when I got hurt-again.
I was playing soccer in the first game, and was not used to the Astroturf. I fell and the whole next week, my quad muscle hurt. Not bad, but it didn’t feel quite normal. Then the next game I was running and it just gave out. I couldn’t run and it was killing me. I thought I had a cramp and stretched it out. It felt better to try to play later in the game. I kicked the ball with my opposite foot and while I did that, I felt my quad muscle pop. I had definitely pulled it.
So I’ve been resting again. No soccer or heavy running for the past three weeks. It has paid off, and my quad muscle is finally better. I ran pretty fast outside the other day and had no pain whatsoever.
I decided during this break, that I am finally over the shoe issue and it’s time to accomplish some of the running goals I have. However, I decided the best shot I will have at reaching these goals, means I stop playing soccer. I’m not 21 anymore, and any injury can mean weeks of forced time off to heal. Not losing any training days or weeks will be very important during the next nine weeks.
I have registered for my first half marathon in April! I’m so excited. I have wanted to run a half marathon after the first 5K race I ran. I was training to run one last Spring, but then my mom passed away suddenly, and I was not able to continue the training schedule.
I have the most supportive family, friends, kids, and my new running partners- my shoes. 🙂 I have to build my mileage back up, and get faster. The few times I have run the 13.1 mile distance (not in a race); I ran it in 2:10. My goal is to finish in sub 2 hours. I have all the important elements in place to accomplish this. All the pieces fit now. They are waiting for me to take them and run. That is what I am going to do.