Breaking them in…

It’s been a few weeks since my last blog post. Tsk tsk tsk! Now you would think that a few weeks would be more than enough time to get more intimately acquainted with my pair of Saucony Triumph 9s but when you’re giving your condo a facelift, staging it for sale and planning a move to a new city – time becomes a much sought after commodity.

With that being said, I have somehow managed to put my Triumphs through a long run, two tempo runs, and even a “garbage” run. Yes, I even squeezed in a race in the midst of all that organized chaos!

Along with 22,000 or so other runners, I laced up my Triumphs to run the Sporting Life 10K on May 13th. Other than having to get up at 4am to get downtown to catch a shuttle to the start line, it was a great race experience overall! My goal was to finish the race sub 50 minutes and I knew that knocking a few minutes off my fastest tempo was an attainable goal. Race conditions were ideal on that day. I gave it my best shot and triumphantly (pardon the pun) finished the race with a time of 48:12! In a testament to the Triumphs, I ran the race without thinking about my shoes or “feeling” them. There’s nothing worse than running when you’re not wearing the right shoe – your feet will have this uncomfortable feeling amplified. If you can’t relate, think of running with a pebble in your shoe.

Speaking of uncomfortable shoes, I’m sure most of you know the feeling of wearing that uncomfortable pair of dress shoes or high heels. Two weeks ago, I had one day where my feet were absolutely killing me after wearing my dress shoes in the office. After work, I went home and was getting ready to go out for a run with the gang. I slipped on my Triumphs and my feet were instantly in bliss. It felt like I was resting them on a really comfortable mattress. I thought my mind was playing tricks on me so I compared this feeling with my trail running shoes and my previous pairs of running shoes. Ahhh ha, yes, these Triumphs are definitely the most comfortable shoes in my closet!

As a new runner I’ve quickly realized how much I enjoy the comfort of cooler runs, I’m not used to running in the hot and humid weather. I had an awful time trying to complete my tempo run this past week in the heat and humidity. In times like those, it’s best to listen to your body, slow down and ensure proper hydration! I’m looking forward to training and trying to beat the heat with my Saucony Triumph 9s this summer!

Established-Saucony-runner Product Leader Rebecca Grey on the the Saucony Hurricane

I still like the Saucony Hurricane with the 8mm off-set after running in it for a few months now.  I discovered that you CAN put a house key in the tongue pocket after all.  I had my doubts.  As there’s no way to ensure the pocket doesn’t disgorge your key, other than by tying your laces over it, I won’t be trusting my key to this pocket.  But I’ll keep experimenting with what else I can carry in there!

Knowing that I didn’t realize how much I heel-struck before, I’ve had trouble identifying whether or not I’m heel-striking less with the 8mm off-set.  I’ve tried watching myself in store windows as I run by, but I’m not coordinated enough to run in a straight line while looking off to the side!  Thankfully a run with a friend this weekend allowed me to clear this up.  I’ve been running with Stacy for a few years now and she’s familiar with my usual gait; she noticed that I’m definitely not on my heels anymore.  Score 1 for the 8mm off-set!

Although I still really like the shoes, I have noticed a couple issues. The first is that I often have to stop to snug up the laces; this could be either the new style of laces or the “Sauc-Fit”, I’m not sure which. The knot isn’t coming undone or loose, but perhaps the laces have more give than the old style? Or perhaps the Sauc-Fit doesn’t work as well as the arch-lock; either way, my feet swim in these shoes compared to earlier versions. But a quick stop to snug up the laces fixes this (and random shin pain I’ve discovered) and I’m on my way again enjoying the cushioning.

The other issue is blistering. Now that the mileage is starting to pick up on my weekend runs, I’ve started developing blisters on the outsides of my first toes (big toes). Coincidence? Or is is it the shift in weight being off my heels with the 8mm off-set? I know it can’t possibly be that I haven’t run longer distances in a while and my feet have gotten soft (this is entirely possible). I had hoped to answer this question by going for a long run last weekend in my 12mm Hurricanes for comparison, but I accepted last minute invitation to Whistler instead. Hmm, deferring long runs might be the real reason for the blisters…

I have the “Longest Day 10k” coming up on the 15th, a fundraiser for Juvenile Diabetes and put on by UBC Track and Field.  It’s a 2 loop race (which I dislike) but there’s a BBQ after the run (which I like) and it’s for a good cause.  I’m interested to see how the shoes work out on race day!

Wow! What an amazing day. The 116^th Boston Marathon will be a day to remember. It was one of the hottest Boston Marathons on record. However, there was never a thought in my mind to defer this race until next year. I had the support of my husband; my mom and stepfather had driven from New Brunswick to cheer me on. Many people would be tracking my split times on the BBA webpage and my in-laws flew in from PEI to look after our two small kids. Not to mention I had to run to be able to proudly wear the huge new wardrobe of Adidas Boston clothing I got at the expo on Saturday!

Monday morning I met my running partner Lisa and her family as they drove us out to the start line.You knew it was going to be a warm day when at 8am when you didn’t need any extra clothes on. I had 2 major goals for the day because of the weather forecast: #1 stay out of the medical tent and #2 cross that finish line.

We made it to our corral and within a couple of minutes the gun went off and my heart rate jumped again. I guess I’m not usually so close to the start line. People told me not to go out too fast but I don’t think I quite realized how much of a downhill it was. At 5km we were at my BQ pace. I thought “we’ll see what the next 37 km brings” but was 99% sure I would not be able to keep this pace. We crossed the halfway mark at 2hrs. During the second half of the marathon we took pictures with our families, kissed some boys at Wellesley, ran through many people’s garden hoses and got squirted by kids’ water guns. We ate and drank whatever people were handing out: popsicles, freezies, fudgesicles, oranges, bananas, liquorish, fig newtons, beer and the best was the ICE! A special thank you to the wonderful fans that had the ice in little ziplock bags; I think the ice was the only thing that kept my body temperature from boiling over.

I’ve never done a race with so many water stations, happy volunteers and great support on the course. The runners worked hard out there but the only reason we had an amazing day was because of the great dedication of the organizers and the thousands of fans. My self confidence has never been so high. I was told “I was amazing”, “I looked wonderful” and “I was their hero”. The spectators and volunteers were the backbone of all the runners.

Lisa and I crossed the finish line side by side. I was 25 minutes slower then my BQ time and I was thrilled! I started # 18222 and finished #10565.

Sometimes you are not comparing your success to the clock but the joy you feel inside.

It was a dream come true: making it to race day without injury in the best shape of my life (thanks, Nicole Stevenson, for making me push myself). People have been telling me for months that “there is nothing like running Boston”. How true that is!

I am happy to report that I did not melt in Boston.

Physically, I did not melt, but my hopes of finishing within a specific time melted. But that’s ok! I floated along the course on the spectator’s cheers, and it was all such an amazing experience, just as everyone promised.

The weekend was so great. We arrived in Boston early enough on Saturday morning, that we headed to the expo before the crowds were overwhelming. I picked up my race kit (and some extra goodies, like a jacket) and walked around, taking it all in.

We stayed at the gorgeous Lenox Hotel (right at the finish line). The hotel staff was amazing. Very helpful and almost as pumped about the race as we were!

The finish line area was closed off for the couple of days prior to the race, so it was awesome to be able to walk around, snap photos and just hang out in that “running buzz”.  I met runners from everywhere! Everyone had their own story of how they got there, in that moment. And every single story is special and different in its own way.

Monday morning finally came. I slept quite well so I felt refreshed and optimistic that the run was going to be a good one. I dressed for warmer weather: adidas sports bra, hat, and shorts only. I slathered on the sunscreen.

Before long, it was time to head to the start corrals. It was a long, hot walk. I think that was the point that I realized that it was indeed going to be a scorcher.

I had a few tears as I crossed the official start line, but I reminded myself to pull it together, as it was going to be a long day, so crying continually would just make it longer.

The course was unbelievable. There was not one inch of that course that did not have spectators cheering. I may have been a bit sore that evening, but there were thousands of people with sore throats from all the screaming and cheering. I still can’t believe it.

Because of the heat, there were so many kind and generous spectators with sprinklers, buckets of water, make-shift gatorade stations, coolers full of ice, popsicles, towels soaked in ice water, and pure energy! It was continuous. Crazy.

Patrick, my husband, met me just before “Heartbreak Hill”. I was so happy to see him! I had been scanning the crowds for him for about 5km when I finally heard his voice. I swerved over to him through the crowd, and decided to take a minute or two to catch up with him, and even eat a banana he had brought. He refilled my bottle with gatorade (ice cold, unlike the gross, warm stuff I had been carrying) while I teared up a bit at how thoughtful he was. Then, sadly, I had lingered enough, so it was time to get on with it.

I continued on for a bit, then all of a sudden, people were holding signs, screaming, “You made it up heartbreak hill!!” Really? That was Heartbreak Hill? I don’t know what I was expecting, but I certainly thought it wasn’t too bad. “It’s all downhill from here!!” they were shouting. Yay!!

So I sped up a bit. That speed did wear off, but those last 10 miles were much easier to handle than the first. Go figure.

Before long, I was so close to the “Citgo” sign (the famous 25 mile mark) that I felt like I could touch it. The crowds were wild with energy. The buildings in downtown Boston were creating the shade I had craved all day. There was a breeze. Or was that my speed causing wind in my hair?

I came to the finish line a pleased runner. I had finished! I was upright! I was sunburned! My original goal time had long since passed me by. But, there will be other, faster marathons in my future.

I had fun being part of “the hot one”.

Anyone who knows the Bruce Trail knows there are some highly technical parts, heavy brush, rocks and other obstacles, and it can be easy to get off-track thanks to re-routes and detours.  The website states that the estimated minimum time to hike the over-800km trail from end to end is approximately 30 days.

But it can be run faster than that.

You may recall the story of iRun cover Charlotte Vasarhelyi, who in June 2010, broke the speed record for running the Bruce Trail from end-to-end by running from Tobermory to Niagara in 13 days, 10 hours, 51 minutes.

On Saturday, June 2, Vasarhelyi set out once again to break her own record.  Back in 2010 she told us, “Preparing for something like this is 90 per cent mental because you know you’re going to have to overrule your mind and keep going.” No doubt she had some overruling to do in the rainy conditions over the weekend!

Follow Vasarhelyi’s journey on Monumental Effort, and on Twitter, @char_brucetrail and #charbruce where her crew, pacers and other supporters are providing updates.