Shoe Review! The Pearl Izumi Syncrofloat III : Speedwork Test

So, the coolest thing ever happened to me a couple of weeks ago...the marketing coordinator from Pearl Izumi contacted me and asked if I would like to try out some Pearl Izumi shoes and review them on my blog.

OF COURSE I said yes.

After visiting their website, I decided (with his help) that the Syncrofloat III would be the closest match to what I currently wear, which is the Adidas Supernova Glide. So, even though I was excited at the prospect of trying new shoes I was also nervous for a few reasons:

• I used to have knee pain and after running in the Supernova Cushion (now the Supernova Glide) my knee pain went away
• I spent a long time having my gait and shoes analyzed by a runner/podiatrist and he selected the Supernova Cushion for me
• I have run 5 marathons and countless other races in the Supernova Glide
• Until last year, I was pretty sure that Pearl Izumi was a tri-athlete brand only, and why would you get shoes from someone who specializes in triathlons? Triathletes are looking for something much different.

I was also nervous because from the description it sounded like these shoes had a little less cushioning and a little more stability than I was used to.

I got them in the mail on Monday night.

They looked so much cooler than my shoes.


But we all know...looks aren't everything.

I was excited to try them out for my speedwork practice last night, which involved brutal hill repeats (this time Harlem Hill, which is WAY worse than Cat Hill) until the coaches said to stop. Oh yeah, and it was 88 degrees out. And humid.

Because of our practice time I had to change at work. Walking to the subway I felt all bouncy and airy in them. But I was still skeptical. First of all, they are new shoes, and new shoes always feel bouncy and airy. My real test is when I start running and how much of the pavement I can feel.

The advanced group started on the Bridal Path by the Reservoir to head towards Harlem Hill, nice and easy. I actually felt like there were springs in my shoes...like in the back. It seems like there is a lot more cushioning in the heel than I am used to and this is what I am attributing the springy feeling to. HOWEVER there is not as much cushion in the front of the shoe. But I'm not convinced that this is a bad thing. I say this because I actually feel like I was running differently in these shoes.

This is what I felt was happening...

I got an extra spring in my heel, propelling my leg forward faster, but also providing me with a quicker turn-over. (So I didn't need the padding in the front because I felt like my forefoot was on the ground for less time.)

Now, we did a gruelling 6 repeats of that awful hill. I HATE that hill. I am always far behind the rest of the people I usually run with when I do Harlem Hill repeats (it is much steeper than Cat Hill) and I can't seem to turn on the speed until I'm well past the water fountain (about 2/3 of the way through).

Usually I am a very neutral runner. I don't pronate or suppinate, I don't run heavy, and I tend to be a "midfoot striker". When I do tests on my form the coaches always ask if that is how I always run, because they are surprised I run so evenly. However, when I do hill repeats like this over and over, my form starts to fall off.

I find myself trying to run on my toes to make it up the hill and then try to correct myself because it feels "off." It usually takes a couple of strides to correct this.

I did not have that problem in these shoes. I noticed myself running on my toes on the third repeat and IMMEDIATELY was able to correct it. I have no idea why...more stability? different turnover? who knows?

So the shoe test was a success. For now.

I must say, I'm surprised (as were all of my friends). I never would have tried a Pearl Izumi shoe on my own. Saturday we'll see how they do for a long, slow, 15 miler.

Threshold

Last night, the point of our workout was to push beyond our lactic acid threshold. The actual workout really didn't sound that bad (40-45 minutes of Cat Hill repeats). Especially when Coach Steve told us that he expected "the fast guys" to get 5 or 6 repeats in. (Really? Last year I remember doing a hill workout on Cat Hill where we did 10 repeats!) The rest of us he said would get in 3-5. But this is an instance where the devil is in the details.

The hill repeat was a good .5 miles long (and Steve was really exact on this...my Garmin logged each uphill portion at .5 miles exactly!) and all uphill. The first 200 or so feet, from the 72nd Street Transverse to the Boathouse was supposed to be done at 80% effort. From the Boathouse to the Cat Statue we were to pick it up to 85% effort. As we crested the hill, we were supposed to take it all out all the way to Cleopatra's Needle. After that we recover all the way back to the start and repeat.

Even writing down the workout makes it seem lame, but it was really truly tough.

The point was, that when you crested the hill, that since you were going at such a quick clip (and UP) you would have built up a significant amount of lactic acid in your legs. Sprinting to the finish helped us work PAST that lactic acid and hopefully, would increase our tolerance.

And boy did I sprint those last portions. So much so, that when I started climbing that hill the second time my legs felt HEAVY.

My first split was 3:55, but it pretty much went downhill (haha) from there. But, that means I was actually doing the workout right. Believe me, I gave it my all. And the thing about our hill repeats? There is no stopping! I remember doing repeats with my Roncker's team in Cincy, and we always ran up the hill, recovered down the hill, and then had a few seconds to collect ourselves before the next repeat. Uh-uh, no stopping here.

So I was pretty happy when my next split was 3:57. But my third repeat yielded a 4:10. Whoops. The fourth was a 4:11. And I thought that was my last one, because when Steve was heading down on the downhill as I was heading up it he yelled "Great workout!" to me, which I thought meant it was my last one. But then as I was coming back down, he was standing by the Boathouse and was like "Just one more, then you're done."

Uh, I was running out of gas.

I managed a 4:07 on that last one, and I have no idea how. But I was ecstatic that I took 4 seconds off after feeling like I did.

I also looked like I had taken a shower.

Once again though, I was quite happy with my workout. I had given it my all and proven to myself once again that I am tougher than I think :)

Short Run!

Tonight was just a short run in the park. But it was great, because it is sooooo warm out here! 51 degrees! I was so excited to run without my gloves, headband and jacket.
It is so funny how my short runs seem SO short. I remember when I decided to "train" for the Hyde Park Blast two years ago. I would get up in the morning, run to the end of my street, cut across the park, run to the end of that street and then come home. It seemed really long. In reality, it was only .75 miles (I just checked on mapmyrun.com)!!!

What I'm really excited for this week is my first hill repeats for this training season. Bill and I are going to go up to the Brooklyn Bridge Thursday and do (at least) 4 climbs. We'll see how it goes, but I am totally up to the challenge.

I am also excited to dig into my Runner's World tonight as I watch the Biggest Loser and get inspired :)

Repeat, Repeat

So last night we did the whole Grandin/Rookwood area repeat thing. I was really really hoping that we would meet at Game Day Sports Café and run up to Mt. Adams to do hill repeats, so when I looked on the schedule on Monday night I was really dreading practice. It's just that the hills when we start from O'Bryonville tend to be up and down and up and down and up and down, while in Mt. Adams it is just up and down.

Either I forgot what it was like, or we took a slightly different route than normal, because it really wasn't that bad. Besides that, I was in the slow group, so we only actually did three repeats.

I also have selective memory, because I say this every time (in my head at least) in the middle of the workout: hill repeats aren't so bad! To me, they are never as long as they seem. And I tend to look up the hill in front of me and get completely overwhelmed and then only a few seconds later, realize I am already halfway up.

Sure, there is a lot of huffing and puffing, but then at the end you get to run DOWN the hill. Plus, you know you did a hard workout. AND my repeats actually got faster each time (ok, only by like 2 seconds, but that is still faster).

I also think there is just a little bit of me that is actually psycho. I mean, seriously...who LIKES hills? And as slowly as I go up the hill, I seem to always pass people on them in the races. They are like my secret weapons. Last year when I ran the Race For the Cure I DIED and I swear it's because the course was so flat! I guess that doesn't bode well for Chicago. (I do secretly cringe every time someone tells me I will love the course so much more than the Pig because it is so flat!)

Anyway, after the hills we ran Millionaire's Mile (through Grandin, etc.) as our cool-down. Seeing all of those beautiful houses actually really helps the time go by quickly.

All in all, it was another great run!

Whoo-hoo for me!

Despite my lack of motivation, I have run ALL THREE nights this week (if you count the week as starting on Sunday). And I think the sheer repetitiveness of just getting out there and doing it is breaking up my running funk.

It is also actually getting warmer out. Yesterday when I ran it was 70 degrees out! Now I know that this is nothing to you Cincinnatians who are braving 80 plus degree weather, but seriously, I have been wearing sweaters to work every day! This makes me happy because I remember the Hyde Park Blast from last year and the heat was killer. I knew that running in 50 degree weather wasn't going to help me that much.

So last night I did hill repeats again to work on building up my sprinting capability. I did 6 repeats (I made sure I counted accurately this time). I think I am going to have to find a better hill to practice on. Or maybe I will just have to do more repeats. I will not say that this time was easy, but I felt great the entire time. I guess I will be able to better guage that tomorrow when the pain sets in.

I realized last night too...I will still have 2 weeks of training once I get home! That should give me more than enough time to get ready for the race. Hurrah!

Tonight is a no-running night. I am moving into my hotel which I think will be enough of a work out for me. I already lugged one of my suitcases and a backpack .77 miles to work so that I can check-in at lunchtime. The other suitcase is the one I am worried about. It is the one that always gets that bright orange HEAVY label on it at the airport. And one of it's wheels are broken (thank you, Charles de Gaulle). So I guess it will be a weight-lifting night.

Oh Yeah, the Pain Comes TWO Days After

I guess I forgot, you know, having a week off of running and all. I mean, I'm not limping around or anything (well, maybe I am, I have a tendency to have concerned co-workers come up to me and ask "are you LIMPING?" in a shocked way, to which I answer, "what? Oh, I guess...I added more mileage to my runs last night.") but I do feel a little strain in the back of my calves. Oh yeah, I guess hill repeats do that.

Last night I did my circuit training. 30s of each excercise, 30s rest.
Here are the circuits I did:

Shuttle Runs
Rowing Abs
Bunny Jumps
Sit-Ups
Cycling with Raised Abs
Leg Scissors
Tricep Dips
Push Ups
Squat Thrusts
Push-Ups (from knees)
Straddle Jumps
Squats

I must admit, I felt a little funny doing all of this in my flat. I guess though that I will feel even sillier once I transfer to a hotel next week. I'm hoping the hotel has a gym, but I can't tell from their website, which means they probably don't.

Tonight is 3 miles. I am working to build up my speed!

Repeat, Repeat

So last night I tackled Penton Rise. It was either 6 or 7 times. I lost count and I think I may have done 7, but just to be on the safe side I will say I only did 6.

I find that when doing hill repeats I tend to space out. I don't know if this is a good thing or not. I guess it is good when it comes to racing, because I don't really think about the hill. I should probably be concentrating on my technique a little more though, when I am actually practicing. For example, I tend to run on my toes when I am going up a hill. I talked to one of my coaches about this and asked if it was wrong, and he said "well, it's not really wrong, you're just making yourself work harder." Yeah, well hills are hard enough...I don't need to be a martyr.

I hate to admit it, but it seemed like a kind of wimpy hill. It looks impressive from far away, but running it I only started to really feel it in my calves after the 5th (or 6th) one. And I actually feel fine today. So I don't know what to do...

My plan was to run every other day and do some sort of resistance training on the other days, working out 6 days a week, taking one complete day of rest...which is kind of ridiculous, since I WALK EVERYWHERE. I mean I walk .77 miles to work every day (thank you mapmyrun.com) plus walking back, plus walking a mile to dinner and a mile back every night. Wow, I guess I shouldn't worry about my legs turning to mush I guess. I didn't realize I was walking that much until I just put it all down here.

OK, so I guess I will just plan to do my normal walking and my resistance training tonight. I miss the gym!!! Resistance training stinks when you could be loading up a machine with weights and seeing how strong you are :)

Recovery Run

So, running 3 miles this weekend seemed a little pointless. It was actually pretty hard to get motivated to get up and do it. My ipod wasn't working either, since I hadn't charged it in so long, but it was ok, because I was only gone for 20 something minutes :) For that amount of time I could entertain myself by singing songs in my head.

I also scouted a new hill for me to run on Tuesday. That is when I am going to do some hill repeats. Hill repeats are always greeted with a mixed sense of dread and relief for me. I hate to admit it, but sometimes I actually ENJOY them. I mean, there is something rewarding about them. AND they are over with rather quickly. It kind of reminds me of pulling a band-aid off really quickly. And call me a masochist, but when my calves hurt that badly the day afterwards, I feel like I actually worked my muscles hard and I kind of like it.

My hill that I found is called Penton Rise, and it has an ascent of 53 feet over .17 miles. (So it is no Cliff Street in Eden Park, but I am also training for a much shorter distance). It will have to do for now until I find more daunting hills. By the way, I think it is funny that streets with huge hills tip you off to it in their names: Penton RISE, CLIFF street.

Sister Timothea Kept Me Going

Well, not really, but I will explain later.

Last night was hills. Which is NOT what the email to the group today said. All the email said was: Tomorrow night we will be at Game Day at 6:30 and will be heading to Eden Park." Once we were all gathered at Game Day Cafe, Joe told us we would have an "easy 1.5 mile run to Cliff Street" which is where we would be doing our hills. Cliff Street? That does not sound fun. Neither was our "easy" run. If you are familiar with Mt. Adams, you know what I mean when I say it is neither flat or easy. We took Columbia Parkway to the steps leading to Hill Street. Luckily we did not run the steps. I think I would have died. Anyway, just getting to the hill was a pain. I had to stop and walk for the first time, which I never, never, do. One of the twins even stopped when she came up behind me and asked if I was ok. I must have looked like I was really hurting.

This hill was amazing. It had about 8 turns to the summit. It was neverending. I just mapped it on mapmyrun.com to check out the elevation. Basically, over .34 miles, we went from .75 feet to 811 feet. Crazy. ( I will have to take my husband, Bill, out later to drive the hill so I can show him how crazy it is. It just makes me feel better. You know, "look what I can do!") The workout was: start at the bottom and go halfway and then back. Everyone got done with the first one and said "that was only halfway?!!!" Then we did the whole hill halfway and back. Repeat both.

Let me tell you, I was barely moving. Here's where Sr. Timothea comes in. I had this religion teacher in high school who was very old-school. Anyway, she always said that if you had a little voice in your head that made you not do things that you were supposed to do, like help your mom clean, that it was really the devil and he was tempting you to do his hellish works. What you had to do is yell "Stop it, Devil" in your head and just do that good thing. Because I was probably delirious running these hills I had these thoughts come to me out of nowhere. So I yelled "Stop it, Devil!" in my head when I was thinking about walking, which made me laugh almost out loud, but it also made me finish the hill. I probably think this story is way more funny than anyone else would and I can't believe I just wrote it down. I think of some crazy stuff when I run.

Anyway, just when I finished the last full repeat, I was thinking "I'm done! I'm done!" But then Joe gave us a choice; we could do one more full repeat or two halves. I'm no idiot. I picked two halves. That's two downhills along with the uphills.

Then he promised us an easy run back, which we all did not believe. He THEN revealed to us that he didn't even make up the run there, the other coaches did. So this one really would be easy.

All right. I am actually GLAD I labored through the hills. Even running back I felt faster and that I could run easier. But it still stank.