Baby, we were born to run

I'm fresh back from Derby House, our pre-season training camp. What a blast we had! Despite the fact that I got almost no sleep, it was an amazing week in the Northeast Kingdom. It's rare that I have the opportunity to focus solely on running, so it was a great training week for me. The other benefit, of course, was time to bond with my team. I left camp feeling lucky to have such a talented and hardworking group of girls. It helps that they are also a blast to be around. Seems cross country girls don't change much through the years...

Cross country played an enormous role in my coming of age. Like most sports teams, we spent a lot of time together. With daily practice, twice weekly meets, and team dinners, we spent almost all of our free time together. It made sense, then, that we were also each other's closest friends. As often happens with cross country, we also spent Winter doing nordic skiing and Spring doing track. We went to Crystal Ball and Prom with the boys team. When we got bored of them, we took boys from Harwood's XC team. It should be no surprise, then, that on one night of Derby House, we had to have our "crush party" to note who our crushes were for the coming season. Turns out, coaches are not exempt from sharing that information. I think the girls were disappointed, but they'll live...

I left camp so excited for the fall. Even though my own racing will be mostly on hold, I get to spend my afternoons, Friday evenings and Saturdays with a great group of runners who make me laugh, challenge me and remind me how I started running in the first place.

Day 1, the last morning I would be well rested

Did you run cross country or track in high school? What were your favorite memories? Funny stories?

Run On.
S

How do I pick a running shoe and other pressing questions

For being about the simplest activity you can do, starting or restarting a running routine can be overwhelming. Do you need a minimal shoe? Or perhaps a Vibram Five Finger. Why are the laces offset on Asics? Do I need wicking shirts, seams that don't chafe and socks with padding? Not to mention, you haven't run in months and you're not sure how to begin again. In a matter of minutes, the couch starts looking better and better.

Fear not, novice and partially retired runners, Caitlin from Wore Out Vermont and I are teaming up. We're even roping Joe from SkiRack into starring in a "how-to" video on picking the perfect running shoe. Read our three part series which starts in September and get back on the roads.

Run On.
S

Saucony Fastwich 5 Review

Saucony does it again. While other shoe makers are messing around with laces (Asics), ignoring the trend towards minimalism (Brooks) and generally ignoring the distance runner (New Balance), Saucony is evolving and as they say, being loyal to the sport. 

I don’t ask a lot of a running shoe. I’m light, I’m neutral and I don’t need or want bells and whistles. When I went looking for a new pair this time around, I wanted to try something with just a little more support than the Kinvara. I still Kinvara’s a couple days a week, but the fit isn’t perfect at the toe box. Joe at SkiRack suggested I try the Fastwitch, which still has a minimal drop, but a little more support in the post. As usual, Joe was right. I’m now infatuated with the Fastwitch and going back to get a second pair for my rotation. 

What’s to like? First, the Fastwitch is nimble at 7.1 ounces, making it light enough for up tempo work, but has enough support thanks to some reinforcement in the post to help out when you’re tired, making it perfect for longer runs. The fabric is almost as breathable as the Kinvara, a necessity in the summer when feet sweat like crazy. For me, the toebox is roomy enough to be comfortable without slamming my feet around (which was happening a lot in the Kinvara, ergo my missing big toenail). Saucony even plays into the text message generation with cute messages on the heel. 

 Downsides? Eh, the colors. While Saucony has been playing around with fit and streamlining (the entire fall line will not have a drop from heel to toe of greater than 12mm), they’ve sort of slacked off in the colors department. The women’s version comes in a scary bright white (which I’ve already dirtied down to a more reasonable shade) and a bright turquoise. Finally, they run small. I normally take a 7 in running shoes and ended up in an 8 in the Fastwitch. It’s a little big on my right foot as a result, but my left foot is happy and we want my left foot happy at all costs. 

Surfacing

Grades are posted. I’ve had 5 good nights of sleep. I went grocery shopping and got in a few runs longer than the 30 minutes I've been living on. All in all, I’m starting to feel like a human again. It’s not an experience I’d like to repeat, but Organic Chemistry is successfully completed.

In other news, it’s been a big summer for me as a runner! I got a shiny new 5K PR at Clarence DeMar on a hot, humid morning.  I survived the Stowe 8 Miler both as a runner and as the incoming Team Racing Coordinator for GMAA. I was hired as the Assistant Cross Country Coach at Mount Mansfield Union High School, an opportunity about which I am extremely excited. And here you thought that I was just in the library…

One major downside of my summer is that my mileage was stuck around 35 miles a week. While I’m grateful to have fit that in, I’m heading into August with a lot of base building to do. As a result, I don’t think I’ll be racing a fall marathon, but will instead focus on getting into shape with Vermont City Marathon as my next big goal race. The upside is that it’s August, and I’m not injured. As many of us can attest, sometimes being uninjured is an enormous accomplishment.

So what else is new from the past 8 weeks? Anyone have a PR to brag about? A funny running story? Race plans firmed up for the fall?

So happy to be back.

S