We all want to be faster, and of course, training and speed work would be way too much effort. I prefer lighter shoes. Everyone is different, but a light pair of shoes not only makes me feel fast but actually lessens the fatigue on my legs as the mileage builds up. I am fortunate I don't need very much stability and despite being a big runner at 190 pounds (hopefully 175 by May) I don't need extra cushioning. What I do need is space in the toe box and because of this, Mizuno is my shoe of choice. I have been running in Mizuno Wave Riders
since the day I began running. Just like an old dependable car, you want to try something different, but after trying a few new models you realize you already have the best model for you.
As I always do this time of year, I visit the local running store and order the usual new shoes. Size 12.5, Wave Rider 104, or whatever number they're up to. On the shelf I see this shoe from Mizuno that screams fast. The shoe has a lot of red in it and has bright red laces. The part that caught my eye was the yellow coming up the toe with the red nubbins. As we all know, a shoe that looks good is a nice bonus. Of course, if I lose a few toenails or my feet are sore for days, then how a shoe looks really doesn't matter. I decide to try them on.
Simply amazing. These shoes are certainly the lightest I have ever put on. The toe-box was also the standard extra large size and "stretchability" of the typical Mizuno. The guy at the store assured me that I could wear these on any of my training runs but most likely they would break down a bit faster than other shoes and may not provide as much cushioning as the Wave. Like a kid on his first day of school with his new shoes, I head to the track the next morning. The first thing I, and everyone I'm running with, notice is the extreme noise the nubbins make on the toe. You can here every push of the foot. I can't decide if I hate it because of it's repetition, or love it because they can here me closing down the stretch. They certainly feel faster. The Wave Rider is a light shoe but this feels like air. After a good morning of hard sprints and a few weeks of 6-10 mile tempo runs, I think I have found my new "secret weapon". Whether they make me truly faster or not is not important. As long as I think I am faster and feel faster, then that's all I need. That and no pain.
- 10. You live in the United States and actually know how far a kilometer is.
- 9. You're covered in lube and have no plans of sex.
- 8. There are two sets of blue jeans in your closet: one size for training season and one for off season.
- 7. You have the memory of a 95-year-old: you limp across the marathon finish in complete pain and start training for the next one two weeks later.
- 6. You can name the exact distance from your home to every landmark in town.
- 5. You're 40 and you have a nickname.
- 4. You can eat 4,000 calories and still be negative calories for the day.
- 3. You could throw away your t-shirt at the end of the day and still go an entire year without having to buy a new one.
- 2. You realize a carrot is more than a vegetable.
- 1. You get excited about getting older because of the extra time you get in Boston.
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Haile Gebrselassie
Haile Gebrselassie, one of the world's top long distance runners, has said he will not compete in the marathon at the Beijing Olympics because China's air pollution would pose an unacceptable risk to his health and future career. Nonetheless, he still has plans to participate in the 10,000-meter race.
Haile, who currently holds the world marathon record and a remarkable total of 25 world records, suffers from asthma. He told the press:
"The pollution in China is a threat to my health and it would be difficult for me to run 42km. ...But I am not pulling out of the Olympic event in Beijing altogether. I plan to participate in the 10,000-meter event."
The Chinese government has already spent vast sums of money (with little success) trying to clean up Beijing's pollution problem. This decision by such a famous athlete was clearly a blow to their pride: transmission from BBC World News was suspended to prevent this story being relayed to domestic Chinese listeners.
Haile's agent has reported that part of the reason behind his client's decision to pull out of the marathon was his determination to improve upon his current marathon world record. Haile is one of only five men in history to run a marathon in under two hours six minutes and he claimed the record last year after running the Berlin marathon in just 2 hours, 4 minutes and 26 seconds (29 seconds faster than the previous world record).
"His dream is to run in 2 hours and 3 minutes and to be the first to do that. It's more important for him than to win another gold medal."
Runners know the importance of a good night's sleep. Rest is important not only for the next day's performance, but for long-term growth and conditioning. There's nothing worse than a 10-mile training run at 5:00am when you just fell asleep at 2:00am. The key to getting a good nights sleep is good habits. Here are some of the rules I follow to help ensure a complete night's rest.
- The bedroom is for sleeping. There is no watching tv, reading books, or any pre bedtime activities laying in bed. When I get into bed my body knows it is time to go to sleep. Because of this I will be out in less than 10 minutes. Most people including my wife says there is no way it can be done because their brain is just too active. This leads me to number two.
- Give yourself a half hour to an hour to wind down. Find something that relaxes you for the last part of the day before bed. Most people take care of all their tasks at night. Trying to get everything done right before bed. The National Sleep Foundation found that 60% of people do household chores right before bed. It would be better to find something that is more relaxing. You need a transition from an active day to a restful night.
- Get things done in the morning. Being a morning person is not a genetic thing, it is a trained way of life. Instead of doing chores at night, leave them until morning. In the morning you are rested and lacking all of the other distractions of the day. This is the perfect time to get up and run, do some laundry, or even get some work done. Your brain and body are fresh and will get more things accomplished than you ever would have during the same time frame at night.
- No caffeine after 2:00pm. Caffeine blocks the effects of adenosine, the brain chemical that makes you sleepy. Just one cup will ruin a good night's sleep. Have a cup of coffee and you'll be getting up to urinate more often as well. If you do have something before bed make it the same thing every day. Having that drink will signal to your body that it's time to start winding down.
- Drink some milk and consume some carbs. There is a reason they say drink milk before bed. This little snack is not going to make you gain ten pounds but it will put you to sleep. Milk has tryptophan (just like turkey) but needs carbs to deliver it.
- Exercise. Those who exercise sleep better. People who do some form of regular exercise sleep an average of 42 minutes longer than those who don't and they falls asleep 12 minutes faster.
- Don't watch the news before bed. There is nothing on the news that is going to wind you down. The controversies, violence, and politics are only going to get you worked up.
- Live closer to work. The number one reason people say they don't get enough sleep is lack of time. Make more time by dropping your driving time.
- No alcohol before bed. Contrary to belief, alcohol doesn't relax you and actually makes for a lighter sleep. You'll be up at the slightest noise if you drink right before bed.
- Turn the thermostat down. People sleep better at cooler temperatures, and a nightly drop in temperature signals to your body that it is time for sleep.
