A few weeks ago I thought it would be "fun" to increase my routine 8 mile run "lap" and run it twice. 8+8= 16 miles and yet I felt: (pain)=10log(pain). It was amazing how poorly my hips and knees felt, recovery was fine but hmmm something new or an old ITB acting up... Ever since even my 8 mile run is painful at the end and begins exactly at mile 3.7. I don't want to give up running, it's not really great fun but it allows me to mix up the excercise week-- cross training, a key tool for the older exercising fanatics. I've been reading about the Hoka One shoes for the past year and see a lot of 'older' yet top ultra runners reporting less injury or less soreness. Well that's for me! I don't have a coach telling me how to run properly (nor do I want one) and I simply want to perceive if there is a difference. If a few millimeters on a bike seat can have exponential effects on knees and performance why not shoes too. I received the Bondi B, for the second time (the first time the size was a little small), a few weeks ago and with them ran a few of the 8 mile laps as well as a triathlon last weekend. Here are my graded impressions for the average joe shmoe runner:
1. I immediately noticed I was 2 inches taller. A+
2. It was so springy I kept bouncing up and down so much my daughter thought it was a fun game. A+
3. The sizing is ok, a little on the small side but one can't count on my clods. Aside from my wide flat feet something happened to the size of my feet after the "swelling incident" a few years ago. B+
4. Expensive but not when you compare it to a PT or physicians exam or radiology. A-
5. I've been doing the same "lap" for years and for the first time I ran an average 7:10 per mile without too much trouble and .... oh yeah no pain, anymore. A++++
As for the triathlon: The Stroke and Croak is a very fun event that I try to complete each year. My swim was slower than last year but otherwise...
1.6 km swim: 22min 30 sec.
4 mile run: ~30 min.
8 mile bike: ~26 min
T1:2 min.
...3 minutes faster overall than last year. probably b/c of this:
and this.... (never had one of these before, just couldn't pass up that REI special on a carbon frame....)
1. I immediately noticed I was 2 inches taller. A+
2. It was so springy I kept bouncing up and down so much my daughter thought it was a fun game. A+
3. The sizing is ok, a little on the small side but one can't count on my clods. Aside from my wide flat feet something happened to the size of my feet after the "swelling incident" a few years ago. B+
4. Expensive but not when you compare it to a PT or physicians exam or radiology. A-
5. I've been doing the same "lap" for years and for the first time I ran an average 7:10 per mile without too much trouble and .... oh yeah no pain, anymore. A++++
As for the triathlon: The Stroke and Croak is a very fun event that I try to complete each year. My swim was slower than last year but otherwise...
1.6 km swim: 22min 30 sec.
4 mile run: ~30 min.
8 mile bike: ~26 min
T1:2 min.
...3 minutes faster overall than last year. probably b/c of this:
and this.... (never had one of these before, just couldn't pass up that REI special on a carbon frame....)
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