Showing posts with label Running. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Running. Show all posts
Friday, June 10, 2016
Monday, May 9, 2016
Product Review: Altra Torin 2.0
Altra Torin 2.0 Shoe Review
The Torin 2.0 is a well rounded shoe from Altra for any average runner. The shoe's high-cushioned profile offers greater comfort for the long runs while still letting me go fast on harder speed sessions. The cushion felt more plush while running, as if I were wearing memory foam inserts.
Durability
After almost 6 months, and ~500 miles on my Torins including one ultra(50k), the shoes have still held up. The durability in the 2.0 has much improved over the previous versions. The outsole has a few minor scuffs and some wear on the rubber outsole. The upper has minor lace eyelet wear but that's pretty much it when it comes to damages. IMO that's pretty good for the amount of mileage on them. Upper/Outer Material
The upper is made of a thin, lightweight net material. It isn't as flexible as the material on Altra's One 2.0, but over time it will stretch to accommodate your feet. This was my least favorite part about the shoe since I had a hard time getting my foot "secured." And the heel felt too wide, so I had to really tighten down my shoe laces with a heel lock.
The outsole is well made and works great for the road and non-technical trails.
Altra's flex grove technology gives this shoe the right amount of flexibility for your feet. This allowed my feet to run and move the way they should as if I were running barefoot.
Features
The Torin 2.0, as well as every other shoe from Altra comes complete with a wide toe box and zero drop platform which is very helpful for runners (like me), who run more forefoot.
The wide toe box was a huge plus for me since my feet are wider than most people and wearing this shoe finally gave my feet the chance to breathe. Also, it's most likely not just me that complained before about finding shoes wide enough to wear, which could explain many of the foot problems like overlapping toes or "pointed feet".
Pros:
-wide toe box
-low drop
-durable
-plush cushioning
Cons:
-too much heel material
-less flexible upper
I was very pleased Altra's Torin 2.0 upgrades and would recommend this to anyone who likes to go outside and move or just wants a wider, more comfortable shoe. The Torin can be used for a multitude of activities other than running such as hiking, walking, everyday, etc. Click here to pick up a pair of Torin 2.0's, or here for a bigger selection of similar shoes.
Wednesday, February 24, 2016
2 Important Lessons I learned Running My First Ultra
As I progressed through the training for my first 50K, it seemed that I had planned everything out for a good race experience. Everything from what shoes to wear, to the amount of food to consume, what my goal pace was supposed to be, and so on...
However, I quickly realized the mistakes I made during my run as it started to get progressively harder. Since I got a little carried away with the planning and what to do/what not to do, I thought I had every lesson from the books that I read to the internet I surfed ingrained in my head come race day.
For some people that enter in their first race, the excitement of achieving something you thought you couldn't bring yourself to do and the fear of not being able to finish can flood the minds of many. This mentality can bring with it a flood of adrenaline so strong, you feel you could sprint your way to the finish line...
Sadly, if this is your first race, it could make the thought of finishing vanish from your mind as you slow down to a manageable pace. Starting a race too fast isn't a problem IMO for races under a marathon. Those races are too short for the long-term effects of your error to catch up.
I went through a big learning curve with my first 50k and I hope what I've learned can help others be more aware of these tips for their next race.
I kept thinking to myself, "I'm not going fast at all. If any, I'm going slow. Maybe everyone else was just slower than me?"
At mile ten, I finally started thinking straight and figured out that I started out way too fast. I was almost burnt out of energy at mile 22 if it wasn't for my constant snacking. The effects soon took their toll as my pace dropped dramatically and eventually runners started passing me. I couldn't believe that I'd wasted so much energy at the beginning of the race, and for WHAT? There wasn't prize money, nobody was competing with each other.
Everyone was there to have a good time, while my big ego got the best of me and screwed me over. The feeling of "dead-weight" in my legs caught up with me quicker than usual and my body wasn't going to give me a break so I went on to finish the race with the thought that I could have slowed my pace down in the beginning still lingering.
While it is very unlikely that something won't happen, don't take that as a sign that you will get the same result of committing this crippling habit later. And here's why...
A few weeks before the race, I read something online about how beets carry an abundance of nitrites which can help a person's blood vessels dilate. This in turn increases the availability of oxygen, improving endurance, and son on. While I can say I didn't feel like I gained superhuman endurance, I will note that it is a bad idea to consume anything with fiber in it before a race since it takes longer to digest, making your stomach feel like a bowl of lead.
While I was glad it wasn't the beets that crippled me later on, it was something I never thought could.
When I signed up for my race, I thought I ought to buy something to help me carry water and food on my long runs and eventually my race. So I picked out a waist belt without too much thought and proceeded to use it in training. Luckily I did, and found out I didn't like it too much since it put pressure on my lower back(Where I put all the water) and decided not to use it.
Sadly this turned most of my long runs into bonk runs, with me having to carry nothing but a small eight ounce water bottle. I didn't carry any food which while helped in my mentality of dealing with "hitting the wall," it was very uncomfortable to go through.
Eventually I bought a 22 ounce water bottle which I absolutely love. The sad part is was that I didn't get more than TWO training runs with it which didn't allow my shoulders to strengthen. Since it weighed less than two pounds, I thought it would make my shoulders sore but not to the point where I had to go to the hospital...
After the race, my legs healed up withing two days and were able to run a week later. My shoulders were sore sore that I couldn't lift them without excruciating pain. After scrambling throught the internet, I tried to find out what I had because at the time, I didn't know it was just a bad case of muscle soreness.
I actually thought I had tendonitis, or some kind of impingement. I felt pain all around the back of my shoulder and some days it would feel better while others I couldn't think about anything but the pain. So two weeks later I decided to finally go to the doctor to what was wrong.
He said it wasn't tendonitis or shoulder impingement, but just soreness. Before I ever started running, I was still into exercising and did strength training using just calisthenics(Yes, it is possible). I was very familiar what sore muscles felt like, but I never had it so bad that I couldn't think about anything else.
These two tips are what I beleive to be the most important especially when applied to ultramarathons. I hope to apply these for the next race with better results. I hope you can apply these lessons within your training or if so, be more aware of just how crucial these two can be.
However, I quickly realized the mistakes I made during my run as it started to get progressively harder. Since I got a little carried away with the planning and what to do/what not to do, I thought I had every lesson from the books that I read to the internet I surfed ingrained in my head come race day.
For some people that enter in their first race, the excitement of achieving something you thought you couldn't bring yourself to do and the fear of not being able to finish can flood the minds of many. This mentality can bring with it a flood of adrenaline so strong, you feel you could sprint your way to the finish line...
Sadly, if this is your first race, it could make the thought of finishing vanish from your mind as you slow down to a manageable pace. Starting a race too fast isn't a problem IMO for races under a marathon. Those races are too short for the long-term effects of your error to catch up.
I went through a big learning curve with my first 50k and I hope what I've learned can help others be more aware of these tips for their next race.
Tip #1
Don't Start the Race Too Fast
When I arrived at the starting line, I couldn't really think about much except the thought of how much pain it takes to run 50 kilometers. The adrenaline wasn't allowing me to think straight and I didn't think much throughout the first eight miles until it slowly wore off.I kept thinking to myself, "I'm not going fast at all. If any, I'm going slow. Maybe everyone else was just slower than me?"
At mile ten, I finally started thinking straight and figured out that I started out way too fast. I was almost burnt out of energy at mile 22 if it wasn't for my constant snacking. The effects soon took their toll as my pace dropped dramatically and eventually runners started passing me. I couldn't believe that I'd wasted so much energy at the beginning of the race, and for WHAT? There wasn't prize money, nobody was competing with each other.
Everyone was there to have a good time, while my big ego got the best of me and screwed me over. The feeling of "dead-weight" in my legs caught up with me quicker than usual and my body wasn't going to give me a break so I went on to finish the race with the thought that I could have slowed my pace down in the beginning still lingering.
Tips #2
Never Try Anything New on Race Day
I'm sure many people have heard this one before since it applies to a race of any distance. You could've run the race in your new shoes, tried out a new electrolyte drink for the first time, or eating a new meal(a meal you rarely ever eat) before the race in hopes that the effort of preparing the meal will translate into a new PR.While it is very unlikely that something won't happen, don't take that as a sign that you will get the same result of committing this crippling habit later. And here's why...
A few weeks before the race, I read something online about how beets carry an abundance of nitrites which can help a person's blood vessels dilate. This in turn increases the availability of oxygen, improving endurance, and son on. While I can say I didn't feel like I gained superhuman endurance, I will note that it is a bad idea to consume anything with fiber in it before a race since it takes longer to digest, making your stomach feel like a bowl of lead.
While I was glad it wasn't the beets that crippled me later on, it was something I never thought could.
When I signed up for my race, I thought I ought to buy something to help me carry water and food on my long runs and eventually my race. So I picked out a waist belt without too much thought and proceeded to use it in training. Luckily I did, and found out I didn't like it too much since it put pressure on my lower back(Where I put all the water) and decided not to use it.
Sadly this turned most of my long runs into bonk runs, with me having to carry nothing but a small eight ounce water bottle. I didn't carry any food which while helped in my mentality of dealing with "hitting the wall," it was very uncomfortable to go through.
Eventually I bought a 22 ounce water bottle which I absolutely love. The sad part is was that I didn't get more than TWO training runs with it which didn't allow my shoulders to strengthen. Since it weighed less than two pounds, I thought it would make my shoulders sore but not to the point where I had to go to the hospital...
After the race, my legs healed up withing two days and were able to run a week later. My shoulders were sore sore that I couldn't lift them without excruciating pain. After scrambling throught the internet, I tried to find out what I had because at the time, I didn't know it was just a bad case of muscle soreness.
I actually thought I had tendonitis, or some kind of impingement. I felt pain all around the back of my shoulder and some days it would feel better while others I couldn't think about anything but the pain. So two weeks later I decided to finally go to the doctor to what was wrong.
He said it wasn't tendonitis or shoulder impingement, but just soreness. Before I ever started running, I was still into exercising and did strength training using just calisthenics(Yes, it is possible). I was very familiar what sore muscles felt like, but I never had it so bad that I couldn't think about anything else.
These two tips are what I beleive to be the most important especially when applied to ultramarathons. I hope to apply these for the next race with better results. I hope you can apply these lessons within your training or if so, be more aware of just how crucial these two can be.
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