Feb 13/14 workouts and Clif Shot Bloks review

 Feb 13 WORKOUT: 6mi run 9:20-9:30  avg pace (stopped my Garmin and forgot to start it again!)

20x 5 sets push ups

.....This was a bummer run. Walking down my hill before I started my run my shoe was hurting me SO bad (more on that below) that I had to resort to shoving my thin stretchy little glove in there to give me some cushioning and after that I was finally able to start  my run.  Bummer.

Also.

On this run I decided to try out a Clif Shot Blok.

.

 

I was going to be running my long run this weekend with a buddy and experimenting with this for the first time so I thought I'd better try it on my own to see what sneaky little trick it might try on me.

It was around 23* this morning. I had it in a pouch in my hydration belt and pulled it out at mile 3 (around 30 min into the run.)

FROZEN. SOLID.

Bummer.

I could barely get my teeth a hair-width into the surface and it about glued my teeth to it!!!

I had just one block and I had put it in a baggie so I stuck the baggie in the waistband of my shorts and pulled it out again about 10 min later, it was JUST thawed enough that I could gnaw off a little corner of it. So this whole experience put a bad taste in my mouth about the Shot Bloks (no pun intended). BUT the next day I tried a 'room temp' block and didnt mind it so bad. The Black Cherry is actually quite yummy.  Its far gummier than I like though and it took a lot of tongue licking to get the last remnants off my back teeth. Bleh.  So the jury is still out on this fuel option.

 

But anyway, lets get back to that whole shoe issue I referred to above...

 

 So it all started the end of January. Hubby got me a LOVELY pair of new running shoes. Nike Air Max's (2009s as that year is awesomesauce for the Maxs). Mine were stepping up on 400 miles so I knew it was time to give them the ol' boot.

Anyway, I got them a few days before my birthday and over the course of the next week and a half I wore them for 3 easy treadmill runs, then Sat the 9th I wore them for an easy 8 miler outside.

All was fine.

Monday, I ran in them for 4 miles with a buddy (a teeny bit faster than easy pace for me) and then did a speedy 1 mile before heading home. The end of that run, or perhaps the walk home, the shoe started to hurt a little bit-right on the bone on the inside of my left foot, below my big toe. I dont think it bugged me too bad though...

 

Wednesdays run though? Ouch. On the warm up 2 minute walk down my hill, I considered turning around and just coming home. It. HURT.

I tried to run to see if that would help. Nope. Worse. So I stopped a few time that first couple minutes to try to tie my shoes a different way (looser, tighter, move the sock arouind etc). Nothing helped. Finally a shoved my stretchy cotton glove in there as cushioning and that helped enough to let me complete my run.

 

So on Thursday, I opted to run on the 'mill

 

And here was my workout prep for that morning:

From left to right: My mean new purple shoes, My kind but ready-to-be-retired pink shoes, an extra pair of socks and if you look close, a black stretchy cotton glove....

 FEB 14 WORKOUT: 2 mi on the 'mill 1% incline 22:05 (old shoes)
                                     2 mi on the 'mill 1% inline 21:00 (new shoes)
                                     Also did 3 sets of planks 2:00-1:40-1:40


I thought I would come to this workout prepared.  Tried to start off in my new shoes and it was a no-go. Tried 2 pairs of socks, shoving the glove in there. Nothin'.  So I put the old shoes on and did 2 miles and THEN put the new shoes on and they were fine.  WEIRD. So now I'm super nervous to run in the new shoes this weekend (13 miles) but I dont know if I should run 13 miles on my almost-miled-out old shoes.  What to do??

 *Here is the area of shoe that is bugging me

 *Here is the area on my foot that is bugged

* Here's where I had to run on Thursday instead of the great outdoors. >pout<

So I have a few options that I'm thinking on:
1.running tomorrow morning but doing 2 easy miles in my old shoes and looping back home to change into my new shoes.
2. running tomorrow morning in my old shoes for the whole run (and let my foot have a break from the mean shoes.
3: run Sunday afternoon (cuz it's supposed to be a high of 54*  on Sunday. In Nebraska. In February!!) and do one of the 2 options above as far as the shoe circus is concerned.

Stayed tuned....