Running Past the Pain

Heading into 2016, I had no clue what to expect with my running. 2015 had been such a difficult year dealing with several injuries. I had got to the point where when I ran I was more focused on what was hurting than actually running. This is not a good mental or physical place to be in when pounding pavement or traversing trails. I gutted it out because I wanted to run so badly, but I have to admit that I was not enjoying the experience. When the calendar turned to January 1st 2016, I had mostly rehabbed my plantar fasciitis that plagued me through the entire second half of 2015. At this point I had not run a race since the Cherry Blossom 10 miler in April of 2015. So I went into 2016 with cautious hope.

My initial goal was to just get out and run pain free. I had not signed up for any races and frankly had not intention of running one until I could get 5 miles in without any pain. Due to the weather in Virginia in January running outside is difficult. So things started out slowly. Which is probably a good thing in hindsight as one of the hardest things to do when you are coming off an injury is to stay restrained early on in your return to running. I only ran 7 times in January and most of those were on the dreadmill. I stayed at 4 miles or under and my pace times were slow. However, I ran without pain. It gave me hope.

As February came around I started to mix in some cycling on the stationary bike. Up to this point in my running career I had not really cross-trained all that much. While I was injured I did some reading about how cross-training can help reduce the likelihood and impact of running related injuries as well as benefit overall fitness. I had often done yoga to help with flexibility and recovery, but very little else. The interesting thing I started to realize was that doing other activities is stimulating in that it breaks up the monotony of doing the same routine all the time. It also requires more focus as you are learning something new. In addition to the cycling I also started doing a little strength training. Obviously the cold weather is conducive to being inside and the gym fortunately provides one access to many various forms of exercise. My running improved as I reached my 5 mile goal and continued to do so without pain. There was definite joy in what is otherwise a generally bleak month.

As March got into full swing and spring was on the horizon, I began having visions of racing again. I had run the last two Cherry Blossom races and although I had been denied a lottery entry into the 2016 race, my then girlfriend had been accepted and could not run due to her own injury suffered in the Marine Corps Marathon. I decided that I had just enough time to train and she was gracious enough to give up her bib so that I could run. This gave me the motivation I needed to ramp up my running. It was also at this time that I decided to get a personal trainer to continue with my cross-training. I needed to learn some better lifting techniques and flexibility training exercises that would benefit my running. This turned out to be a great idea and in combination with my continued use of cycling I saw very fast improvements in both distance and pace. By the end of March I was up to 9 miles and feeling pretty good about the upcoming race in early April.

The Cherry Blossom is one of DC's premiere running events every year. The race has 20k+ runners and walkers and a race course that starts at the Washington Monument and runs down into the River Basin where the cherry blossom trees line the street. When they are in full bloom it is a spectacular scene. 2016 unfortunately featured some early warm weather which induced the cherry blossoms out before the race, so they were mostly gone. The weather on race morning was less than ideal. It was in the low 40's with gusting winds of 30 MPH. I was in good spirits however. I had made it back. This was my first race in one year and I was excited. I truly believe that my cross-training played a huge role in getting me back to this point and healthy. I was not quite at peak running shape, but mentally I was all in. The race went well and despite the conditions I ran a solid 10 miles. My pace was well below my previous two attempts at running it, but finishing felt really good. This was a runner's win!

The rest of 2016 has been geared towards continuing my ascent to longer race distances. I am running two half marathons before the end of the year and have already run several 5 mile and 10 mile races. My conditioning has reached a peak level that I have not seen since my 2014 marathon training and most importantly I am healthy. I have continued to cross-train, even ramping up the amount of activities each week. This really has opened up my fitness levels to a new spectrum. I also believe it has gone a long way to keeping me from getting injured. Being in my 40's means paying close attention to my body. I do not recover the same way I did in my 20's and 30's. That does not mean that I cannot achieve outstanding results, however I just cannot take the same path to greatness. I truly believe that while 2015 was a trying year filled with disappointment, the process of going through those injuries has helped me to become a better runner. Who knows, perhaps another marathon is on the horizon in 2017! Baby steps.

So what injury stories do you have?
How did you overcome them?
What did you learn?

Our greatest triumphs often arise out of our most tragic defeats.

Product Review: Brooks PureFlow 5's (Initial Impressions)

As some of you may know, Brooks is my favorite running shoe manufacturer. Brooks shoes just fit my feet right and for the price they have been my go to since 2013. I have worn a number of various lines of Brooks over the last few years and feel that I am more qualified to start speaking to the various aspects of the shoes that make them good. Since I just received my PureFlow 5's via the delivery driver today, lets begin with these new slick kicks.

The PureFlow series is described by Brooks as a neutral show that emphasizes agility and light weight feel. I would definitely agree with this description. As soon as you put them on, the weight stands out noticeably. The other thing that stands out immediately is the tongue. It seems larger and has more cushion than other Brooks shoes I have tried. I don't know why they chose to do this, but I will say that due to the larger size you will have to adjust your socks accordingly. If you wear ankle high socks like me, the tongue will rub on your leg and I had a slight abrasion after my run. Nothing significant, but the longer your run the more that will be pronounced.

I have worn the PureFlow 3's previously and enjoyed the lighter feel, but with my heavy heel striking I had some issues with the lack of heel cushion. The 5's have definitely stepped that up a little and on my first run I did not experience any issues with my heels during or after my run. The heel area also features a rounding towards the back of the sole which is designed to help with joint pain. I cannot really tell from one run if that is true or not, but I will say if you are a heavy heel striker you will have to adjust a little to the feel of the shoe on that end. It isn't a big difference, but some might notice it more than others.

One of the big changes from previous models is the flexibility of the shoe. The shoe is very bendable through the mid area and as a result you get a more natural feel while running as the shoe contours to the terrain under your feet. Brooks also added a wrap-around collar to emphasize the shoes natural feel as you run. I like the collar and would love to see that applied to some of their other shoe lines as well. While you could not describer these shoes as being stability oriented, they offer a nice middle ground. I enjoyed the more foot to the ground feel as I ran. I personally do not think I could wear these shoes for longer than 10 mile runs, but I would likely focus on speed runs with these anyhow.

The PureFlow 5's come in 4 color sets. There is a disclaimer on Brooks product page that the shoe runs a little smaller than normal. They say to adjust 1/2 size. I wear a size 10, ordered a size 10 and they fit like a size 10. Obviously if you are at the extreme of a size, then you may need to consider adjusting one way or the other, but I didn't experience any problem.

Finally, lets talk price of the shoe. Perhaps this is the best aspect. I got my pair for $55 with a coupon off Brooks website. However, right now they are listing at $72 which is still very good for a good running shoe. If you are looking for a lightweight neutral shoe for running short to mid distances, these are a good option.

Rating: 3 out of 5 (adjusted due to problem with the tongue)

11/16 Update: After logging some additional miles in the shoes I have some thoughts that may change some of your opinions. First, the tongue of the shoe is a real problem if you like to wear low cut ankle high socks. The tongue is made of a more rigid plastic material and it basically hits against the front part of your ankle while you run. Because of its rigidity this does not feel good after about 6 miles or so. I recently went to the Brooks store in Seattle and was told by one of the sales people that some have been taping the top part down, but my experience with doing that has been mixed. These shoes may require socks that extend up past your ankles. Second, the shoes feel fast. The extra flexibility in the mid section is really ideal for your sprint work outs. The lightness of the shoe feels closer to a speed shoe than a neutral, but you still get better stability especially in the heel. One thing I have noticed is that the shoe runs loud. By this I mean the sound of foot striking seems to be pronounced more so than other Brooks shoes. I am not sure if this is due to the design of the sole of the shoe or what. Just an FYI.

My thoughts on Westworld - Episode 1 (SPOILER ALERT)

I love the premise of Westworld. I want Sci-Fi to go the way of Game of Thrones, because I think Sci-Fi has so much to offer as a genre. The themes and narratives are limitless and lets face it, unlike the fantasy genre, Sci-Fi represents the possible future for humanity. I think this is infinitely more exciting. Obviously HBO is banking on this fact to fill the huge void in their programming schedule for this fall since GoT is not going to be seen again until 2017. As two of my favorite geeks on Co-Optitude would likely say, Lets talk about this f*cker!

The show begins with an interview being conducted of a woman by a man. She is sitting in a dark room on a chair, naked. There is no context given at this point, but it is clear she is not a normal human being. She is asked if she knows where she is, and she responds that she is in a dream. She is asked if she has ever questioned the nature of your reality. She responds no. And this seems to be the driving conundrum you will face as a viewer as you watch the first episode of Westworld. What is the real world vs artificial? Who is good and who is bad? What is the point of all of it?

Westworld is a show based on an original movie directed by the late Michael Crichton back in the 70's. It centers on a luxury amusement park that allows people to purchase adventure in a artificial western world. Essentially they can play cowboys and indians with lifelike androids. These hosts have routines that play out according to "narratives" that the customers choose. The show introduces you to some of these "hosts" as well as the "newcomers" who enter this world to find heroic adventure or just escape reality. You are also introduced to the creators and administrators of this world as they struggle to manage their creations and maintain the experience for the customers.

One of the main differences between Michael Crichton's version of Westworld and this one is mainly about point of view. In the 70's, film the focus is on the newcomers as they enter into an artificial reality and interact with it. In Westworld, the PoV is shifted to that of the hosts and the technicians that monitor and manage the world. The distinction is important to the feel of the show and one that I feel will lead to more questions than answers as the show's creators continue to unveil its secrets. It is easy to root for the humans right? But what if you start to feel compassion for the androids? How would that make you feel about humanity. There are some themes here we have seen before in movies like the Matrix and the Terminator. I am hoping Westworld goes beyond those movies in terms of emotional depth.

As episode one moves forward, you quickly realize that something is wrong in Westworld. The hosts are not all acting according to their narratives. Their seems to be something wrong and the technicians are not able to determine the cause or the exact problem. Obviously, this is going to be a central theme of the show moving forward. For now thought the viewer is left trying to figure out who are the protagonists and antagonists. It is really not clear, and I am okay with that.

The show is really going to evolve around the idea of what does it mean to be human. Something that Sci-Fi has touched on for decades in various forms. These android hosts look real, act real, and can provide very real fantasies to the newcomers. However, they are machines created by humans to serve a purpose. What happens though when they start to act on their own accord and form their own intentions and purpose of action? This is where the show will either fail or succeed. Can it make us care about these non-humans so that we feel compassion for what they are going through. Does it make us choose a side? Perhaps we question our own humanity.

There will be violence, sex, love and hatred. Like Game of Thrones, Westworld is going to take the viewer through the emotional spectrum and leave them at the altar of despair and then do it again. It will push the envelope of what is acceptable. Already we have seen a powerful scene that features a dark mysterious character pulling one of the main hosts into a barn for nefarious purposes. These kind of themes have been explored in GoT and the media has had a field day with it. I suspect we will see the same kind of coverage, despite the fact that the hosts are not actually real people. Or are they? Hmmmmm. The potential is limitless here for discussion and emotional response.

Needless to say I am excited. The cast for this show is really powerful with some amazing actors, Anthony Hopkins anyone?!

If the writers can take this cast and produce a powerful and coherent story line, I believe we will all be hailing Westworld as the Sci-Fi version of GoT! That is something to be very excited about indeed.