Monday Group

        I had to postpone Monday’s morning run to the evening, at which time I joined the 6 pm group run at Fleet Feet sports, where I also work. School has severely curtailed my ability to hang out with this crowd, but I made it this time. It’s always good to see friends. The Pearl Izumi shoe rep brought these dudes for us to take for a spin:

These are their new M3 stability shoes. They are super soft, and have lots and lots and lots of cushion. The medial side of the shoe is not colored differently (a trait of virtually any stability shoe), but the sole of the shoe does have a different color to set it apart. They are still true to their triathlon heritage in that the upper is still seamless, which plays a part in eliminating a source of rubbing and discomfort.

            I am a neutral striker so I didn’t really notice the added support, but I did notice the pillow-soft feel to them. While they are outstanding, I’m not accustomed to sinking into the shoe as I run. I felt like I had to work harder out of each stride. These would be outstanding shoes for a heavier person or someone with a heavier footstrike.

            Which brings us to the run itself. The route changed since my last group run, and it was five of the toughest miles I’ve run recently, featuring some of Athens’ most challenging hills. It helped knowing it was basically flat/slight downhill for the last mile. Postgame featured a chance to catch up with some friends, as well as a reward of yummy smoothie form the health food store across the street.

            So it makes four consecutive run days, which included 6x800 at about 3:35-3:40 per interval, and some weights on Sunday. I’m pretty sure I’m going to run the Marigold 10K in May, the same race I ran last year and set a PR. Those interval times will get me down to 7:20 per mile or better, so I’m confident I can get it done. Just have to keep after it and build a sturdy mileage base, which has been spotty at times here in the last few months.