Marathon Training Update

I’m officially into Week 6 of Marathon training. How did that happen so fast? Anyway, so far, so good. I haven’t done any distance I haven’t done before, so right now it just feels like I’m training for a half marathon. Its going to get real in a few weeks when I have to run a 15 miler…that will be my longest distance I’ve ran to date, and that isn’t until the first weekend of September…which actually isn’t that far away now that I think about it.

I’ve also been struggling with my running shoes since starting marathon training. Its a never-ending battle. Back in April, I bought a pair of Nike Air Pegasus that I got fitted for at our local running shoe store, Fleet Feet. They felt great at first but after almost 200 miles (not even 200!) I think they are shot. My feet hurt during my long runs and they just aren’t comfortable anymore. My feet ache in the morning (Plantar Fasciitis) and they hadn’t been hurting like that before I got those shoes, so I think they might be the cause of it acting up. I think I may start wearing my night splints, which are these fabric things you strap around your feet at night to keep you feet in a 90 degree angle to prevent the PF pain in morning. My podiatrist recommended them years back when I was overweight and having foot pain, and diagnosed me with PF. It makes running in the early morning difficult, because my feet ache for the first half mile of my run.

My splints look something like this…attractive, right?

(source)

Anyway, I ordered a new pair of Brooks Glycerin running shoes to hopefully remedy the situation. They were the best fitting ones in the store when I tried on approx. every pair of running shoes in the place. I’ve given up on Fleet Feet since they never carry my size…an 8.5 -9 in WIDE. My orthotics fit great in them, too, so that’s a plus! I hope they work out. I feel like I’m in that never-ending search for the perfect running shoe that will make my poor feet happy, I’ve come to think that maybe they don’t exist for me… I have never ran in Brooks before, so we’ll see..maybe they will be “THE ONES”.

Someone likes shoe boxes.

Well, that’s the update on marathon training! I’ll do a few more of these as time goes on to keep you in the loop!