River Jam Race: Complete!

I was nervous going into this race because I hadn't run since the Time Laps Relay. I laced up my Brooks Pure Flow shoes with an ankle brace on my left for protection and just had to trust myself to do my best.

The 5k and 10k River Jam Races started at the same time. We ran the first two and a half miles of the race over the same course. I started near the front of the pack at the starting line but then tried to go out at a brisk 10k pace and let the 5k folks sprint by. I think the start line adrenaline did get me a little while looping around the whitewater channel but once we got into the woods I took it slower and settled into a more sustainable pace. Hurrah for the awesome white haired runner who can fall down the trail and get back up to keep on truckin! I wanna run and be that nimble when I'm older.

I felt so torn for the first three miles of the race because I didn't want to let racing 5kers pull me out too fast so that I'd expend my energy too soon. But I also wanted to be sure I was still racing. I felt good, strong, and relaxed but I knew I still had the other 3miles to do after we separated from the 5kers.

I run the pink RiverJam Run loop often and it breezed by quickly. I got stuck behind one fellow on the last uphill before we split off to the second half of the course, but managed to pass him once the ground flattened out on top of the hill. 

I was excited to find that there was a water station at the half way point. But, I got so distracted when I saw it that I missed the cut through turn for the second half of the race and I did an extra 30ft  of running because I exited and then re-entered the trail head paths. I do believe the water table itself may have been blocking the arrows for the turn though. I also can't blame the water station attendants for not directing me because I had no identifying marks to distinguish which route I was running.

I was steady climbing people during the whole race. It was encouraging to find that being in the race environment made me look ahead on the trail to the next person to pass. It kept my pace up and I would quicken it to catch and pass by someone.

There where much fewer people running the 6mile race. So, when we split off from the 5kers we where much more spread out on the trail and I wouldn't see another runner for a quarter to half mile at a time. I do feel like my last few miles may have been faster than the first because I was trying to catch up as much as I could to the front runners. I didn't know my place but was hoping I might be in the top 3 ladies. It was encouraging to pass as few ladies- both running and mountain biking- in the last few miles. I wish perhaps that I had started my watch at the beginning of the race so that I would have known my pace approximately after the first half of the race and could have maybe pushed harder.

I was also rather proud of myself for staying calm and relaxed over most of the race distance when pushing past people- especially in the last few miles. I let my nerves and insecurities get the better of me a little though, when I came out of the woods and it was time for a kick at the end to the finish over the last half mile. This just means I need to work on building my mental toughness and pace confidence.

After crossing  the finish line I realized that the ankle brace gave me better confidence to run down hills, but it also gave me some nice blisters on my achillies tendon. This does scare me a fair amount because it was the ankle brace I wore for an entire season after spraining my ankle at cross country camp in high school that gave me my achillies tendonitis issues in the first place. I don't want to cause more damage or irritation that may hinder my training. Hopefully this will mend itself during my time off between training plans. I also got a nice little blister under my left little toe nail.

I lost my ponytail tie to gravity and centrifugal force in the last mile and drew a few strange looks as I ran the last bit of the race with my long hair flowing freely in the wind.

The race distance was a little long. Another friend running the race clocked his distance at 6.8miles with a gps device. That means my average pace was closer to 8:46 min/mi. which I suppose is ok. I'm racing at fairly consistent paces from the 5k to 10k. I suppose that shows something, that I can hold the same pace over a longer distance. I will need to get faster though if I'm gunna qualify eventually for the Boston Marathon.

Over all it was a good race. I paced well and pushed a little. I need to re-learn how to push a little more. I got my hopes up for finishing in the top 3 ladies and didn't but I have to remind myself not to be too disappointed because running a marathon is the ultimate goal. I'm not training to be a 10k'er.
Find more info about this race, and future River Jam Races HERE.

10k: Week Nine

Race week! How will it go? I had planned on tapering my training this week, but not so much as taking the whole week off- we'll see what happens.

Mon 3mi run+core- My legs from my calves down are still crazy swollen from the Time Laps Relay. I wore compression socks all day to hopefully cut down on the swelling. My sprained ankle is still swollen but it doesn't hurt like it did.

Tue 30min cross- Jay's in town! I got to go play at work with him, his sister Katie, and her boyfriend Paul. We did just a few courses and then went rodeo rafting. It was a blast! I haven't been rafting in probably over a year. I wore an ankle brace all day to help rest and stabilize my ankle- especially when rafting. In the evening Wayne and I gave honey a crazy lion haircut to keep her cooler in the summer. We may do some more trimming to make her more lion like.


Wed 15min easy- I meant to bike and go to the gym yesterday to still allow my ankle to recover while working and moving my muscles to keep them up to speed for the race but...I had a team edition today at work and got to show a lovely group of Lenore Ryne college leaders around the center. I tried to bike and walk as much as possible to keep my muscles moving while working. My ankle swelling is much better today. I tried to shift my weight to my right leg when standing for a while to take pressure off my ankle joints.

Thr Race!- Admittedly I was disappointed when I crossed the finish line and saw that the time clock read 59minutes. It would have been nice to run a little faster and place in the top three ladies and receive a prize...but, moving on beyond my pouting and moping, it was a decent race! I was the 6th lady to cross the finish line. The 5k and 10k races started at the same time and we ran the first half of the 10k race with the 5k runners. This did concern me a bit with pacing in the first 3miles, but I think it worked out. I do think I went out fast in the first half mile but then settled in to race pace when we entered the wooded trails. I felt great and stayed pretty relaxed during the whole race. No one passed me and I was able to race and pass people over the entire distance. I did let my mind get the better of me a bit in the last half mile or so when we came back out of the woods and it was time for a push to the finish. I feel like if I had stayed a little more calm and determined in the last leg I could've had a better final kick.


This was a short week of [not] training. I will try to do a little more time off for recovery between training plans. Maybe 2 weeks off total, including the time off this week, dependin on how I feel.
 On to the half marathon next! I have plenty of time before the September 26th Wild Vine Half Marathon. We'll see how well training for this 10k has given me a sturdy mileage base to build on.

10k: Week Seven

I'm starting to feel like this training plan is actually doing some good now that my long runs on Saturday are back up in the 5mile range. Training for this distance has definitely been different. We'll see how it pays off in the future.

My sprained ankle started aching about halfway through last week. I suppose I should still ice and elevate it when I can. The swelling has completely gone and it doesn't hurt to run on it but it aches a little when I sit and cross my ankles. I have noticed some imbalances between my legs while running though, and think it may be weakness in the ankle as it finishes recovering. I'll try to be kind to it.

Mon 3mi run +core- My family (Donna and Lauris, JD, Melissa and Tate) came and surprised me at work today! Thank you guys it was really nice to see you. I did a 3mi loop around the whitewater channel and Hawfield Rd since the trails where closed. I'm really enjoying that the weather is starting to warm up. I'm trying to start doing a more dynamic warm up before my runs since I recently learned that static stretching may not be ideal or helpful.

Tue 45min cross+strength- I split the cross training between ellypticaling and biking and did two sets of my weight training circuit. My left foot toes are slowly catching up and evening out in comparison to my right foot. Nice to leave the gym again with my muscles shaking just a bit. Exercises are getting easier which means I'm getting stronger. I got to paint my toenails and enjoy the warm weather with Dargo today.

Wed 2mi run- I did a nice swift but relaxed loop around the roads of mount holly with Wayne. We haven't run together in a while. It was nice. We had the day off from work together so we got to visit some local shops we've been hoping to for a while. We stopped in a local specialty running store called Walk and Run Belmont. They had some specialty running shoes that other big box stores don't have and the fellow that helped me was super helpful and willing to discuss my running history and preferences in order to find the right shoe for me. I would recommend the store to any runner! I bought a pair of brooks pure flow 3's. These are the next step toward transitioning to a more neutral shoe that works with my foot. They're light weight, squishy, and much less ridged than may Asics shoes. They have a 4mm heel drop apposed to the 13mm drop in my Asics. I'll slowly transition into them by wearing them once a week on my two mile shake out runs. Hopefully these will be nice on the trails by giving me more connection, ground feel, and flex over uneven terrain while still protecting me from sharp rocks.

Fri 60min cross+core- Split my training between ellypticaling and biking again. The Mount Holly "Soul Patrol" was having it's monthly meeting and meal. It was nice to see several seniors in the gym working on their fitness. My sprained ankle is indeed causing imbalances in how the tendons and muscles move in my left foot. I hope it will even out soon.

Sat 5.5mi run- I did two 2.75mi loops around downtown mount holly with Wayne. We got to see the vendors setting up and the start of the Spring Fest 5k Race. I'm a little sad I had to work all day and had to miss the actual festival but I was extremely glad come the end of the work day, at 7pm, that I didn't still have to go run 5.5mi- potentially in the dark again.

5k: Week Eight

One more week till the race! Very Excited. These are my first and last weekday training runs over race distance. Just after the 5k last year is the place where I fell out of training but, I feel much better this year physically and mentally. I don't have five months filled by a stressful 80hour work week job that doesn't let me live with my husband ahead of me. The year is off to a great start!

Mon 3.25mi- It got too dark after work so instead of running outside I went to the gym and did my 25min bike. No weights in the gym since we were going to try to make it to the rock climbing gym. Because I was in a bit of a hurry (not that I can speed up time by pedaling faster) I don't think the biking was as quality as last week. I don't feel like I used quite the right muscles. Hamstrings tight after.

Tue 25min bike+strength- Ran 3.25mi after work to the local park and back. Found myself getting frustrated with Wayne. The purpose of our runs is different. I'm trying to run this weekly plan and build form and go easy when i'm supposed to vs. he runs once or twice a week whenever he "can" and each run is a speed challenge. When I go slower than he wants he starts jumping over bushes and weaving back and forth through trees like football or military drills. Makes me feel inadequate because i'm not ready to go that fast. I have to take a deep breath and remind myself not to push the pace too much so early into my year of training so that I won't get injured. Some days i'm better at running my own pace than others.

Wed 2mi- Small loop around Mt Holly's main streets with Wayne. I think the shorter distance allowed me to not mind the faster pace but I also tried to keep my own pace more.

Fri 3.25mi- Ran to Tuckaseegee Park on my own again. The run has made my quads more sore than I'd expect both times. there's a half mile of steady downhill on the way there and then steady uphill on the way back. I think that's what affects my legs most on this rout. I'm ready to run on softer surfaces. I'm a little tired of having mud and puddles in the grass everywhere.

Sat 60min- Ran a nice long stretch of the Carolina Thread Trail. It was quite muddy in spots which is why the USNWC's trails are still closed due to all the rain and snow we've had over the last few weeks. The race next week is on wooded trails and I decided I should run trails today to prepare for race conditions. My form in my new shoes is, I believe, better but my body is adjusting. My knees are a little sore after the run. need to do more core and stabilizer exercises.

I stayed up pretty late the last three nights this week and don't think my body's recovering as well. I do need to be better about getting sleep and hydration especially in the days leading up to the race.

I'm also rather frustrated with having a second week in a row where I'm changing up the plan. Maybe not quite as much of a change since I'm still doing all the planned mileage but I don't know how it will affect me one week before the race.

What is underpronation?

I grew up with a mother who worked on her feet a lot. And as many of us who work on our feet know, it can make them complain. Over her career my mother tried to keep her feet happy and went the rout of arch supports, insoles, etc. Growing up I thought of my mom as all knowing- kind of like this song from Disney's Tangled: Mother Knows Best. I love you Mom, you did teach me what you knew and thought was right.

But, because she believed arch supports and insoles where so important so did I. And because having good shoes is one of the key parts of running, I took arch supporting to the extreme with stabilizing pronation control shoes with added stiff cork high arch supports inside. This is what I ran on for years- from my freshman year track season in high school to my sophomore year of college at least. I'm discovering now that in my attempt to preemptively prevent injuries I may have caused some- possibly some of my achillies tendinopathy, and certainly my sprained ankles, because I land so far on the outside of my foot. I have forced my feet to change from neutral or possibly very slight over pronation (which probably would have improved on its own as I got stronger in running) to, at times, extreme supination or under pronation.


So, is there a right amount of pronation? There certainly is something to strive for. Your feet affect the use of joints and muscles as well as the impact on the rest of your body. Therefore normal pronation, which perhaps should be called ideal pronation, is an important part of an efficient runner's form.

Pronation is the inward rolling movement of the foot as it supports your body weight and absorbs shock. Ideally for normal pronation the arch should only roll, or compress, about fifteen percent in order to help you push off evenly from the front of the foot. The size of a runner's arch can affect its ability to roll. If you have a "normal arch" (indicated in the picture above), you're likely a normal pronator.

I definitely do believe that arch supports have a valuable place in low activity footwear for walking. And I wont deny that my feet feel so much happier when I put on my high arch supporting Birkenstocks. But, I think for now I'm gunna let my feet do what they want to while running, without the extra support. There's got to be a way to work with your feet instead of against them. Our body and feet have evolved over thousands of years, and humans where running long before high-tech shoes where invented. I'm not completely a minimal forefoot running convert. I don't know if my lower legs could handle it after all I have forced them to do over the course of approximately six years. But the research I've done on this topic suggests that as long as I make some transitions slowly I can become a healthier, less ridged and more efficient runner.

For an awesome article on foot mechanics, see this article by the British Journal of Sports Medicine brought to my attention by a Facebook post from my mother today. Thanks Ma! It uses a lot of scientific jargon but it's an informative read about the differences between running and walking and the roll the arch of our foot plays in our evolution. The article suggests foot exercises and addresses the barefoot minimalist shoes idea.

So, what is under pronation?

I found this really awesome RW video HERE.  It seems kind of crazy to me, to watch this video and notice that the runners muscle development is shaped so much like mine. Imagine that, foot strike shapes muscle formation! Click the link to read the full length article. It describes all styles of pronation and, by reading you can determine your own pronation type too!


I bought my last pair of shoes right after moving to Charlotte. That was a year an a half ago! While I haven't done any long term training plan in them, I have been a recreational runner averaging probably 1-2 runs a week over that time in them. Getting new shoes was long overdue. I've heard shoes should last up to 6 months or 500 miles. I'm certain I've exceeded both of those marks.

Inside of the fore foot doesn't touch the ground anymore

Wear is more noticeable along the outside edges

Each foot/shoe supinates differently

Choosing a pair of new shoes recently was very stressful for me. I discovered there are actually shoes made for people who supinate. Duh, there's a product for everything. But I had to decide how to choose shoes to aid in my transition to a more natural running gait.

Attributes of stability control shoes I'm trying to steer away from:

• Stability shoes have a thick ridged foam or plastic piece as part of the shoes sole under the arch of your foot. It prevents the inside part of the shoe from compressing over the use of the shoe and it holds up the arch to prevent over pronation. 
• Varying degrees of stability shoes are meant to have the runner heel strike. They have an angle cut into the outside edge of the heel intended to help your foot track through each foot strike, from the outside of your heel through to the middle toe at push off.
• Due to stability and motion control properties of these shoes your foot may not be able to bend and flex as it naturally should because the shoe is inflexible.
• Because stability shoes are intended for the runners wearing them to be heel strikers there is often a LOT of padding under the heel which causes the shoes to almost be like high heels. The idea is that having a higher heel will take strain off the achillies and calves. But this is not the natural evolutionary intent for our running form.

How do I transition slowly enough to prevent fatigue or injury from my body getting used to less structure in my shoes? How do I choose a shoe that will hold up to the mileage I plan to put in them between now and September when I run the half marathon? When buying my newest pair of running shoes last week, I struggled with deciding how light and flexible, how soft and squishy, how low the heel drop (diff in height between ball of foot and heel in sole thickness), and how neutral to go.

I ended up choosing an Asics gell-evate 2. The brand Asics is now slightly scary to me because that's what I have been wearing for most of my running career. I have a negative association with the brand and the over compensating I've been doing. But these shoes are neutral, even slightly supination minded shoes. I will not put my stiff cork insoles in them and we'll see what my foot does naturally. These Asics shoes are not as flexible or squishy as I'd hoped, nor do they have a lower heel drop but, I felt that they would be more durable than some of the other soft foam easy flexing shoes that I tried on. These shoes are a small step in the right direction and I'll meet more of the natural foot movement enabling criteria with my next pair. Hopefully a fresh start will reduce imbalances.