Thank You Brooks!

I'm still hoping I didn't receive the confirmation by mistake, but I'm thrilled to be a part of the Brooks Inspire Daily program for a third straight year. Yes, even middle-age, slow, semi-injured runners are eligible, apparently.

I started wearing Brooks shoes & gear in the mid-90's (if you don't count my first pair of running shoes in middle school, circa 1978), and would still be wearing them exclusively today even without the sponsorship. I believe in their products that much.

If you haven't yet given them a spin, please do. I'm fortunate to live just up the road from their headquarters (and their outlet store), and enjoy volunteering at their bi-annual clearance sales. I learn more about their products each time.

Even though 2012 will be primarily a 5k-focused year for me, as I try to rebuild from injury, I'll be out there happily and proudly decked out in Brooks shoes & apparel for yet another year.

Run Happy, folks!

CUT OFF!

Why have I been cut off? Well...
Left to right, starting with the top row (all Brooks): Launch, Defyance 3, Defyance 2, Cascadia 3, Defyance 2, (bottom row) Launch, Defyance 3, Defyance 3, Cascadia 5

The only pair currently retired are the Defyance 2's in the upper right hand corner. All shoes in the bottom row are "in the wings", i.e. yet to be added into the rotation.

Mrs. Resurrected Runner has put the kibosh on further shoe purchases for the foreseeable future. Party pooper.

Watch for me on an upcoming episode of "Intervention". Imelda Marcos, eat your heart out.

R.I.P.

Today, I sadly say farewell to my first pair of Brooks Defyance 2 shoes. I normally don't get too nostalgic about my running shoes, but these were special. When I started running in January 2009, after several years of not running due to chronic injuries, I wore the same overbuilt shoes I ran in before I had to quit running. I could tell that the problems would resurface, so after consulting a friend of mine, I settled on a pair of Brooks Defyance 2's - a more neutral trainer. They were the shoes that brought me back to the running world. I ran my first "comeback" race in them last June. I trained for my first half marathon in them.

As the miles built up, they moved further down in my shoe rotation. Recently, I mostly ran my short recovery runs in them. But after 521 miles, and because of some recent knee issues, I need to put them out to pasture for good. Now, even my follow-up pair of Defyance 2's are up to 300+ miles, so they won't be far behind.

So farewell my old friends. You helped me to get back out there.

Shoe Wear

The above photo shows the bottoms of my Brooks Defyance 2 running shoes (pair "A", which is nearing retirement, at 480+ miles. Click on the photo for a closer view). I've been noticing the uneven wear patterns between the left and right shoes (switched in the photo). There are several areas that aren't the same, but I've circled the spot with the most obvious wear pattern differences. I had no idea this was happening. Furthermore, I don't really know what this means, technically speaking. It looks like my right foot rolls straight forward, while my left either lifts up early, or pronates more to the outside. If it's the latter, it certainly doesn't show more wear to the outside of the left shoe than the right one does. I really need to get videotaped while running on a treadmill and watch a slow-motion video to see just what I'm doing. Fortunately, I haven't suffered serious injuries because of this. It could be a leg-length issue, a hip alignment issue...who knows? If anyone reading this has similar wear pattern discrepancies, please let me know - especially if you know what is causing it. Like I said, I'm not really alarmed. Just curious.

Shoe Rotation

Here's a shot of my current running shoe rotation. From left to right (and from highest mileage to lowest): Brooks Defyance 2 (pair "A"), Brooks Cascadia 3, Brooks Defyance 2 (pair "B"), Brooks Launch. Pair "A" of my Defyance 2's is just about ready for retirement.
Love 'em all!

First Run in Brooks Launch

Today was my first run in my new Brooks Launch. Six miles. Got rained on, but still a good run. Shoes felt great. Picked up the pace the last 3 miles (final mile in 7:15) just to see how they'd feel close to race pace. No complaints! They're definitely more "minimal" than the Defyance 2's I usually run in. Felt lighter and more responsive. I seemed to be landing more fore/midfoot than I usually do (and I normally land pretty much midfoot). Didn't wear my Superfeet Green inserts, as I'm trying to wean myself off of them. I'll probably continue rotating 4 pairs of running shoes, so these won't get action every day. Eventually I'll race in them, though.

But I can certainly see what all the fuss is about, though! Thumbs up!

Prepare for Launch

I just picked up my first pair of Brooks Launch today (thanks Arthur!) and I'm anxious to try them out. I put them on as soon as I got home and they fit like they were made for my feet. I now have 4 pairs of running shoes currently in rotation. Not quite up to Imelda Marcos standards, but it should keep me going for awhile. The Launch are lighter and lower-profile than my regular training shoe, the Defyance 2's. The Launch will make their debut on my 6-mile run tomorrow.

Brooks Cascadias / Today's Run

Today I ran an easy 5 miles on a local trail (where I did my hill training for my 5k a couple of months ago). I wore a pair of 2008 Brooks Cascadias, given to me by my friend Arthur. They're still in pretty good shape, with little evidence of wear. Not sure how many miles he put on them before passing them on to me. They felt good on my feet, but my knees felt a little sore by the end of the run (the soreness subsided soon after I finished). The soreness may be due to back-to-back runs after not running much the last several weeks. Anyway, the shoes felt light, very neutral and more "minimal" than I expected. They didn't feel like they had as much cushioning as my regular training shoe (Brooks Defyance 2). Just one run in the Cascadias isn't enough to make a good judgment, but I think I'll end up wearing them at least once a week (probably only on trails), just to mix things up.