Boost

So, I’m pretty bad about blogging overall. I don’t usually feel like I have anything super interesting to say. I train hard, but it’s relatively standard stuff. My life right now is mostly made up of eat, sleep, run, work repeat.



There is something that has brought me out of blogging semi-retirement. The adidas energy Boost. Hands down these are the best shoes I have ever put on my feet. I love running in them so much that I can’t even bring myself to wear a different pair of shoes on my four mile easy runs. My big fear right now is that I won’t be able to get replacement pairs throughout the year because I am told that the quantities are pretty limited in the initial stages of Boost.



For full disclosure, I am on the BRC adidas club team and the man of my dreams works for adidas. However, I am not on a contract with adidas so I am in no way obligated to blog about the Boost. I am going to try to convince you to try them on and I hope that you love them as much as I do.



Since this is my blog, I am going to talk about myself a little bit. I have been on the BRC adidas team since 2006. In the last couple of years, I feel like adidas and myself have both really stepped up our game in the running department. I committed myself 100% to training hard and becoming the best runner that I can be and adidas has committed resources towards becoming a leader in the specialty running industry again culminating with the Boost. I only hope that I can perform up to the level of Boost this year (too bad it isn’t an Olympic year).



Now, on to the good stuff. Like I said, I do pretty much every run in the Boost except my tempo runs and track workouts. I used to trade off between the Glides for my easy days and the Aegis or Bostons on my long runs. Now, I just wear the Boost. I have run over 350 miles in my Boost and they feel as good as the day I got them.



I try to run on dirt as much as possible. I don’t really like to do much running on the roads because I feel like it beats up your body a bit more. We have been getting a fair amount of snow lately, so I have been relegated to the roads the last few days. It is a different feeling running in the Boost. I feel like I am actually getting return from the road as opposed to feeling flat.



In general, my legs haven’t felt nearly as beat up since I started running in the Boost. Elite runners are always walking that fine line between injury and staying healthy. I honestly haven’t run in them enough to have a good sense of whether or not they will have a positive impact on injury prevention. I do know that my legs feel much better after an 18 mile long run in the Boost than they do in other shoes. Cushion has always been an important part of my running shoe make-up (not sure why anyone would ever run barefoot, ouch), which I believe is why I feel so good in the Boost. It is just the right amount of cushion that allows your feet to move and stay strong.



Last thought on the shoes – they are heavenly in the winter time. They don’t feel rock hard in some of the colder temperatures that I face on my 6 am runs. Also, sometimes I leave my shoes in my car during the day, only to be running on bricks for my second run. That doesn’t happen with the Boost.



I have my first race since training in the Boost next weekend. I have no idea what to expect from this race as it is my first race back from the marathon. I do know that I will be relying on Boost to help with my recovery from the race.



adidas is going to have several unveiling nights at local running stores with test Boost for you to try out. Before you start thinking “yeah, yeah new midsole, heard that before…” I urge you to at least go and try a pair on you just might fall in love like I did. It’s a good year to be running in adidas.

On the Comeback Trail (again)

Welp, I will say that it has been a wee bit of a long 7 weeks and 2 days composed of a lot of bike-time and even more pool-time. But finally, and I say this while throwing the entire shaker of salt over my shoulder and crossing my fingers...light at the end of the tunnel!

The estimated downtime assigned back in December was "4-6 weeks off." I had happily determined this to translate to "2 weeks off", owing to the week I took off after Clubs in combination with fact that I was only running 3 or 4 days a week for the month leading up to Clubs, so that had to add like 3 more weeks in there somewhere, right? Give or take a few days. So one week plus 3 more weeks is already 4 weeks, so if I took off 2 more solid weeks then BOOM I took 6 weeks off. This seemed like completely sound reasoning. Easy peezy lemon squeezy! Silly broken toe.

But apparently it doesn't really work that way.

Whatever. So here we are 7 weeks later, and while it was longer than my initially anticipated Dr.Payne prescribed 2 week layoff, I am pleased to say that I made it through 29 of those days without a single irrational or psychotic thought darkening my psyche, that's a PR by about 28.5 days! But after watching my teammates kick ass at Fast and Flurryous up in Boulder a few weeks ago, for some reason I got back home from the race and went to the pool, started "running", and was suddenly consumed with the unreasonable notion that I would never run again. Ever.

"THIS WILL NEVER HEAL," screamed the voice of Unreason, "NOT EVER. I WILL BE RUNNING IN CIRCLES IN THIS POOL FOR 2 HOURS A DAY EVERY DAY FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE UNTIL THE CHLORINE EATS AWAY MY AQUA-JOGGER AND SWIM SUIT AND I, NAKED AND WEAKENED WITH DEPAIR, WILL SINK SADLY INTO THE FAKE-BLUE DEPTHS NEVER TO BE SEEN AGAIN. Please, no one save me."

Thus ended my 29 day streak.

I don't know how I always seem to forget that this point seems to come with nearly every prolonged setback, yet my worst fears have never actually come to fruition. In retrospect, I'm not actually sure why I ever even bother worrying in the first place. Even though sitting on the sidelines was no less difficult than usual, and even though watching the live-stream of the U.S. Cross Country Champs was something akin to watching a beloved, much-adored pet screeching and writhing in its death throes while dying some kind of terrible, drawn-out, agonizing death from which I could not save it (although I did really enjoy watching our girls and guys and my college coach running around out there. Good job everyone, and thanks Runnerspace.), and even though I learned that I really need to stay off Facebook, Twitter, Letsrun, Runcolo, Flotrack and any/all other forms of social networking/media running-related or otherwise during downtime in an effort to avoid hearing all about everyone else's awesomeness, the healing process did not fail.

There is something about seeing your embarrassingly slow walk-jogs (wogs) gradually transform into actual pain-free running--or what passes for running right now anyway--that suddenly makes me realize that once again, there was no need to fear, it's actually going to be okay, and I did not stop loving it in the meantime.

I'm not 100% sure what's coming up in terms of races, first things first for now. Possibly a St. Pat's day rust-buster race or who knows, maybe I will end up on the track later this spring. Although as previously mentioned, on a track everyone else looks like this:

Meanwhile, I more closely resemble this guy here on the left:

So try not to get too excited.


Thanks for reading! Until next time, in recognition of the upcoming Valentine's Day, I will leave you all with this hug-train of koalas:

And a hug-train of cats:

First Blog

Since it's my first blog, I figure it is my responsibility to fill you in on some details about my life.  After college I moved to the Woodlands, Texas, having the opportunity to run with an olympic development group and one of the greatest high school coaches of all time, Danny Green. After being plagued by injury, I had to do something different. 

I decided to move back to Colorado, to be surrounded by optimal weather, altitude, and hundreds of thousands of miles of trails. So I packed up everything I owned (which wasn't much, considering I could fit it in my VW Golf) and traveled across the country. I didn't really know where or what I was doing, but I needed a change and a different outlook on life. I moved to Alamosa for the summer with my girlfriend. Although I hadn't really run for the last 4 months or so in the Woodlands, my life was surrounded by running and it was the reason I was there. It was getting to me... badly. I was depressed!  Moving to Alamosa gave me a physical and mental break from running.  I was living with no direction, no job, but I was happy, surrounded by friends, and getting healthier by the day. 

I met with coach Scott Simmons in July at the Olympic Training Center.  After speaking with him, I knew he was going to help me get back to running again.  His training philosophies were very similar to mine and I loved his optimism.  We were going to start fresh, almost as if I had never taken a step in my life.  Most importantly, he was flexible and was going to work with my injuries with a gradual progression.

So that's what we did. I packed up my bags and moved to Manitou Springs, Colorado. It is the home of Pikes Peak, the Cog Railroad, and Garden of the Gods. Overwhelmed by the beauty, I wake up every morning and remind myself that I'm not on vacation, this is where I live. I live a simple life, in a very simple cottage, nestled snugly on the side of a mountain.... and I love it! 

In august I started running 15-20 minutes every other day and with a gradual progression, my training is almost where it needs to be.  I train with the American Distance Project with runners I only wished I could be like when I first entered college.  My shape progressed faster than I thought it would. I am now doing workouts that I couldn't do even in the best shape of my life and running workouts with Robert Cheseret, Augustus Maiyo, Leonard Korir, and Kyle Heath really gives me confidence for the future.  My weeks are getting bigger and my intensity is increasing.  Here I come 2013!

Currently, I work at Boulder Running Company (who paired with Adidas is my sponsor).  Working at a running store gives me the flexibility to be able to train and travel when I need and my boss does a great job working with my schedule.  It is greatly appreciated. 

Oh yea.... I failed to mention that I also live with 4 of my closest friends. My girlfriend of course, along with Drew Soucy, Scott Kimbell, and Mario Macias.  They are living with Addison and I until they find a place. According to Scott, that will be early February, but he has been saying that for months now :) Anyway, I really don't mind. It keeps things interesting.  I always have a running buddy and there is always something to do.  So.... if you are planning to move to the area you can come stay at Hostel de Birdsong. Ha! 

There is not much more to say. I hope you enjoyed my first blog and I will see you guys soon.

Cheers