New Shoes and a Run

I ordered a pair of Saucony Kinvara 2 running shoes this week. Received them on Friday from Amazon. I'm absolutely not a runner. I am dipping into the pool. I resisted the 'barefoot' running thing long enough to wade through the theories about why it seems to cause less injuries and strengthen the lower leg so well. That allowed me to find 'mid-foot' running. It's the premise of Chi, pose, and a number of other running styles, apparently. I talked with a kid that worked for our company who was on the GaTech running team and he told me that mid-foot is where it's at. So I felt like I was barking up the right tree.

I read a boat load of reviews from This Dude and decided that I didn't want to jump straight into 'minimalist' running shoes right away (like the Nike Free 3.0), but instead would try one of the transitional shoes he recommended. I went with the most visible and flashiest color they had and ordered up a pair. I was stoked to find that they come in half sized through 12.5. I have a pair of Nike Free+ in 12 that I purchased last year with the intention of starting a running program. I liked the shoes, but they felt about 1/2 size too small and a few of my small toes would rub and bunch after a jog. The 12.5's in Saucony seem PERFECT.

I'm not a runner, yet. I'm using running as a means to an end. That end, specifically, is to improve my cardio conditioning for sparring and fighting.  I know in Muay Thai training camps in Thailand, they run 3-5 miles every morning before beginning training for the day. Road work is a common and sometimes hated facet of a fighters training program. I had to take the plunge.

Due to limited training time, I am going to cycle 8 week 'programs' of either strength or cardio training in with my fight training. I started my running program a few weeks ago. I have run two times a week since I started, but only about a mile at a time. My new shoes are awesome, light, and comfortable.

Yesterday I went for a run with each dog for a mile, then a solo run for a total of about 3.5 miles. That's the furthest I've ever run. I just listened to Joe Rogan's podcast and just zoned out and trotted. I paid attention to my stride, trying to emulate the mid-foot stride I had been reading about. Today I'm feeling good. I'll go for another run tomorrow A.M.

I'll do my best to log my mileage to see how the shoes hold up, as well as for a training log.

Also did 2 miles 2/12/12