Skechers Still My Favorite Running Shoes?

Go Ultra from Competitor.com

Over this past year, I've tried several new running shoes that are not from the Skechers Performance line--Hoka, Altra, and Montrail. The Hoka and Altras just didn't fit right. Hoka Clifton was too narrow in the toebox (common problem for Hokas) and the Altra One2 was just a bit short and tight all over (a bit unusual for them, but this is their racing/speed shoe). Fortunately, I still love my Skechers shoes. Here are the 5 models I currently have in rotation:

• Go Bionic (road)
• Go Run 3
• Go Bionic trail
• Go Run Ride 3
• Go Run Ultra

All of them work well. They have three key common characteristics that I look for in all of my shoes: lightweight and flexible with wide forefoot/toebox. Also, they tend to be very reasonably priced (I rarely pay more than $60 since thay are always on sale somewhere). Still, I'm always looking for that "next perfect" shoe. So, about a month ago, I found the Montrail Fluidflex 2 on sale and grabbed it. It's lightweight and fairly flexible. Past shoe reviews seemed to indicate it had a wide forefoot. It's OK, but not really wide. I've had several runs in them and it's a good shoe. But...it's not as comfy as my Skechers. It does hold my foot well in the heel and midfoot, and it might RACE better than my Skechers for short trail distances (5-7 miles). For regular training and longer racing, I'd still go with my trusty Skechers. 

The Go Run 3 is a fantastic mid distance shoe (3-13 miles), the Go Ultra is a great long distance shoe (30-50 miles). The Go Ride 3 fills the gap for runs and races from 13-30 miles. The Go Bionic trail is a nifty trail runner for almost any distance up to about 50K (31 miles). The Go Bionic road shoe is a fast racer and speed shoe--great for 5K races and speedy repeat workouts. I suppose no SINGLE Skechers model is my perfect shoe, but the full lineup fits all of my needs.  I cannot complain. Skechers running shoes are still my favorites. The Go Run 3 lead me to a new half-marathon PR. The Go Ultra got me to a new 50 mile PR. 

I'll keep looking, but I have a feeling my next "perfect shoe" will simply be a new Skechers Performance model. Maybe the new Go Run 4? Or the Go Ultra 2 (not out yet)? With Meb and Kara as sponsored athletes, I have confidence the brand will continue to grow and produce quality shoes. 

Give Thanks

Happy Thanksgiving to all runners out there. (I suppose if you don't run, I wish you well too.) Runners often take their health for granted...until it goes off track. When illness or injury keeps you at home, you quickly miss the roads and trails. Things just aren't right with the world when you can't run. As we start this holiday, we should definitely step back and appreciate our running. Fast or slow, short or long, it's still running. It's all good. It's who we are...and we are lucky to be fit enough to engage in such a great sport. Enjoy the day. Go for a run. Eat. Sleep. Embrace your friends and family. I'm personally looking forward to an early morning trail run, then a tasty all-vegetarian (mostly vegan from local food co-op) Thanksgiving meal. Be kind to all living beings (including turkeys).

4 Weeks, 2 PRs

I run for me, but it doesn't hurt to knock down a few personal bests along the way.

In four weeks, I set two new personal records. On October 19, I ran the St Louis RNR half-marathon in a time of 1:32. Broke a 14 year personal best! Then last weekend, on November 15, I ran the Tunnel Hill 50 mile trail race in a time of 9:04. Another personal best, but this one was only 2 years old. I'm very happy. These were two very different distances on different courses and I crushed them both. Even more encouraging, I think I could have run better in both events. I hope to break both of these fresh PRs with new ones next year.

Why the better performances? I did a lot of basic aerobic running this spring, summer, and fall. Maffetone style low-HR training was my bread and butter. I started to add a weekly tempo run (3 miles at tempo HR) to my training and that helped to increase my speed. The last few weeks before the half-marathon, I changed the tempo run to 1-mile repeats in a last ditch effort to instill speed into my legs. I think it worked. I knew exactly what tempo pace felt like. I knew, within a beat or two, what heart rate caused me to begin breathing hard. In the half-marathon race, I stayed right below that threshold. In the 50 miler, I stayed well in the aerobic zone from start to finish. With age, I'm training wiser and racing with more discipline. I like my future.

What's next for this old ultra runner? Right now, I'm registered for the Clinton Lake 30-Mile trail race (March 28) and the Illinois Marathon (April 25). I plan on PRs in both races. And the Illinois Marathon should be my Boston Qualifier! Can't wait for 2015. Many personal records will fall...and I'll finally hit that 100 ultra/marathon mark. It's going to be a great year.

Tunnel Hill 50 Report: Done Before Dark!

This past weekend I ran the inaugural Tunnel Hill 50 mile trail race in Vienna, IL. There was an accompanying 100 mile race, but that was too much for me. After finally going sub-24 hours at Umstead in 2013, I think I'm done with 100s. This 50 miler provided enough challenge.

On Friday, I took the afternoon off from work and drove the 3.5 hours down from Champaign with two running buddies, Jeff and Gregg. We grabbed our race packets, plus packets for 7 friends, in Vienna. After chatting a little with Steve Durbin, the race director, we drove to the race start/finish area and scouted out parking spots and race infrastructure (drop bag area, port-o-potties, tents, starting line, etc). As darkness decended, it was time to meet up with friends for dinner in Marion, IL. Perfect location since our hotel was there too. As we ate dinner, conversation turned toward recent races and our goals for the upcoming 50 miler. Seemed that all of us were predicting slower times than we were capable of running. Were we sandbagging or was this an ominous foreshadowing of things to come?

After a quiet night in the hotel, race morning arrived with frigid temperatures: 18 degrees, light breeze, and clear skies. Gregg, Jeff, and I headed back to Vienna and the race start. They wore shorts, I wore pants (and pretty heavy fleece jacket). We placed our start/finish drop bags and tried to stay warm. As the race start approached, we wished all our fellow runners well. It was going to be a long day...maybe part of the night too.

The first 26.5 miles (first out/back section) was pretty flat. The whole course was a converted "rails to trails" path. Fairly wide and smooth. Even with 300+ runners (in both 50 and 100 mile races), we had room to maneuver and pass as needed. I tried to stay patient during the first half of the race. I walked EVERY mile. GPS watch buzzed and I walked for at least one minute. It kept me disciplined and under control. Even with the walking, I managed under 10-minute pace for this whole section. It felt rather easy and I was feeling strong. Good way to start. My Tailwind sports drink was working well and I simply nibbled on pretzels at each aid station to keep something solid in my stomach. I finished this 26.5 mile section in 4:25. My goal was 4:30. All was good.

As I headed out of the start/finish area on the second out/back section, I immediately noticed we were heading uphill. This section was not flat like the first out/back. No huge hills, but a consisitent 2-3% grade. Up and up. By mile 30, I was already feeling serious fatigue. I started to walk more than once/mile. In fact, by mile 33, I was consistently walking. For about 4 miles, all I did was walk. I wanted to drop out. I gave up on any chance of a PR, or finishing before dark. Finally, I told myself "Bend, but don't break." (See race elevation profile here to realize why I almost broke.) Just keep placing one foot in front of the other. Relentless forward progress. Once I reached the 36 mile aid station, I fueled up and felt a bit better. The terrain flattened out and occasionally went downhill. I wasn't broken yet. At the out & back turnaround I knew I could finish and maybe even pick up the pace. I was encouraged. Hitting the 40 mile point, I felt a PR was possible and finishing before dark was within reach...maybe. I'd have to push. I did. There was now more downhill than uphill and my miles were trending quicker and quicker. I was passing people. At the 47 mile aid station, I really kicked it into high gear and "sprinted" as best I could to the finish. I passed more and more runners. I finished in a time of 9:04, just before darkness engulfed the course! A new personal best by 45 minutes. It would have been truly sweet to have broken 9 hours, but I'm very happy with this finish. I was 33rd out of 175 finishers.



Tunnel Hill was a well organized first-time event (Steve Durbin, the RD, is very experienced). I was a little frustrated that the aid stations didn't seem as well-stocked as other ultras (especially races run by Steve) and the volunteers seemed less experienced than normal at trail ultras. Still, a very solid event. I'll consider another attempt at the 50 miler next year. With just a little better weather (cool, but not cold) and my current knowledge of the course (especially that second out/back section), I am confident I could break the 9 hour barrier. 8:30 might be doable. Geeeez, I better run this race again!

NOTE: My Skechers GoRun Ultra shoes worked wonderfully for this race. No blisters. Great cushioning and lightweight. Same for Tailwind sports drink--the Razz Buzz flavor (with caffeine) was awesome! And RunGum seemed to give me a perk when needed (I should have brought more gum).

Not Ready for 50 Miles, But Let's Give It a Go!

One and a half days to Tunnel Hill 50 mile trail race! I'm DEFINITELY not ready, but I feel strangely happy with my predicament. I've been sick all week. Starting to feel better today. By tomorrow, I think I'll be over whatever has been dragging me down for the last few days. Haven't run ANY miles this entire week. I'll skip tomorrow too. TAPER TIME! I can't complain about being over-trained or unrested. I'm definitely rested. In fact, I feel lethargic.

So, what are my plans for Tunel Hill 50? Not sure. Here are three different options:

1. Feel good and race hard. Set a new personal record of under 9:49.
2. Feel bad and DNF around 25 miles (half-way point).
3. Feel OK, but reluctant. Go easy, chat up friends, and finish in about 11 hours.

Don't know which plan will materialize. I'll see how I feel on Saturday morning. It's supposed to be cold (low around 25) with a chance of snow late in the day and evening. High around 38. Not the worst weather. This is supposed to be ultra/marathon #95. I hope I can notch this finish. Five more next year and I'll reach my goal of 100.

Tunnel Hill 50 Preparation (or not)

Tunnel Hill 50 Miler is only 10 days away. Should be fun. Challenging too. My training has not been adequate for an ultra, but it's too late to prepare. I've not had enough long runs (almost none) and I've done much more speed work than I'd prefer. If this was a marathon I think I'd be set! Unfortunately, it's a 50 mile (~2x marathon) distance on trails. Fortunately, I like trails and I like ultras. My original goal was to TRY and break 8 hours. That's unlikely. I still think a sub-9 hour finish is possible. That would be a personal best for the distance. I definitely would like to finish before dark (around 5pm and the 9 hour mark).

So, too late to train, but not too late to prepare (a little). No long runs, no speed work, lots of short and easy paced runs. I'll keep every run over the next 10 days in the 60-65% heart rate zone (fat-burning and aerobic). I need to make sure I'm fully recovered and rested. Basically an active taper. I'll bring a good variety of clothes to match the weather conditions. I'll bring my own sports drink (Tailwind) and food (gels, bloks, snacks). I'll have a headlamp in case of darkness. I'll arrive early Friday night, do the race check-in, look around the start/finish area, and eat early. Then to bed. I want to race well, but it's not the end of the world if things go south. Although, if I manage a PR, I'm done with this distance and can move toward the 100K personal record (which is my weakest PR). You always need a goal.

10 days to go. I'm not fully trained, but I'll be OK. It could be worse. At least I'm not doing the 100 miler. Those are a bear...especially when you are not prepared. I'll save that for next year.