Daily Archives: June 8, 2011

Mizuno Inspire 7s

Posted on by

11

Today was the first day since my summer vacation started nearly 3 weeks ago that I finally felt I had a little more freedom.

Up until today, I’ve had a to-do list a mile long, appointments, workouts to complete, errands to run, etc. Now don’t get me wrong, I have thoroughly enjoyed doing these things, but today really felt like a vacation day (more or less)! :)

We are having some pretty nice weather to boot, so I can’t complain. Definitely no humidity here!


DSC_0006
DSC_0007

~~~~~~~

I realized today that I have not reviewed my most current pair of running shoes. I have actually been running in them for a while, so now I can give a full, honest assessment of them.

Mizuno Inspire 7

DSC_0001

If you remember, I picked out these shoes for my birthday as a gift from Craig.

I had previously run in the Mizuno Inpsire 6 and liked them, so I gave the 7s a try.


DSC_0002

Let’s make one thing clear: the 7s do not fit the same as the 6s.

While it may seem like the newer model would fit the same—or at least close—I actually find that most updated models are quite a bit different than their predecessor. This means that just because you loved the older model, the newer model might (probably will) be different!

Shoe companies are always updating their shoes and trying to make them better.


DSC_0003

What I do love about the Inspire 7s:

- my heel does not slip out.

I often have a problem with my heel slipping out of the shoe because I wear orthotics, so I always appreciate a shoe that has a deep enough heel cup for my orthotics.


DSC_0004

I generally find that Mizunos are lighter-weight and not heavy or bulky compared to other brands/models. (This can be a good or a bad thing.)

I like the fact they are light-weight and feel responsive, but I also find this means I can’t put as many miles on them. I know I will be able to get 500 miles out of them but probably not much more. (Compare that to these Asics Kayano 16s that I pushed to 800 miles without getting injured.)


DSC_0005

What I don’t like about them:

- the toe box is too small.

I have found that Mizuno shoes tend to run a half size smaller than other running shoes which leaves my toes cramped in the toe box. I have tried a half size larger but then other areas of the shoe do not fit very well.

If I wear a really thin pair of socks I am okay, but if I wear a thicker pair of socks, my toes touch the front part of the toe box and rub against the shoe.


DSC_0148

Overall, I think they are a great pair of shoes; I’ve really grown to like them. However, I would be hesitant to buy them again mainly because of the toe box.

~~~~~~~

Question

What is the make and model of your current running shoes?

If you aren’t a runner: what’s the weather like where you live?

Running on Empty

Posted on by

6

I much prefer running on an empty stomach rather than eating breakfast before going out for my run.

However, I was definitely running on empty this morning without much in my system.

I woke up this morning at 5 a.m. feeling hungry, but I was too tired to get up to eat, so I slept until 6:30 a.m. By that time, my hunger pains had subsided. Has anyone else noticed that if you wait it out, your hunger pains go away?

I decided to have just a few of these PowerBar Energy Gel Blasts before leaving because I didn’t want to eat very much.


DSC_0001

Love these—they remind me of Gushers!

DSC_0002

I sometimes procrastinate quite a bit before heading out for my run—especially now when I don’t have any obligations—but I didn’t want my hunger to strike again.

Plus, I had a new pair of shorts to wear! (Here is another picture.)


DSC_0003

For my workout this morning, I headed to the track:

2 miles: warm-up to the track

dynamic stretches (leg swings, carioca, knee-highs)

6 x 400 meters with 200 meters of recovery jogging in-between

800 meters of barefoot running

2 miles cool-down back home

I have not embraced the whole Vibram or minimalist shoe fad (?), but I do like to do some barefoot running on the track occasionally.

We used to run 800 meters barefoot once a week in college at the end of track practice. I was told we did this to strengthen the muscles in our feet, but now I also know it forces your body to run efficiently and fore-foot strike instead of heel striking.

DSC_0005

Distance: 7 miles

Time: 58:00

While I felt decent overall, I could tell I was dragging because I didn’t have enough fuel in my system. I was hungry and started to get lightheaded at one point.

I have read that training on an empty stomach isn’t always a bad way to train though because when I am running my marathon, my body is going to have to learn to operate on less fuel than ideal.

I know this depends upon your body. For me I usually eat something when I know I’ll be running longer than an hour or 9+ miles.


DSC_0009

Breakfast

As soon as I got back, food was essential. I thought about oatmeal but decided on a bagel because it was faster.

DSC_0014

iced decaf coffee


DSC_0013

1/2 cinnamon raisin bagel with Laughing Cow Cheese (loved this combination!)

I don’t feel guilty eating “white” bread after a run because I know my body needs easy-digesting foods that can be absorbed quickly—versus whole grains that take longer to digest.


DSC_0011

A little while later I had a banana with peanut butter on it. Totally hit the spot!


DSC_0015

Time to shower and get ready for the day!

~~~~~~~

Question

Do you eat something before running? If so, how much?