Lisa Sabin’s - Running And Being

I used to run 25 - 30 miles per week and up to 45 or 50 for a marathon. Now my strategy is to run quality miles 3-4 times per week. This combined with 2 days of strength training hopefully will get me to Boston and have me acheive my time goal. I spent a lot of years logging in “junk miles”. I believe the extra miles (run at a slower than my natural pace) contributed to my injuries. I wasn’t consistent with strength training, so in all fairness I wasn’t doing everything I could to stay injury free. I feel good now as I am ramping up my long run and doing my tempo runs and speed sessions. Time will tell if I’ve found the formula that works for my over 40 body. My short term goal is to log 100 miles this month. 

Workout:

• Type: Run
• Date: 01/27/2008
• Time: 12:00:00
• Total Time: 00:39:00.00
• Average Heart rate: 152
• Max Heart rate: 168
• Calories: 350
• Distance: 5 miles
• Average Pace: 7:48.14/mile

Running in old, worn out shoes is a major cause of injury for runners.  Shoes break down and need to be replaced.  They lose shock absorption, stability and cushioning over time.  Continuing to run in old shoes increases stress on the joints, which can lead to overuse injuries.  Injuries such as shin splints, and tendonitis start as a nagging ache or pain, that can develop into a debilitating injury.  If the problem isn’t caught early, an annoying pain can become chronic injury. 

Your shoes may look perfectly fine on the outside.  You may not notice visible signs of wear and tear on the tread.  The mid-sole and cushioning breaks down first.  If you notice muscle fatigue, shin pain or knee pain, it’s probably time for new shoes.  It’s best to replace shoes before this happens. 

A good rule is to replace shoes every 300 to 400 miles.  Lighter runners may not have to replace their shoes as frequently.  Heavier runners should replace shoes closer to the 300 mile mark.  It all depends on the surface you run on.  Outside running on pavement wears out shoes faster than treadmill running.

A good practice is to keep track of when you purchase new shoes.  Mark the date in your calendar or training log.  You can even mark a date 3 months out as a reminder to see how many miles you’ve put in.  Check to see if it’s time to buy some new ones.  Buying two pair at a time will ensure that you always have a fresh pair.