Breathinstephen » Walking shoes and apparel

The green shoes are back.

Stephen — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 21:06:19 +0000

Who hoo…scored!

Remember the Asics Hyperspeed II and III’s that I had, but couldn’t make up my mind as to which ones to wear at last years Boston Marathon? Well, as much as I wasn’t too crazy for the lime green color, those Hyperspeed II’s were probably the most comfortable racing flats I’d ever worn. They actually got me through my first Boston marathon in 2009 without a single blister. The Hyperspeed III’s weren’t too bad either, but most current model, the Hyperspeed IV., totally sucks. The new red color and the new style of the shoe is nice and all, but they fit totally different and seem to wear out twice as fast.

Asics, as with all other big shoe companies who cater to mostly non-athletic consumers, stopped making the green Hyperspeed II’s after a very short production run. It’s been really hard to find a pair…. even on the secondary market. Occasionally I’ll stumble upon an odd leftover pair, but they’re usually in a weird size like a 4 or a 13.
So anyway, a couple of weeks ago, totally out of the blue, I get this item alert from Ebay! A running club had just listed a brand new surplus pair in my exact size. I snapped them up for $50 and change…a bargain. Unfortunately, they only had that one pair or I would have bought out their entire inventory.

Not sure yet if I’ll be able to walk anymore marathons with my current lung function the way it is, but if I do, I’m gonna need some shoes I can depend on. These ones are tried and true.

Boston Wardrobe

Stephen — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 15:35:03 +0000

A few changes and some new additions to my racing apparel for the upcoming marathon.

Starting with the shoes…

On Dave Mc Govern’s recommendation, I switched to a slightly more supportive shoe. I over-pronate big time and the shoes that I had been wearing for the last year or so, though very comfortable, offered absolutely no support at all. My replacement shoe is the Saucony Fastwich III.

They’re a little heavier than than My Asics Hyperspeed II’s, (6.8 oz) , but have a little more stability control.
The only thing I’m not crazy about, is the higher profile heal. Makes it a little more difficult to keep my toes pointing up when I racewalk. In general, the lower heal is, the better the shoe is for walking. The problem with these kinds of shoes aren’t really designed for longer distances.

Something else new for Boston, is a running vest…

You never know how the weather is going to be on the Boston course, but one thing you can pretty much count on, are the crazy cold winds that whip up during the last 5 miles of the race. Last year I damn near froze to death after mile 20.

Over the past several months Ive been trying out various brands, including the Thermal velocity vest by Specialized. The one that I like best though, is the Helium vest by Sugoi. Ive never worn a piece of clothing that was so lightweight. Seriously, this vest weighs 80 grams (2 oz) ! Yet, it still keeps your core nice and toasty. If you’ve ever seen these vests, they’re made of a material that has the consistency of tissue paper… it’s freakishly thin.

My new sponsorship shirt ,Courtesy of University of Pittsburgh Asthma Institute

And my new Jersey, Courtesy of World Class Racewalking and PowerBar)

(More about my sponsors in a future post.)

2010 Boston Swag on the cheap

Stephen — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 15:30:37 +0000

Remember my Boston marathon jacket from 2009?

Well, with the high cost of anything related to the Boston marathon(especially merchandise), and with the fewer dollars I have available to spend on this years race swag, I decided to get creative.

Rather than buying the official 2010 Boston jacket (which btw, is not as nice as the 2009 jacket), I just had the year “2010″ embroidered on last years jacket. I might have them embroider “114th” on it as well to make it look even better. Either way, I think it looks just as good as having a new jacket. Gives you kind of the ” Veteran” look.

I can’t take credit for this idea. Last year I saw several Boston repeaters who did the same thing. I remember seeing one guy who had 10 dates added to his 1999 jacket. Let’s face it, it gets expensive to shell out a $100 for an official jacket every year. Then again, how many people actually do the Boston marathon more than once? Surprisingly….. quite a few.

People really covet these jackets. They’re kind of a status symbol that says ” Look at me, I made it to “Boston” . You should see how many people are wearing these jackets at Logan airport, the weekend of the race. It’s kind of a badge of honor. People will walk up to you out of the blue and give you that special nod. It’s really cool.

OK, I’m not a total cheapskate, I did fork out $25.00 for this 2010 hat ( gotta have the hat).

Green or Orange?

Stephen — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 16:35:45 +0000

In an earlier post, Kerri had mentioned how she liked the look of my green shoes ( Asics Hyperspeed 2s), better than my orange shoes ( the new and supposedly improved Asics Hyperspeed 3s). Well… so do I (though for slightly different reasons).

I reason I bought the “orange ones” in the first place, was because I couldn’t find any of the “green ones” (they discontinued the Hyperspeed 2 model last year). Well, after scouring the Internet for months, I finally found some more of the green ones, and have decided to train in both to see which ones I like better. No, not at the same time, though that would look kinda cool:-)

When you walk and /or racewalk as many miles as I do, your feet become extremely picky as to what they will allow you to put on them. Actually, I could care less about the color of the shoes(unless it’s something like neon pink ). When I’m shopping for walking shoes, I go through a pain staking trial & error search. There are several things that I look for in a distance walking shoe , but many times can’t tell for sure if the features are there unless I actually try on the shoe. The problem is, most shoes that are suitable for racewalking and/or long distance walking are only available online, which makes trying them on a costly proposition. (you usually have to pay for the return shipping if the shoes don’t fit).

I look for shoes that have a low profile heel and lots of toe room. Cushioning isn’t a big deal for me ,as I use my own custom orthotic insoles in all my shoes. Racing flats tend to work best for me, but because they are so thin and so light- weight, they’re not very comfortable for longer distances and they tend to wear out very quickly ( about 250 miles of wear is all I get out of them). These ones only weigh 5.8 oz ( a normal running shoe weighs twice as much).

So, all things being equal, which shoes do you think I should wear for the Boston marathon? The older Green ones? or the new and improved Orange ones? Oh… and in case you’re wondering, both colors will go with the rest of my race apparel.

Your mileage may vary

Stephen — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 16:10:16 +0000

Well, despite a few minor setbacks, I still managed to end the year with883 miles walked. A drop of almost 400 miles from my best walking year back in 2006, but nonetheless, still impressive when you consider what I have to work with.

Overall, my basic walking routine really hasn’t changed that much, I’m still out there walking at least 3 days a week when my lungs are behaving, and I try to hit the gym up at least once a week. I think the reason I was lagging behind in 2009, was that I was incarcerated 3 times (exacerbations and hospitalizations can really put a damper on things). That, plus I only completed 3 training cycles for the year, instead of the usual 4. One was for a full marathon ( Boston) and the other two for half marathons (ET midnight and San Rock&Roll). Those training cycles can really pile on the extra miles. Training for a full marathon for example, can easily add an additional 300 miles to the count.

I hate to admit it, but my lungs are finally starting to impact my ability to exercise and to walk long distances. It used to be that I would get 10-15 days of decent breathing in between flare-ups, even when I was training for marathons. Now it seems that every walk or gym workout that I do leaves me severely short of breath… sometimes for days. I’m not sure how much longer I’ll be able to keep this up.

Having said that, my goal for 2010 remains unchanged. I want to complete one more full marathon ( hopefully Boston) and Id also like to pass the 5,000 mile mark with my walking. After that, I’m definitely going to slow down.

And speaking of mileage; My legs, feet and lungs aren’t the only things that are suffering from wear and tear…. Check out my shoes!

[This is what the sole of my walking shoes look like after just 200 miles.]

In 2009, I went through 3 pairs of these Asics Hyperspeed 2s racing flats. Weighing only 158 grams (without the insoles) and with a low profile heel, they make excellent racewalking shoes. Unfortunately, since they’re made for speed and not distance, they wear out really fast. It’s also hard to find them now, since they’re not making them anymore.

[The Asics Hyperspeed 3 racing flat]

For 2010 I’m going to try out the replacement model (the Hyperspeed 3) They’re pretty much the same shoe, though the new ones don’t seem to cup my heel as well.

Fancy Smancy Walking Vest

Stephen — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 15:30:52 +0000

Check out my new walking jacket.

I can’t tell you how long Ive searched for a sleeveless jersey or jacket with pockets, that I could wear on cold days or long training walks and races without over-heating. As a marathon walker with major health issues, I also have to carry tons of stuff with me, but I hate wearing those bulky packs around my waste.

Well, I think I finally found the perfect solution. It’s called the “Thermal Velocity Vest” made by Specialized (the Bike people). This vest/jacket has pretty much everything I want in a cold weather training top. It has a large zippered pocket on the rear, and a sleek breast pocket on the front. But, what makes this vest special, is that it’s made of a breathable material to keep you cool, and at the same time , fits like a wet suit to keep your core body temp warm. And because it’s a vest, your arms can move freely, which is really important when you’re fitness walking or racewalking . I think it will work out nicely for training on those cold days or for walking a course like the Boston marathon, where the temperatures and winds can fluctuate so dramatically .

A little pricey as far as vests go, but I think worth it. If I’m breathing OK this morning, I’m gonna try it out.

Take me to your Leader!

Stephen — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 13:43:15 +0000

…. ” And would it be asking too much, if you could beam me up to your space craft and zap me a new pair of lungs?”

In just a few hours, this lung defective humanoid is off to Nevada to not only do the ET marathon, but also to attend a string of 3 Manilow shows. (Here’s some photos I took at last years shows)
As far as the race goes,I’m only doing the 10k event this year and I won’t be doing any racewalking at all…just plain old fast walking. My lungs, while doing extremely well last weekend, haven’t been behaving very well this week and I don’t to aggravate things by pushing myself to hard. That, plus it’s kinda difficult to racewalk in total darkness anyway.

Anyways, this is the shirt I’m gonna wear for the race. I purchased the decal at the Lil Ale Inn cafe after lasts years race and I already had this bright ass day -glow shirt, so I threw the two together…and wallah.. I have my costume!

It’s going to be an interesting weekend, because immediately after seeing Barry Manilow’s Saturday night show at the Las Vegas Hilton, I have to drive to Rachel Nevada to do the race. I thought I had the logistics worked out to make this tight schedule do-able, but somehow I miss calculated the distance from Vegas to the race sight. Turns out that its 150 miles from Vegas. Barry’s show starts around 8pm and is usually over by 9:30, so hopefully I’ll still have enough time to make it to the race site before 1am ,which is the start time for my race. The only problem, is that I have to be within 32 miles of my starting area before 12 midnight, because the Nevada state troopers are closing the road for 20 minutes to allow the 51K runners to get their race underway. If I get caught in that mess, I’ll be late for sure. I might just try to sell my ticket for Saturdays show, so that I can get an earlier start.

When you’re trekking through a silent desert, in the middle of nowhere, during the middle of the night, your imagination can run wild,but that’s what makes this event so special and worth all the hassle of getting there. Too bad the Las Vegas Hilton, which is where I’m staying during my trip, doesn’t have the Star Trek Experience Exhibit Thingy there anymore….would’ve been perfect for this kind of weekend.

Unless I’m allowed to use the communication device on board the spacecraft, I won’t be posting again until the middle of next week.
Have a great weekend my fellow earthlings!

This is what the ET course looks like during the day…YIKES!

Pre-Boston swag

Stephen — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 12:59:59 +0000

Most of the marathon attire that Ive accumulated over the last 3 years usually ends up in a duffel bag crammed in the corner of my closet , never to be seen again. This jacket is gonna get worn a few days before I retire it.

Now if only I can get the post-race bling to match! septilin

Its Shoe time!

Stephen — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 14:08:06 +0000

It’s time once again to decide on a shoe to wear for this years long training walks ,and of course , the race itself. So far, Ive narrowed it down to either the Asics Hyperspeed 2s, or the Loco Banditos . I’ve used the Asics on my 5 milers a few times and they worked out well for the racewalking segments, but because of their extremely lightweight design I’m not sure how my feet and shins will hold out over the longer distances. I’m going to wear them this weekend for my 15 miler and see how they do.
For the actual marathon walk , though not as comfortable, I’ll probably have to go with the Locos again. They have more cushioning over the mid foot ,which really helps absorb the shock when you’re walking over the cobble stone street of Rome.

It probably sounds silly, but if you walk /racewalk as much as I do, you tend to be real picky about the shoes you wear. If you pick the wrong ones, they can really screw up your feet and potentially cause injury to other parts of your body. A good shoe can make all the difference in completing a marathon distance with relatively minor foot discomfort or finish in total agony. You need shoes that are kind to your feet though, but also that are functional and designed for the sport your doing. I’m proud to say, that after walking 3,500 miles and training for and completing 4 full marathons and 9 half’s, that Ive only suffered one black toe, and 5 or 6 blisters . The last two full marathons….. no blisters at all!

You wouldn’t believe how many shoes Ive purchased and had to return just to make it to this point. Either they didn’t fit right or the heel was to high to racewalk in. And it’s not cheap! On average I pay $80.00 for a pair of shoes that will last about 3 months.
Most companies that sell racewalking suitable shoes are web based ,which means not only do you have wait for them to be delivered, but you don’t know if they are going to fit until you receive them. And, if they need to be returned or exchanged, you need to pay for the return shipping which can average $6-10 .

One of the challenges for me in shoe selection (and I’m sure for most racewalkers and/ or marathon walkers) is finding a shoe that I can walk actually walk marathon in , but at the same time, a shoe that I can also racewalk in over different types of terrain. Unlike bulky running shoes, I need a pair of shoes that not only offers decent cushioning, but also a shoe that is fairly wide in the forefoot (I have fat feet) , and one that also has a low profile heal . There are tons of racing comps or track type sprinting shoes on the market, and those work fine for racewalking shorter distances, but I need shoes that have enough substance to them to allow me to walk for 7 hours without trashing my feet, toes and shins.

Most of the shoes out there that are suitable for racewalking/marathon walking are sprinting shoes, or what they call racing comps. There are only two shoes companies in the world that I’m aware of, that make shoes specially for racewalking. One is a Chinese company called “New Health”, which produces and ultra light weight racewalking shoe.. The other is a company here in the USA called “Hershey” that custom makes all of its racewalking shoes, but they are very expensive , and frankly, very ugly. I own a pair of the New Health shoes which I really like , but they have virtually no cushioning and are designed primarily for very short distances , 5K or less , on a soft surface (They’re more like slippers than shoes).

My favorite racewalking shoes of all time are my New Balance RC550s . Sadly, Ive had to retire them as Ive worn the tread down to nothing . New Balance no longer makes them.

Taking Inventory

Stephen — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 14:16:26 +0000

I currently have 7 pairs of racewalking shoes, 26 pairs of Defeet cycling socks ( my favorite), 8 pairs of running shorts, 35 shirts and singlets , 11 hats, 2 garmin GPSs, and enough gels and recovery drinks to last a lifetime.

eye catching

Stephen — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 21:18:00 +0000

NB rc152 It’s the end of a shoe era and I’m kinda sad. New Balance finally did away with my beloved rc550′s and I’ve been forced to try out one of their ultra bright neon orange replacement models.Introducing my new NB rc152 racing flats!
Tried em out yesterday on my walk in San Francisco, and boy…..did I get a lot of double takes. Nothing like standing out in a crowd! But just imagine the stares I got when I began racewalking in them. The last thing a racewalker usually wants, is to draw attention to themselves.

Despite their glow- in- the- dark appearance though, they’re actually pretty cool shoes. They’re incredibly lightweight ( only 5.5 ounces ), and they have this special lacing system that tightens a band over your mid foot to prevent your foot from slipping inside the shoe. They’re extremely low profile and have a non-removable insert.
I walked 10 miles in them right out of the box, and except for some slight soreness on the ball of my left foot, I finished the walk without any blisters or major aches and pains. The bottom line, is that they are designed to haul ass !

Of course , when you buy bright orange shoes you have an outfit that somewhat matches, so I went out to Sports Basement and spent a ton on coordinated accessories .

In the future I think , I’ll reserve wearing the 152′s in more private surroundings, like my local bridge, or during a marathon race ,when I indeed, want people to notice me.

My beloved unassuming rc550′s
R.I.P

More Fitness Toys

Stephen — Sun, 28 Jan 2007 15:43:00 +0000

Finally got a chance to visit with my Mom and sister in San Jose. We had a nice lunch and my Mom gave me a couple of presents that she had been holding since Christmas. (She knows I like electronic gadgets.)

She got me this cool little blood pressure device that fits on your wrist and it TALKS!
She also got me this fancy scale that not only measures body weight, but also body fat, bone density and water composition. I don’t know how accurate the body fat calculations are, but it’s a pretty neat scale.

Shoes – Before

Stephen — Sun, 25 Jun 2006 18:12:00 +0000

These are my 550′s brand new out of the box.

I like this feature on my new toy

Stephen — Fri, 14 Apr 2006 19:24:00 +0000

Click to Enlarge

New Toy– New Shoes– New Pics

Stephen — Thu, 13 Apr 2006 23:07:00 +0000

Shoes

Stephen — Wed, 22 Feb 2006 19:46:00 +0000

Is it just me? or are there other walkers and/or runners out there who have problems finding the right shoes . I cant seem to find the ideal pair of shoes for my feet and for my type of walking. I don’t want to just own a pair of shoes that I can live with, I want to own a pair that I’m in love with. Maybe this has been tough for me because I’m into both racewalking AND distance walking and each of these variations requires different shoes.

For speed walking I need very low profile shoes with just a little cushioning and lots of toe room. For distance walking I need much more cushioning and stability. Then there’s a little thing called “Proper Fit” . This has always been problem for me. I have small – wide feet and Im a big time over pronator. Walking shoes don’t normally come in wide sizes. (though New Balance is starting to offer more of them) So, to correct for the narrower width, I go a half size up on the length. If the shoe is too big then I have a problem with blisters.

Then there’s the cost factor. Good shoes can be an expensive proposition when you consider that you have to purchase the shoes before you can see if they will actually work for you. I cant tell you how many pairs I’ve purchased after trying them on in the store, just to find out 3 days later that they’re not right for me . Another big hassle, is that most high end walking shoes are either special order or available only on the internet. I recently purchased a pair of New Balance shoes online for $79.00 ( on sale). In the description it said that “these shoes are true to size” . When I finally received them, they were too big . It cost me $8.00 to send them back for an exchange. A week later they send me the smaller size that I had requested. This time they were way too small, so I paid another $8.00 to have them sent back again. After wasting $16.00 on postage I decided to cut my losses and asked for a refund. A month later I purchased a pair of Asics Walkers on eBay, paid $50.00 ( half of what they retail for) I received them in 2 days and they fit perfectly…go figure. Assuming that you do find the right pair, they only last 300-500 miles! For me that’s only about 4 months. Hopefully after 4 months , the shoe company hasn’t discontinued the shoe.

Since I began fitness walking ( 22 months ago) I’ve gone through 10 pairs of shoes at a cost of over $1100. I would say about half of that, was wasted on shoes that either didnt fit correctly or weren’t designed for hardcore walking. Unlike runners who have tons of choices , fitness level walkers are generally limited in their selections unless they opt for a standard cross trainer.
I seem to learn everything the hard way but ,after 2 years of trial and error I think I’m finally getting closer to the right shoe. Currently I’m using Asics Gel KayanoWalker IIs for distances up to 10 miles, Asics Tiger Paws for racewalking and finally , New Balance 766 running shoes for marathon walking.

Preparation for my daily walk

Stephen — Thu, 12 Jan 2006 19:03:00 +0000

I wish it was as easy as putting on my walking shoes and heading out the door. For me, its a well -thought out procedure that takes about 30 minutes before I take that first step…on a good day maybe 20 minutes.

First thing in the morning I have to make a determination as to whether or not Im up to walking that day . Forget about all my other aches and pains, If I’m breathing at my baseline, then I usually walk. . If I’m kinda tight and my peak flows reflect the same, then I will usually still walk ,but not as far. If I’m really short of breath that day, all bets are off. So, once I’ve determined that I’m going to walk, then I have to decide when and where? Usually, I know in advance but , not always.

Currently I have 8 different locations that I like to walk . The most convenient of course, are the ones closest to home but they are also the most boring because I do them so often. Occasionally I will travel up to 2 hours via public transit just to walk a certain route. OK, so now I know when and where. Now ,the real preparation takes place…Getting dressed. If its one thing I’ve learned over the past 2 years , its dressing for the part, wearing the right shoes and taking the right gear. My routine walking distance is 6 miles , 5 days a week and you can double that when I’m training for a race. I don’t exactly walk these miles at a leisurely pace either. My average pace for these “routine 6 mile walks “is appx 13 min/ mile . As a result, I sweat a lot.

Back to dressing the part. I always wear moisture wick tech shirts , socks and hats regardless of the weather. I also wear a light weight hoody unless its really warm. As far as pants go, it depends on the outside temperature. For temps greater than 48 degrees, I wear long shorts. For temps greater than 80 degrees I wear air-wicking light weight running shorts or spandex bike shorts. For temps between 47-40 degrees I wear long insulated jogging pants.

As far as shoes go I usually wear NBs racing flats. For distance walks greater than 10 miles, I will usually wear Asics. Now, once I’ve put all that stuff on, its time for the accessories.. First I select the music I wanna listen to , upload it to the player if its not already on it, then strap the player to my arm. Then I strap on my waist pack that holds the water bottle (if I’m doing a super long walk). Then I strap the Garmin Forerunner on my belt , I strap the medical ID around my ankle and I strap my sunglasses around my neck.

Now I’m almost ready. Just a few more things… I like to let at least one person know where I’m walking just in case I keel over and get 911′d somewhere. After that, I check my peak flow and pre medicate with a neb treatment. Finally, I can leave for my starting point, wherever that might be but ,before I start my walk I have to warm up the GPS ( that can take up to 5 minutes to locate the satellite) Then I press the start button on the Garmin and the play button on my MP3 player……………and IM FINALLY OFF and WALKING .

Today I did my usual 6 miles walk with a fair amount of discomfort .My neck has been bothering me a lot lately. I started purse- lipping from the one mile mark all the way thru to the finish. Used the albuterol twice and post medicated with a neb tx. Starting peak flow was 500, ending peak flow was 300. So, all n all, this was a status quo day for me. I’m lucky, at least I don’t have to worry about pseudomonas infections , like some of my fellow bloggers.

My cat has a shoe fetish

Stephen — Fri, 06 Jan 2006 04:14:00 +0000

This has been going on long before I started fitness walking…………..

Walking Expenses

Stephen — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 19:29:00 +0000

Living on a fixed income, I have to track all of my expenses closely. I just figured out that in the last 6 months ,I spent a total of $1175.97 on walking related stuff . This includes fees for Racing events ( $60-$80 a pop), Clothing (everything made of microfiber costs more) , Shoes( I paid $160.00 for one pair) Gadgets ( Forerunner GPS Pedometer), Orthotics( shoe inserts, knee braces,etc)

Is walking really free? Well, I guess that depends how much time you spend doing it.. I’m lucky ..I can spend a lot of time on it. For me, walking is free …its the Bells & Whistles that cost a small fortune.. Hey , its the best investment Ive ever made.