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)
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Heyyyy, now that's a MIGHTY cool shirt :D. And the vest. And the new shoes!
I am a fan big time of this Boston wardrobe!
Ill be walking billboard when it’s all said and done:-)
I laughed when I saw that vest. My papa has one of those Sugoi jackets in red (it has sleeves). He's practically in love with all things Sugoi. My mom HATES that jacket, she says it makes him look like someone from Star Trek or something, but my dad loves it. It's one of the few things I've ever heard them disagree about!
Also, VERY cool of U of Pittsburgh to sponsor you.
Look at you! All those new clothes!
I see the pollen is interfering with your breathing some. We have had a long winter here and snow flurries yesterday, so the pollen has not gotten too bad here yet. I am not looking forward to when it does.
By any chance so you get any allergy shots? I do not, I just take singular for my allergies. I have been wondering though if allergy shots might help with my allergies and stop some of my spring time asthma attacks.
I was on Xolair injections for a year and it didn’t seem to help. Over the counter Zrytec works pretty well.
my pulmonologist has talked about those injections. I have not done those yet because my ins. says they are expensive and I have to try other methods first. I am glad to have your input about them.
Awesome gear steve….I have saucony running shoes…they not used anymore but they are the most comfy shoes. My running spikes for track were saucony aswell. They last really well. But i think with all runners you need what is comfiest on your feet. I hope you get on well with them.
Hope Boston goes well. Will be rooting for ya. If you ever do a trip come over and do the Edinburgh Marathon!!!! I
Good luck in Boston. You'll be stylish. (Unless it rains, which means no one under and umbrella is going to care about us all that much). For an inspirational video, check out:
http://www.bostonwinnerweidenbach.com
(Lisa hates her hairstyles back then, but the video is about her 1985 win, the last American woman to have won the race.)
Have fun.