Jay Johnson's “Give me 15” article in the October 2011 issue of Running Times has, for a good two months now, been staring at me from my nightstand. It's an alluring article. I mean, he claims that I can “Lower injury risk with these short pre-and post-run routines!” I want to lower my injury risk! It makes perfect sense to do a few quick loosening and strength exercises before and after your run. I get it. But it’s just not happening for me. Why is this?
There's nothing wrong with the routine that Johnson presents. In short, he instructs you to do some lunges before the run and some pushups and leg stretches after the run. Nothing special. The articles emphasizes it's only 15 minutes. And I even already do forward lunges are part of my Dynamic Stretching routine before every run. It’s the post-run strength exercises that I have problems with.
First of all, the article lists 12 different things to do after every run. I’m not sure exactly who is audience is, but it’s hard enough for me to find the time to get out the door for decent miles, much less spend 15 minutes after the run to do an entire strength routine. Plus, I’m usually damned tired when I get home. All I have the time to do after a run is stretch out a bit and get some protein in me before the “real world” stuff (kids, work, etc.) demands my attention. In addition, I’m currently running farther and faster than I ever have in my life to prep for a marathon; there’s not much more motivation to add additional exercises on top of the already daunting run I just completed. Put all of this together and i'm not even doing a few post-run push-ups, much less the detailed exercises that Johnson lays out for us.
What do you think? Are these legitimate excuses or just my lack of willpower? Do you do any strength exercises before or after your runs?
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
So What's Next?
So I got a shiny new kindle for my birthday, and it's just sitting there unused because I also got Murakami's 1Q84 on the same day. However, I’m closing in on the last page of the big novel (only 100 more pages to go!), and will want something to new read when it's done.
I know it's sick of me to be thinking about my next book when I'm not even done with 1Q84, but that's just how I roll, baby. At times it feels like I almost get more enjoyment about of perusing and thinking about books then I do actually reading them!
Anyways, here are the candidates for my next book. It’ll also be my first kindle book, so I’m hopking that it’ll also be memorable. The following are a mixture of books that sound interesting to me or have been recommended by people that I trust. What do you think I should choose first?
Don DeLillo's The Angel Esmeralda
1Q84: Hardcover
Michiko Kakutani's Top Ten for 2011
National Book Awards: The Finalists
I know it's sick of me to be thinking about my next book when I'm not even done with 1Q84, but that's just how I roll, baby. At times it feels like I almost get more enjoyment about of perusing and thinking about books then I do actually reading them!
Anyways, here are the candidates for my next book. It’ll also be my first kindle book, so I’m hopking that it’ll also be memorable. The following are a mixture of books that sound interesting to me or have been recommended by people that I trust. What do you think I should choose first?
- Night Circus - Erin Morgenstern
- C - Tom McCarthy
- Aurorama - Jean-Christophe Valat
- Freedom - Jonathan Franzen
- This Boy's Life - Tobias Wolff
- Septuagenarian Stew - Charles Burkowski
- Apples Are from Kazakhstan: The Land that Disappeared - Christopher Robbins
- The Angel Esmeralda: Nine Stories - Don Delillo
Don DeLillo's The Angel Esmeralda
1Q84: Hardcover
Michiko Kakutani's Top Ten for 2011
National Book Awards: The Finalists
Shoe Review: Brooks PureCadence
I've posted a follow-up review of these shoes after 400+ miles in them that you can find here: http://readingrunningredsox.blogspot.com/2012/04/shoe-review-brooks-purecadence-400.html
i've been through a LOT of shoes over the years, especially this year. like most people who care about these things, my head is all mixed up about whether i should be looking for more technology, less technology, more shoe or less shoe. i made a decision a while back to forget about all that and simply go with what works. how great, in theory... but the opportunity to truly test out each and every shoe just plain isn't going to happen.
this year, i've run on neutral shoes, motion control shoes, stability shoes, barefoot and stability shoes. i realized, from all this, that i need at least some stability technology in my shoes. the comes into play for me on longer runs, when i get fatigued and have a tendency to lose a bit of my running form. i am an over-pronator with high arches.
Todd runs the Brooks Adrenaline and seems to like them, so i thought i'd give them a try. when i tried to order them, however, they were somehow out of my size at the price i was looking for, and so, out of frustration and a penchant to be swayed by good marketing, i bought the Brooks PureCadence instead.
i wanted to give the shoes enough of a sampling before i passed any judgement on them. i will say, however, that after the first run i was totally in love with them and have since only increased my affection for them.
let's be clear about what these shoes are. Brooks have not one time included the word "minimal" in any of the descriptions i have found on their website for these shoes. if you read people's comments about these shoes, however, you'll see the words "minimal" and "barefoot" come up a lot, and i'm pretty sure, for marketing reasons, Brooks is willing to ride that wave. these shoes ARE NOT minimal nor anything similar to "barefoot" (that should be pretty obvious). they ARE low-profile, low-heel-drop (4mm) and light-weight (9.5 oz) shoes suitable for short and long runs, that also have ample cushioning and stability control.
my assumption after purchasing these shoes was that i would use them for shorter runs and then get a pair of adrenalines to wear on my longer runs. so far, even with the vast sneaker collection i already have, i have not worn another shoe on any run i've done since i put these on my feet, nor can i imagine doing so. the combination of the low-profile/low-heel drop/light(ish)weight with the stability control features makes this shoe somewhat unique in the market. i don't know of another shoe that gives you what many would consider to be somewhat opposing features in one package. but the result is amazing. the low heel drop, which i thought would further tighten my calves, seems to ease them, allowing for much more ankle flex in my stride, a much more natural feeling. the light weight allows me to increase my cadence (purely) and keeps my legs fresher throughout the run. the lower profile gives me a much better feeling from toe to heel when i come in contact with the ground, a much more solid and confident strike.
i have a pretty narrow foot, and the fit of these is quite good. i could imagine the shoe being a bit too narrow for runners with wider feet, and i don't think they offer wider sizes yet. i like the inclusion of the "nav band" which does make the shoe fit my foot more nicely. all in all, the shoe feels REALLY good on my foot... the fit is great and the shoe is so much more comfortable than i would have anticipated and sincerely as comfortable if not more so than any other shoe i've ran in.
when running in these shoes, the constant questions, tweaks and adjustments working through my head and body when i run in other shoes go away. i find that i settle into the form i want to be in, the stride and strike i strive for naturally, as if the shoes were custom made for me. this is a huge endorsement from me! i don't know if it's a result of the technology being really good, or simply that there is less technology that makes this shoe work for me, but even towards the end of my longer runs in these shoes, my form feels stable and strong, even when my legs don't. i will say, however, that i have rolled my ankle twice in these shoes... i WAS running on uneven terrain in the dark, but i haven't done that in a long time in any other shoe.
i had originally questioned whether or not i thought these shoes would be cush enough to last through a marathon, but i do believe they will. i haven't taken them over 8 miles yet though, so i'll be sure to report back if there is any issue when i do.
on the downside, i don't think these shoes are going to last me very long. i've only put 30-40 miles in on them and they are already showing some signs of wear. additionally, the "split toe" feature seems like a good idea, but on my shoe, the gap on the left side is (much) smaller than the gap on the right side, leading me to believe they aren't constructed as well as they could be. (i have yet to experience anything new with this "split toe" feature either). for a shoe as expensive as these are, i would hope they would last a decent amount of time and being well-constructed.
still, my primary thought right now is: how do i make sure i am always able to run in these shoes.
Related Posts:
Review: Brooks Launch
Shoe Review: Asics Gel-Bandito
Kinvara 2 Review
i've been through a LOT of shoes over the years, especially this year. like most people who care about these things, my head is all mixed up about whether i should be looking for more technology, less technology, more shoe or less shoe. i made a decision a while back to forget about all that and simply go with what works. how great, in theory... but the opportunity to truly test out each and every shoe just plain isn't going to happen.
this year, i've run on neutral shoes, motion control shoes, stability shoes, barefoot and stability shoes. i realized, from all this, that i need at least some stability technology in my shoes. the comes into play for me on longer runs, when i get fatigued and have a tendency to lose a bit of my running form. i am an over-pronator with high arches.
Todd runs the Brooks Adrenaline and seems to like them, so i thought i'd give them a try. when i tried to order them, however, they were somehow out of my size at the price i was looking for, and so, out of frustration and a penchant to be swayed by good marketing, i bought the Brooks PureCadence instead.
let's be clear about what these shoes are. Brooks have not one time included the word "minimal" in any of the descriptions i have found on their website for these shoes. if you read people's comments about these shoes, however, you'll see the words "minimal" and "barefoot" come up a lot, and i'm pretty sure, for marketing reasons, Brooks is willing to ride that wave. these shoes ARE NOT minimal nor anything similar to "barefoot" (that should be pretty obvious). they ARE low-profile, low-heel-drop (4mm) and light-weight (9.5 oz) shoes suitable for short and long runs, that also have ample cushioning and stability control.
my assumption after purchasing these shoes was that i would use them for shorter runs and then get a pair of adrenalines to wear on my longer runs. so far, even with the vast sneaker collection i already have, i have not worn another shoe on any run i've done since i put these on my feet, nor can i imagine doing so. the combination of the low-profile/low-heel drop/light(ish)weight with the stability control features makes this shoe somewhat unique in the market. i don't know of another shoe that gives you what many would consider to be somewhat opposing features in one package. but the result is amazing. the low heel drop, which i thought would further tighten my calves, seems to ease them, allowing for much more ankle flex in my stride, a much more natural feeling. the light weight allows me to increase my cadence (purely) and keeps my legs fresher throughout the run. the lower profile gives me a much better feeling from toe to heel when i come in contact with the ground, a much more solid and confident strike.
i have a pretty narrow foot, and the fit of these is quite good. i could imagine the shoe being a bit too narrow for runners with wider feet, and i don't think they offer wider sizes yet. i like the inclusion of the "nav band" which does make the shoe fit my foot more nicely. all in all, the shoe feels REALLY good on my foot... the fit is great and the shoe is so much more comfortable than i would have anticipated and sincerely as comfortable if not more so than any other shoe i've ran in.
when running in these shoes, the constant questions, tweaks and adjustments working through my head and body when i run in other shoes go away. i find that i settle into the form i want to be in, the stride and strike i strive for naturally, as if the shoes were custom made for me. this is a huge endorsement from me! i don't know if it's a result of the technology being really good, or simply that there is less technology that makes this shoe work for me, but even towards the end of my longer runs in these shoes, my form feels stable and strong, even when my legs don't. i will say, however, that i have rolled my ankle twice in these shoes... i WAS running on uneven terrain in the dark, but i haven't done that in a long time in any other shoe.
i had originally questioned whether or not i thought these shoes would be cush enough to last through a marathon, but i do believe they will. i haven't taken them over 8 miles yet though, so i'll be sure to report back if there is any issue when i do.
on the downside, i don't think these shoes are going to last me very long. i've only put 30-40 miles in on them and they are already showing some signs of wear. additionally, the "split toe" feature seems like a good idea, but on my shoe, the gap on the left side is (much) smaller than the gap on the right side, leading me to believe they aren't constructed as well as they could be. (i have yet to experience anything new with this "split toe" feature either). for a shoe as expensive as these are, i would hope they would last a decent amount of time and being well-constructed.
still, my primary thought right now is: how do i make sure i am always able to run in these shoes.
Related Posts:
Review: Brooks Launch
Shoe Review: Asics Gel-Bandito
Kinvara 2 Review
Bobby Valentine in Japan
Given all the, um, success that the Red Sox have had with their Japanese players, it's a smidgen interesting that the owners (sorry, I mean Cherington) picked a manager who is most notable for the success he had in Japan.
Let's review.
Valentine was hired by the Chiba Lotte Marines in 1995 as the first American-born manager of a Japanese baseball team. He quickly started doing things his own way -- under Valentine, practice sessions lasted only three hours, rather than nine hours as was typical. In the process, he turned around what had been a pretty woeful team. In 1995, they finished 69-58, compared to 55-77 the year before. But, Valentine didn't get along with the GM or the other coaches. Especially the coaches -- at one point, he wrote a letter to the owners suggesting that they be replaced. In Japan, it's never a good move to go behind the GM's back, and so bam! Just one year into his two-year contract, the Marines fired him.
Here's hoping that Sam Adams will have cause to do the same!
Related posts:
First Impressions on the Bobby Valentine Hiring
Let's review.
Valentine was hired by the Chiba Lotte Marines in 1995 as the first American-born manager of a Japanese baseball team. He quickly started doing things his own way -- under Valentine, practice sessions lasted only three hours, rather than nine hours as was typical. In the process, he turned around what had been a pretty woeful team. In 1995, they finished 69-58, compared to 55-77 the year before. But, Valentine didn't get along with the GM or the other coaches. Especially the coaches -- at one point, he wrote a letter to the owners suggesting that they be replaced. In Japan, it's never a good move to go behind the GM's back, and so bam! Just one year into his two-year contract, the Marines fired him.
The GM had won that battle, but not for long. In the coming years, the GM was fired as well, and the team quickly dropped back into the cellar. So, in 2004, the Marines decided to do the only thing they could think of to dig their way out -- try again with Valentine. As luck would have it, Valentine had recently been fired by the Mets, and was available to sign on with his old club. And he missed them. As he told GQ in 2004: "I kind of like that I can tell a guy to hit ten straight balls into right field in batting practice, and if he doesn't, he comes over to me afterward and apologizes ... I like that."
Back in Japan, in the second year of his second stint with the Marines, Valentine took them all the way: in 2005, they won the Japan Series (the Japanese championship). After winning, he challenged the 2005 World Series winners, the Chicago White Sox, to a "Real World Series," claiming his team could go toe-to-toe with any team on the globe.
The White Sox didn't bite, but the fans loved it. Suddenly, it was impossible to get a ticket to the stadium that had once never been more than half full. Valentine suggested major improvements: luxury boxes, deluxe suites, and an HD screen. Other changes came as well, such as 3-meter high Bobby murals on the walls of the stadium, and concession stands selling Bobby lunch boxes and Bobby bubble gum. Nearby, a street was named after him.
The improvements that Valentine had suggested to the stadium were popular with the fans, but they didn't lead to the increased revenue that he had promised the team. When management began cutting bonuses to players, Valentine responded by paying them out of his own pocket.
The Marines came within a game of returning to the Japan Series in 2007. However, 2008 didn't go so well, and in December 2008, the team announced that they wouldn't be renewing his contract in 2010. Valentine suggested he would be willing to revise the cost of his contract downward, but management didn't budge. It was clear to all that it wasn't about the money -- ownership was dissatisfied with his power, his influence, and his way of doing things.
Back in Japan, in the second year of his second stint with the Marines, Valentine took them all the way: in 2005, they won the Japan Series (the Japanese championship). After winning, he challenged the 2005 World Series winners, the Chicago White Sox, to a "Real World Series," claiming his team could go toe-to-toe with any team on the globe.
The White Sox didn't bite, but the fans loved it. Suddenly, it was impossible to get a ticket to the stadium that had once never been more than half full. Valentine suggested major improvements: luxury boxes, deluxe suites, and an HD screen. Other changes came as well, such as 3-meter high Bobby murals on the walls of the stadium, and concession stands selling Bobby lunch boxes and Bobby bubble gum. Nearby, a street was named after him.
The improvements that Valentine had suggested to the stadium were popular with the fans, but they didn't lead to the increased revenue that he had promised the team. When management began cutting bonuses to players, Valentine responded by paying them out of his own pocket.
The Marines came within a game of returning to the Japan Series in 2007. However, 2008 didn't go so well, and in December 2008, the team announced that they wouldn't be renewing his contract in 2010. Valentine suggested he would be willing to revise the cost of his contract downward, but management didn't budge. It was clear to all that it wasn't about the money -- ownership was dissatisfied with his power, his influence, and his way of doing things.
The decision to now renew Valentine's contract didn't just leave him as a lame duck -- it also made his very, very enthusiastic fans quite unhappy with management. How enthusiastic were they? Here is a YouTube video of a crowd at a Japanese baseball game, singing a fight song about how much they love Bobby Valentine. As much as Sox nation loved Francona, it's hard to imagine them singing a similar love song to Tito at Fenway.
But perhaps the ultimate tribute to Valentine's popularity in Japan is that Sapporo beer issued a limited special edition "Bobeer" with his face on the front of the can.
First Impressions on the Bobby Valentine Hiring
First Impressions on the Bobby Valentine Hiring
Here's what I don't get about Bobby Valentine. The CW is that he's this great baseball mind, but as Joel pointed out, he was given a lot of talent and didn't do a whole lot with it. To wit: the 1992 Texas Rangers. They had Nolan Ryan and Kevin Brown pitching, and with a lineup including Ivan Rodriguez, Rafael Palmero, Ruben Sierra, and Juan Gonzalez, they only finished fourth in their division.Fourth! (Thanks Joel for pointing that out.)
I also am concerned about what this move says about the front office/GM relationship. From all I read, Cherington wanted to go with Sveum as the manager, but was overruled by the FO in favor of the more "accomplished" BV. (read: he's managed before, and talks a pretty game on ESPN.) The search ever since Sveum went to the Cubs has felt like a kabuki theater to make it appear like Charrington was doing his due diligence Nothing like cutting your new GM off at the knees for his first major decision! (And what does it say that the old Sox GM ended up with Sveum in Chicago?)
I'm willing to give BV the benefit of the doubt - after all, what had Francona accomplished as a manager before coming to Boston? - but the whole situation doesn't fill me with a lot of confidence. I don't like how smooth he seems, and even knowing that he took the Mets to the world series one year, I just don't feel that he's got what it takes to manage our group of entitled superstars.
Update: After I typed this up, Chad Finn typed up his reactions for the Globe. His thoughts are always worth checking out.
Related Posts:
Bobby Valentine to Manage Red Sox
Next Up: Bobby Valentine?
I also am concerned about what this move says about the front office/GM relationship. From all I read, Cherington wanted to go with Sveum as the manager, but was overruled by the FO in favor of the more "accomplished" BV. (read: he's managed before, and talks a pretty game on ESPN.) The search ever since Sveum went to the Cubs has felt like a kabuki theater to make it appear like Charrington was doing his due diligence Nothing like cutting your new GM off at the knees for his first major decision! (And what does it say that the old Sox GM ended up with Sveum in Chicago?)
I'm willing to give BV the benefit of the doubt - after all, what had Francona accomplished as a manager before coming to Boston? - but the whole situation doesn't fill me with a lot of confidence. I don't like how smooth he seems, and even knowing that he took the Mets to the world series one year, I just don't feel that he's got what it takes to manage our group of entitled superstars.
Update: After I typed this up, Chad Finn typed up his reactions for the Globe. His thoughts are always worth checking out.
Related Posts:
Bobby Valentine to Manage Red Sox
Next Up: Bobby Valentine?
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Songs for Novels
I often get a song in my head while reading a book. Sometimes, the choice of song is obvious, as when I spent the entire duration that I was living inside David Mitchell's number9dream singing the John Lennon song of the same name. Other times, it's more obscure: for 1Q84, it's Warren Zevon's "They Moved the Moon" off of his criminally underrated Transverse City album. The song, while no great shakes as a poem, has a sense of desolation that's a great fit for the characters of the novel as they look up, mystified, at the two moons in the night sky.
Have any good songs running thru your head as you read?
"They Moved the Moon"
I was counting on you
To stand by me
To see me through
I was counting on you
They moved the moon
While I looked down
When I looked away
They changed the stars around
I'm so confused
Don't know what to do
Don't know which way to turn
I was counting on you
They moved the moon
While I looked down
When I looked away
They changed the stars around
Can't you see me?
Can't you hear me now?
Don't you want a love that's true?
Don't you know my heart belongs to you?
I was counting on you
To stand by me
To see me through
I was counting on you
They moved the moon
While I looked down
When I looked away
They changed the stars around
They moved the moon
I feel so strange
While I looked down
Everything I depended on
When I looked away
Has been rearranged
They changed the stars around
(Bonus fun fact: Zevon composed the album while "woozy from reading the Thomas Pynchon canon at a sitting, so to speak.")
Have any good songs running thru your head as you read?
"They Moved the Moon"
I was counting on you
To stand by me
To see me through
I was counting on you
They moved the moon
While I looked down
When I looked away
They changed the stars around
I'm so confused
Don't know what to do
Don't know which way to turn
I was counting on you
They moved the moon
While I looked down
When I looked away
They changed the stars around
Can't you see me?
Can't you hear me now?
Don't you want a love that's true?
Don't you know my heart belongs to you?
I was counting on you
To stand by me
To see me through
I was counting on you
They moved the moon
While I looked down
When I looked away
They changed the stars around
They moved the moon
I feel so strange
While I looked down
Everything I depended on
When I looked away
Has been rearranged
They changed the stars around
(Bonus fun fact: Zevon composed the album while "woozy from reading the Thomas Pynchon canon at a sitting, so to speak.")
Related posts:
1Q84: Hardcover
1Q84: Hardcover
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