February 2023 - Recovering Decathlete

It’s all about the shoes

by Tyler Simpson on Feb 25, 2023 category Footwear, Tips From An Amateur

Mostly current rotation, with new ones in the back and a pair of retired shoes in the middle

I’ve been a “shoe guy” for a long time. Or at least since the start of High School. I personally can’t stand the term “sneakerhead” because people overuse that term and I’m way too old to use it. When I got to High School, I started to really get into shoes, and once I started working, it was over. I would spend at least half of my paychecks on shoes and remember getting into “disagreements” with my mother about how I was spending my money. My trump card was always, “well I could be spending it on drugs”, and that tended to give me the “W”.

I was mostly interested in shoes for the style, and any performance-related shoes I was getting on the discount racks. I had the backwards mindset of “why spend a lot of money on shoes I’m going to beat up?” As I’ve matured to an otherworldly degree, I have realized that companies often make performance shoes more expensive because (you guessed it) they are better quality. Revelation to my brain.

Even though I ran track throughout college, all of my shoes (trainers and spikes) were provided by the team. I never gave much thought to what I was wearing, and definitely felt like I’d made it because I was being given “free” shoes whenever I needed them. One reason I was interested in the decathlon was because that qualified for a few more event-specific spikes. It wasn’t until after about a 12 year hiatus from running that I started doing some research about running shoes and learned A TON about the differences.

There are many things to learn about and consider with running shoes. My goal is to give you my idiots guide to understanding the different aspects of shoe buying to be aware of. After all, I am firmly planted in the amateur category (at best) but I have spent a lot time researching and talking to former trackmates in the running shoe industry and I have learned a decent amount. The following information is in no particular order.

Stack height

You have likely seen this more than you have heard about it, but the general thing to know about stack height is that it is the amount of cushioning that is in the sole of the shoe. A brand that is known for having a higher than average stack height is Hoka. Hoka has become very popular in the last few years, even for non-runners. A big reason for their popularity is that their shoes are wildly comfortable and provide a lot of cushioning underfoot. I know a few runners that were previously unable to run due to various injuries and pains that have been able to run again with Hokas. I had a pair of Hoka Speedgoats that I grew to love, but they felt very “tippy” at first. It took me a while to get comfortable running in them.

Note the difference in height between the shoes

The most common reason that I’ve heard of against wearing shoes with a lot of cushioning is that it can actually weaken your foot muscles. When this happens, your likelihood of a foot injury can increase, so you will want to compensate to help prevent that. One easy way to do that is to walk around your house barefoot as much as possible. One other downside to having high-cushioned shoes is that the tread typically wears out quite quickly. I had a pair of On Cloudmonsters (pictured above and below) that started to show a good bit of wear after only 50 miles. Ideally you want to see more rubber on the soles to help prevent this.

There is a notable difference in the amount of rubber underfoot – both have similar mileage

Wearing a shoe with a higher stack height can be very beneficial to runners who are doing longer efforts. You tend to see a lot more people wearing these types of shoes in ultras (anything over marathon distance). After being on your feet for 3+ hours, it can be much more manageable if your feet have more protection. Other than that, I haven’t heard a compelling reason to get a higher stack shoe.

Drop

If you have started looking into running shoes more thoroughly, you have likely heard a shoe described by its “drop”. The easiest way to understand drop is that it is the difference in the height between the heel and the toe. Most shoes that I’ve seen have somewhere between a 4-10mm difference (always shorter in the front). There are a few brands that focus on having a “zero drop” which ultimately means the sole is flat.

From everything I’ve read, the reason the heels are generally higher is to help protect your feet from heel striking. Heel striking is very common, and happens when a runner’s heel is the first point of contact when running. It’s not the ideal position for your feet (from an injury-prevention and running efficiency standpoint), and shoe manufacturers try to help. Zero drop shoes are becoming more popular, with brands like Altra leading the way. If you read up on these shoes, the general recommendation is not to jump into a zero drop shoe too quickly. Due to having less protection in the heel, you really want to be landing closer to your toes, otherwise you can increase your chances of injury.

Toe box

The toe box is referring to the front of the shoe, where your toes are. Some brands are known for a narrower toe box, but there are more brands doing the opposite. Research is showing that the more movement your toes have, the better. If your toes are too cramped, it’s never a good thing and can (again) increase your chances of injury. Altra is also leading the pack by having a wider toe box than most of the other brands.

Carbon plate

The carbon fiber plates have been much more common in the last few years. Don’t quote me on this, but I’m fairly certain Nike was the first to mass produce a shoe with a carbon fiber plate in the sole. Now almost every major shoe brand has something similar in their racing shoes. The basic benefit of the carbon plate is that it helps propel you forward, which reduces your effort and lowers your time (Nike’s 4% shoes were billed to take 4% off your race times). I remember getting my first pair of shoes with a carbon plate and there was a notable difference in feel and took a little while getting used to.

In my experience there are a few things to consider about the carbon plated shoes. First is that they don’t really do anything for you when you are running at an “easy effort”. They actually feel quite unstable at slower speeds. The real apparent difference is when you are running at faster speeds, and they do feel like they are propelling you forward. The second consideration is that they actually beat your feet up quite a bit and the general guidance is that they are not a daily trainer. Lastly is that the carbon fiber doesn’t generally last as long, so don’t expect to be able to get the 300-500 miles that most shoes advertise.

Lugs

The lugs on the bottom of your shoes are more specific to trail running shoes, but are important nonetheless. If you’ve seen a pair of trail runners, one of the first things you will notice is that the tread underneath is much more aggressive. There are knobs sticking out all along the bottom of the shoe, which are very important for grip and stability off-road. Not all trail shoes are alike, and shoes with longer lugs are made for more technical terrain. Those shoes will be better on challenging trails, but will not transition as well to the road.

Gore-tex

I’m sure most people have heard the term gore-tex before, but if you somehow have not, it is a material that is known for being waterproof. It is pretty much the industry standard in waterproofing, and found in all the high quality rain and snow gear on the market. Given that running is a year-round activity and often done in rain or snow, there are a number of shoes with a gore-tex option. While these shoes will do a great job of keeping moisture out, the opposite is also true. They are not nearly as breathable, so the inside of the shoe will trap your foot sweat inside. While that is far from being a reason to avoid them, it’s definitely worth considering prior to purchase. If you think you will be running in wet environments regularly then it is likely a worthwhile investment. Otherwise, it’s ok to have wet feet once in a while.

Brands

There are a lot of shoe brands in the running market, and you’ve probably heard of most of them. All the biggest brands make running shoes, and there are a number of other brands that tend to focus primarily on running. Asics, Saucony and Brooks come to mind but there are plenty of others (some of which I mentioned earlier). Your best bet is to head down to a specialty running store and try out a few different options. Many of these smaller stores also have these incredible machines that can analyze your feet for any consideration. For context, if you are looking for a high quality running shoe, you should plan on paying between $125-150 (sometimes more, sometimes less). Once you know what brands and models you like, you can often find good deals at various online stores. I don’t think I’ve ever paid full-price for a running shoe.

Usage

As you get more into running and training for various races, you may find that not all running shoes are created for the same purpose. They are obviously all for running, but there are actually a few different types of runs that you might find yourself on.

Tempo/Speed

For improving your speed, you will likely want to incorporate tempo runs into your mix. These involve periods of running at faster paces, even if they are broken up into intervals. For this type of running, you will look for a bit more of an aggressive shoe that is built specifically for speed.

Long runs

When training for longer races, the long run is a staple in the mix and is often done at a slower (or conversational) pace. The point of these runs is to build up your endurance and spend more time on your feet, so that your body gets conditioned for running longer. Shoes for these efforts are often a little more cushioned (think stack height). I’ve made the mistake of doing long runs in a tempo shoe and have felt it afterwards. It’s not to say that it isn’t doable, it just may hurt a little more during and after your runs.

Racing

This gets a little more granular because many brands make different racing shoes for different events. The shorter the distance, the more aggressive the shoe. A racing shoe is generally going to be notably lighter than a training shoe and this is where you will see the carbon fiber plates. It is far from a requirement to get a racing shoe, but they can make a recognizable difference once you start trying out different shoes. Bear in mind they do tend to be more expensive…

New Balance RC Elite – my race shoe for the past 2 years

Trails

Trail shoes are an entirely different breed and have a few key differences from road shoes. There are three primary things that I’ve seen. A reinforced toe box for protection against rocks and roots, a firm sole (also for protection) and aggressive, rubber grip. Similar to road shoes, there are a variety of options when it comes to the trails. If you plan to run on the trails on any consistent basis, I recommend picking up some trail shoes. I have ran with a few new trail runners, and they have marveled at the difference after picking up their first pair.

Recovery

It’s becoming more common to have shoes and sandals that are specifically designed for recovery. Ultimately that means high cushioning for your sore feet. There are a few brands that are focused almost exclusively on this market – most notably Oofos and Kane. Footwear like this has become more popular and other brands are making their own versions of recovery shoes. I too succumbed to the interest here, but have mostly relegated my recovery slides for odds and ends. After a few minor foot pains, the most common advice I’ve received is to walk around the house barefoot, so that’s been my go-to.

Breaking shoes in

The general advice I’ve always received is to walk around your house in new shoes for a while before going out for your first run. This is especially important before doing a run over 3-5 miles. I’ve made the mistake (recently…) of skipping this step before and have ended up aggravating my foot, which took a few weeks to recover from. Be smarter than me 🙂

Conclusion

There is a LOT to the shoe buying process, and I hope this has been a helpful high-level overview for you. While this was a lot of information, it is far from being all encompassing. This was mostly geared to newer folks, but hopefully some of the veteran runners out there learned something new too. You might have noticed that I have (what some might say is) a lot of running shoes. There are a few reasons for that. One reason is that I do a decent variety of runs on roads and trails, and each shoe serves it’s own purpose. The other reason is that you can injure your feet if you run with the same shoes every day and on the same terrain. The variety helps prevent injuries so you aren’t sidelined unnecessarily. For those of you who think I might have too many shoes, I’ll tell you as well… at least it isn’t drugs.

Are our athletic limits physical or mental?

by Tyler Simpson on Feb 14, 2023 category Book Reviews

My reflections from “Endure” by Alex Hutchinson

If you haven’t heard of Alex Hutchinson’s book, it’s a fascinating one that’s worth a read. I recently read it and found myself talking about it with many people. While that doesn’t guarantee it will spark your interest, hopefully you learn some interesting things from my reflections below. The fundamental basis of “Endure” is whether our athletic limits are based on physical or mental barriers. It is filled with an amazing amount of data and insights that pull you back and forth between the two viewpoints. Spoiler alert: there is still no clear answer.

My favorite things learned

This book was overloaded with information – almost a miniature textbook. I’ve read and listened to a good amount of information about similar things and these stood out the most for me.

Roger Bannister’s sub-4 minute mile didn’t exactly open the flood gates

If you’ve read almost any motivational book, you may have heard the story of Roger Bannister breaking the 4 minute mile. The basic synopsis is that people thought it was impossible and that it would never happen. In 1954, Bannister did “the impossible” and on the heels of that, hundreds did it within the following year. Once other people knew it was possible, they no longer had the mental barrier in place and could push themselves harder.

What Hutchinson states is that in actuality John Landy, “was the only other person to join the sub-four club within a year of Bannister’s run”. Only four others followed suit in the year after that. Instead of taking only a year for 300 runners to run sub-four, it took until 1979 (25 years later) for that to happen. Given how many times I had heard the former, it was quite a shock to read that. It doesn’t discredit the impact that Bannister had, but instead deflates much of the exaggeration that is out there.

Our muscles don’t produce lactic acid

This is yet another “tale as old as time“. Having run track from middle school through college, I have heard about lactic acid build-up in legs for a LOOOOONG time. It turns out that lactic acid is a hangover from the early 1800s from Swedish chemist Jöns Jacob Berzelius. He was the first to draw the connection between muscle fatigue and the lactic acid that was found in hunted stags. In actuality, it is lactate that is found in our muscles. The book elaborated more on this, but it was surprising to me, given how commonplace it is for runners and coaches alike to cite lactic acid build up.

Heatstroke and dehydration are mutually exclusive

I spoke with my wife about this, and she didn’t seem too surprised. My take on her reaction: either she’s a genius or I’m not very intelligent (likely both). Regardless, this was pretty shocking to me. One example that was used was the story of Alberto Salazar’s 1978 Falmouth Road race compared to his 1982 Boston Marathon (the “Duel in the Sun”). In the former, he had heatstroke but wasn’t dehydrated and in the latter the opposite happened. In both races, he was rushed to the medical tent and he was even read his last rites after Falmouth.

I have always assumed that the two were connected, mostly because I had never done any real research to know the difference. What I learned in “Endure” is that dehydration is a greater concern in long races and heatstroke is most common in shorter races. The big difference is your body temperature, which is primarily determined by your “metabolic rate” – how hot your engine is running. There are more fascinating details in the book, which is another reason to pick it up if that peaks your interest.

Icing may actually have no effect

Again, I was confronted with something that I understood to be a fact, only for that to be dispelled once again. After citing a few studies where athletes were tested for actual muscle fatigue after spending time in various temperature baths, no scientific proof was found. What is woven throughout this book in multiple ways is the impact of belief that something works. Icing is no different. For people who believed they felt better, then there was no reason to stop the practice. For those who don’t like ice baths, there was no compelling reason to start.

I’ve heard a lot about a Dutchman named Wim Hof who has entire courses on ice baths (among other things) and I’ve been intrigued to learn more. His name has come up in countless podcasts that I’ve listened to and I recently picked up his book. I’ll be sure to review his book once I finish.

What sets apart Kenyan runners from the rest of us

Kenyans have appeared to dominate distance running for as long as I can remember. There are a number of explanations that you hear: living at elevation and physical giftedness among them. What Hutchinson talks about is more focused on the mentality of Kenyan runners. In training sessions, they often run as hard as possible with the lead pack until they can no longer keep up and start jogging. Western runners tend to have a more measured approach, running within their perceived capacities so they can finish strong. Despite the obvious differences in the two approaches, the latter does not tend to produce any breakthrough performances. Without leaving it all on the line, runners/athletes/people will find it much harder to surprise themselves with big improvements and unexpected results.

I can’t say that I totally relate with this notion, but I did have somewhat of a breakthrough performance in Philly during my last marathon. After following my first “legit” training cycle, I thought I was in reach to get a Boston qualifying time (~3:05) so I went for it. I was aiming to run around 7 minute mile pace, and did so for the majority of the run. The lactate (not lactic acid) in my legs got the better of me around mile 23, but I was still able to take more than 30 minutes off my previous personal record.

So should I read this book or not?

I am personally very happy that I read this book and found so many things in it to be fascinating. Ultimately Hutchinson does not have a definitive answer to what limits our performance, but the back and forth is very thought-provoking. I always find books that help with personal growth to be among my favorites, and I would add this one to my list. My hope is that you find this brief reflection to be helpful in deciding to either pick this book up or leave it where it is. Stay tuned for more book reviews in the future!

What Are You Listening To?

by Tyler Simpson on Feb 1, 2023 category Tips From An Amateur

The topic of “what people listen to while running” has been pretty interesting to me. There are four basic things that I’ve heard people say: music, podcasts, audiobooks and… nothing! The last one threw me when I first heard someone say that, but I’m now a believer – to some degree… I have found that what I listen to varies depending on the type of running I’m doing, but I most definitely have a preference. Early in my 20s (so about 100 years ago) I heard a lot of people I looked up to talk about active learning. What I understood that to mean, was to listen to something educational WHILST doing something else. The biggest place that became a habit for me, was when I was driving. If you have a 30 minute commute each way to work, you could get an hour of learning in each day. Five days of that is pretty easy math, and at the end of the year you could add over 250 hours of “learning”, even if that’s the only time you ever do it in a day.

Enter: Long runs

Once you start delving into the training required to complete a marathon, you will find yourself spending a lot of time out running (pro tip). The way I see it, that is another version of the education on wheels, but instead on your legs. Sure, you can listen to hundreds of hours of music, but that is unlikely to help you double-dip with somewhat of a life-hack. Let’s dive a bit into the world of music to kick this off.

Musica

Music feels like the go-to for the vast majority of runners. I’ve heard all sorts of reasons why, but the most logical one tends to be about the BPM (beats per minute) and how it helps keep a cadence. Here is an article that helps you find your running BPM. When I started going out for regular runs again, I absolutely threw my headphones on and shuffled up my library for enjoyment. While it was enjoyable for the first few weeks, quite frankly I started to get pretty bored. Now I know the music enthusiasts will tell me 100 different reasons why that’s insane and probably because I wasn’t listening to the right stuff.

Regardless of your music tastes, I found myself either getting too worked up with upbeat music or getting tired of just listening to music for an hour plus. Given my desire to read and learn more, I realized this was a new opportunity for me to take advantage of the time. I decided to open up the books app on my phone and I bought a book called “Run the Mile You’re In” by Ryan Hall. If you’ve never heard of Ryan, he’s quite the legend in American distance running. He is also a Christian, so I was curious to hear how he was going to incorporate his faith into his running.

Audiobooks

Pretty quickly into Ryan Hall’s book, I realized I enjoyed the content a whole lot more than listening to music for the reasons I mentioned earlier. Aside from being more interesting than constant music, I was feeling better for “reading” more and I also found that I was focusing less on how I was feeling and more on the narrator. For runs that last for an hour or more, not focusing on the running is quite refreshing. Since I switched over to audiobooks, I’ve listened to a total of 20 different books. Those 20 books were all “read” at the same time as I was doing other things: running, driving, mowing the lawn, to name a few.

The very first marathon that I ran was the Virtual Boston Marathon, where I was alone on sidewalks and the sides of the road for over 4 hours. It was painful, and a true initiation into running the marathon distance. As somewhat of a accidental strategy, I chose to listen to “Hiroshima” by John Hersey. If you haven’t read the book, it’s about six survivors of the bombing of Hiroshima. There are a number of details that are brutally graphic, and overall it’s an absolutely horrific accounting of the experience for people in the city. I found myself so distracted about the various details that I felt that I had nothing to complain about. As I said, an accidental strategy that worked out quite well.

While reading audiobooks had been a welcomed change, some of the audiobooks were many hours of listening. Most of the books have been great, but I’ve definitely had a few that have been less engaging. I don’t remember exactly how, but I came across the book “Finding Ultra” by Rich Roll at some point. Without going into the details, it’s an incredible book and one that I enjoyed quite a bit. In learning more about Rich, I found out that he had a very successful podcast. I’d heard a lot of people talk about different podcasts that they listened to, so I decided to see what all the hype was about.

Podcasts

If you are where I was about 2 years ago, you may not understand what all the chatter about podcasts is for. Podcasts are essentially smaller audio shows or series that cover a specific topic. Some of them are a series that cover historical events. Some are interviews with various people and others are just pure entertainment. Rich Roll describes his podcast as long-form conversations that are “all things wellness”. The guests that he has on his show are all very intelligent and talk about some incredibly fascinating topics (in my opinion). I listened to one episode and was hooked immediately. I found that even discussions about things that I had no opinion or knowledge about were so interesting, and forced me to become more curious. I also liked that I could listen to an entire podcast in one or two runs, instead of over the course of 15+ runs like many of the audiobooks.

After getting into the podcast groove, I found a few other ones that I listened to but haven’t even scratched the surface of what’s out there – because it’s pretty overwhelming. If you are looking to learn more about different topics, I highly encourage checking out an episode of a podcast. There are tons of recommended lists that you can find out there, so slap a search into google and see what you can find. One of the best things about most podcasts?? They are free!

Nada

Don’t listen to anything. Not a single thing. Actually, listen to everything around you, unfiltered and uncut. A few years back, I went for a run with someone who told me they never listen to anything on runs. I thought he joking, because that sounded absolutely insane to me. My indoctrination had been that you HAD to listen to something when running – as if it was a rule of some sort. When I pressed, he explained that when he runs on the trails, he wants to hear all the sounds of nature. His reasoning was mostly for the enjoyment of nature, but he also had the practical sense of being able to hear if someone (or something) was near him.

When running off-road, you are often on single-track trails that don’t leave much room for passing. If a mountain biker or faster runner is coming up behind you, it’s much better to hear them coming – so you aren’t that obnoxious person blocking the entire trail AND you don’t get scared by someone “coming out of nowhere.” Outside of people, there are some dogs that are off leash that shouldn’t be and being able to prepare yourself for their assault (friendly or otherwise) is helpful too.

I tried going for a solo trail run without any headphones, and I immediately understood the recommendation. It added so many amazing layers to the experience, and allowed me to be more present and aware of the world around me. Just the other day I went for a run on the trails mid-day because it was gorgeous outside. I was running down by one of the ponds and as I came up to a section by the edge of the water, I heard something up in the trees rustle. I looked up and saw a massive bald eagle take off and soar out over the water. As my jaw hit the ground, ANOTHER bald eagle right above me took off after the first one. I’ve been lucky enough to see a few bald eagles in the wild, but this took the cake. I stopped and watched them fly away, and couldn’t help but think that I would have completely missed that if I had headphones in. When I’m on the trails, my eyes are always down, and the only reason I stopped to look up was because I heard the rustle in the trees. I wonder how many times we miss moments because we aren’t fully immersed in where we are…

One of the bald eagles I startled on my run

What about racing?

My first few longer races (half marathon and longer) I listened to music during the runs. I can’t say for sure if it helped, but it was at least a net neutral. When it came time for my first in-person marathon in Chicago, I decided that I wanted to really experience the environment that I had heard so much about. Despite the fact that I got absolutely destroyed during that race, I was very happy to hear the crowds and the energy throughout the entire course. It felt like a way that I could give back some appreciation for the thousands of people that were there to cheer all of us on. Since then, I’ve opted for the same approach in New York, Boston and Philly, and plan to continue going sans headphones. To each their own, and do what works for you!

A few final thoughts

Try something new

If you’ve only ever done one thing for your runs, I recommend trying something new. I know there are a number of things that I haven’t mentioned that some people may rave about. For example, I’m sure there are some people who use a language learning app while running and love it! I have found that switching things up keeps running feeling fresh and can often be the thing I’m looking forward to even more than the actual running. The best news is that you can always go back to old faithful if you aren’t a fan of the new thing.

Leave headphones at home for group runs

This might just be a pet peeve of mine, but I don’t understand why people come to a group run and then just put their headphones on the entire time and don’t talk to anyone. I tend to have things that make no sense to me but others see no issue with, so this could be another one of those things. To me, the whole point of running with other people is to be in conversation with someone about something – anything. If I wanted to listen to something I would just run alone. Call me crazy, but I say leave the headphones at home if you are running with other people.

Run naked

Streaking!!! Ok, so I’m not actually talking about actually running without clothes. I am however talking about running without any headphones. To some people, that may sound just as insane. If you have never done it, I recommend giving it a try. If you want to ease into it, invite a friend to go for a run and have the conversation take the place of the headphones – it also makes sure you don’t run too fast 😉 If you are anything like me, it’s not often that are you are alone with nothing but your own thoughts. It can be incredibly helpful in processing your thoughts or emotions, and can quickly tap into your spiritual side. That’s a blog for another day though…