Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Sole Runner T1 Allrounder


Several teammates and I had the extraordinary good fortune to be chosen to test the very latest in cutting edge, minimalist running wear - the T1 Allrounder by Sole Runner.

Our mission was to see for ourselves whether the T1 Allrounder could actually out-do mother-nature in providing a natural, barefoot running experience. We were all pretty excited when our teammate Cory brought the shipment of T1 Allrounders to our track workout a month ago, and even more excited when we tried the shoes on and saw just how stylish they are (see picture).

In fact the Allrounder is just so fashionable that rather than run in them, I chose to wear them to the big party on my street the following weekend. The other wannabe urban hipsters were struggling to look cool in their heavy combat boots, their ballet flats and their tired old black-and-white check Converse. When I walked in wearing my T1 Allrounders conversations stopped as people looked admiringly at my shoe selection; numerous people asked me what they were and where they could buy them. I continue to wear them when lounging at various coffee shops, Harajuku clothing stores, and trendy bars.
They even match my urban hipster bike messenger bag and gives me that random, ironic and eccentric look that we all are working so hard to achieve....

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Vegetable Half-Marathon


I ran the Vegetable Half-Marathon Sunday finishing 15th overall among the 1,504 participants in 1:20:38. 

This race appears like it will be one of my few pure running events during what has become my "running season" -- the winter months from January to April.

I had fantasized about running 1:18 again, but that was a bit self-delusion given my condition these days (and the fact the course had a dozen 180-degree turns).  The start on a track contributed to an over-zealous first 4k. I started to think negative panicky thoughts around the 4k mark and begun wimping out and slowing down.  Fortunately I was able to man up and maintain roughly 19 minute per 5k pace for the next two loops.  Here are my splits:

5k -  18:32
10k - 37:38
15k - 56:40
20k - 1:16:25
Half - 1:20:38

The run seemed like quite a struggle for me with many surges and slowing down -- relative to most all my other half-marathons in recent years, Chiang Mai, Arizona, Kanagawa, in which I seemed to cruise along straighter courses.  Ultimately though I am pleased with the effort and will assume it represents my best possible time now.