I mentioned that I was contemplating on exchanging the Newtons for a half-size larger because of the very slight digging on the big toe that I felt during long runs.

Yesterday, I ended up doing just that. I told the associate that the size 9 I have was mostly fine except for that slight digging sensation after a run which is neither pain nor numbness. She said that over longer runs that would become pain.

So I exchanged it with a 9.5…which, to be honest, was a bit weird…but the associate assured me that it was fine, since the location of the lugs on the shoe’s forefoot is still where it should be in reference to my foot (wait…did that make sense?).

I went for a 6.5-mile run this morning…and I’m happy to report that the digging sensation is GONE.

Thank goodness I bought this through RoadRunnerSports. The 60-day “No Questions Asked” return/exchange policy is a godsend.

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I am not running with any other shoes. There, I said it. At this point, I don’t care if I have to pay $500 for my next pair of Newtons. OK…maybe not that much…but you get the point.

I attained a PR of 27:44 (official time is actually 27:39.27) and with no numbing nor pain whatsoever.

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I just registered online for my first half-marathon for the fall.

Yikes.

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I’ve been reading about Newton shoes all over the intarwebs since I took running everyday seriously some 1.5 years ago…A lot of runners swear by them but for the longest time I couldn’t get over the sticker shock: almost twice the price of a “regular” pair of running shoes.

Over that short span of time, I’ve learned quite a lot about running…and during this short span of time, spent a deal of dough in pursuit of the perfect running shoes.

Over the last few months–while trying to get accustomed with midfoot/forefoot running–I’ve settled on the Nike Free series…while running with the Vibram Classics from time to time.  I’ve suffered from ITBS from time to time, but with these shoes, I rarely deal with the symptoms of the pain.

Until, of course, I had the embarrassing first 10K run.  ITBS came back with a vengeance.

So I broke down and finally bought a pair of Gravitas.  Fortunately, I bought this through a local RoadRunnerSports store…with the membership and some coupons, it sort of eased up the blow of the sticker price.

When I tried it out on the store, I knew the shoes were different…it had a beefy midsole…and I was a bit skeptical.  The store offered that I try it on a treadmill, but I didn’t have much time…plus I wasn’t too keen on the idea of running on a treadmill while somebody looks at me as if I’m some kind of rodent on a spinning wheel for a science experiment.

They did say I could return the shoes within 60 days if I’m not satisfied.  SOLD!

Now I’m writing this after my first 2-mile run on a treadmill, and here are my impressions:

• With the Frees, I have to be conscious of making sure I run the proper form and land on my mid/forefoot.  With the Gravitas, I can’t land on my heels without feeling awkward; I can actually forget about having to be conscious about my running form.
• NO PAIN.  I know this is probably some kind of Placebo effect, but I did not feel any form of numbness or pain like I would occasionally feel with the Frees or the Vibrams.
• Not too excited about the electric blue color (with bright red-orange laces!).  I really wish Newton would offer a bit of more subdued colors in the future…heck, I would settle for another color.  Perhaps I’m being picky, but I really don’t wont to be noticed when running…and with this color, people can see me from a mile away with their peripheral vision.

So…in conclusion (so far), it’s worth every penny.   That may change in 60 days…We’ll see.

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Yesterday was a first for me on a few things:

- Run and finish my first 10K.
- Cover a distance of more than 3.5 miles in one run
- Finally reach my ideal weight after about 1.5 yrs.

I celebrated by eating a large bowl of pho, a large cup of ice cream, and a large cheeseburger and fries. I probably gained 10 lbs back. :-/

-

I did terribly on the 10K because I did not prepare for it…partly because I was too preoccupied with a home renovation project and partly because I got too cocky…because I wasn’t doing so bad on 5Ks.

I paid the price for not preparing for the race: by mile 2, my ITBS started to rear its ugly head…by then my pacing already dropped to about 10 minute mile…fortunately it went away for a while but by mile 4 the pain came back…and by the last mile my left knee was so stiff I felt like running on stilts.

One thing’s certain, though: I will be attending this race every year.

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It’s 60 degrees…and it’s raining!

I forgot to stop my Garmin stopwatch so the timing was WAY OFF.

28:49 is the official time.  I suck.

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Waiting for 3rd 5K to begin…

Garmin Time: 28:13. Official time is 28:17.36.

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I’m waiting right now…race starts in about 40 minutes…and it’s 36 degrees…and i’m one of probably 3 people in the race wearing shorts. I thought it’s spring already?

Update: Time recorded on my GPS: 29:43…Official time to be published later today or tomorrow is 29:34.

This site does not support embedded trip maps. View the trip <a href=”http://www.trimbleoutdoors.com/ViewTrip/657685″ mce_href=”http://www.trimbleoutdoors.com/ViewTrip/657685″>here</a> instead.

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I’ve been running for about a year now but–strange as it may seem–I just learned more about running over the last couple of weeks than the months before that combined.

I never read up on what to do or to expect on running.  I just RAN.  I mean, what’s the worst could happen?

And then it happened: I started developing a stabbing pain on my left knee after just a mile run. It’s been better now since I actually started reading on proper running.  In a nutshell, here are a few things I was doing wrong:

• I’ve been running on the same pair of shoes for about 6 months.  You should rotate on at least two pairs of shoes; the shock-absorbing qualities of your running shoes lessens its effectiveness if it doesn’t “rest.”
• You have to consider your “pronation.”
• Nike apparently doesn’t make the best running shoes.  After a considerable amount of research, I bought a pair of Mizuno Wave Rider 12 and Asics Nimbus 11.
• Stretching before and after running is important. No joke.  Go ahead, make fun of me here.  I always thought stretching is for old people.

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I finished my first 5K today! 132nd place overall, 14th (out of 16…LAYM) in my category (30-39 year-old male). Man, that was one hilly course! At the first half mile I thought I was going to pass out.

The FNA5K was a mess. The people directing the traffic did a poor job; A lot us went off course for about half a mile, some ended up running 4K. So most of those people who clocked less than 20 minutes most likely did a 4K…which, to me, was OK…but the thing is my time would have been much better had I not run off-course.

But I’m definitely hooked, nonetheless. I look forward to my next 5K. Hey, maybe even the NY Marathon in a few years.

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