To my suprise yesterday, a package was waiting at home in a BIG BOX from SOLE.
I'm right now wearing the really cool black t-shirt and flexfit cap with the company name and logo on them. (Pics to come later...maybe. Black is definately slimming!) And it goes well with the red sports flask they also provided! They even threw in an extra pair of heat-moldable footbeds for my regular shoes too! Thanks to SOLE and especially Claire from their Marketing Dept who was nice enough to offer this to me!
I'm no Dean Karnazes by any means, but I hope to be a positive representative for SOLE! I'll definately write up how the footbeds (and my foot) hold up after my first race since my stress fracture sidelining me and for my subsequent races after that (including my goal of doing the Cascade Crest 100).
So far, it's been a month since I've been using them and the experience is positive overall. The tendons in my right foot rarely (and I do mean RARELY) bother me during my runs now. The original pains I felt have diminished greatly and the support I get now is phenomenal. I'm also able to maintain better form, despite my muscles still needing better conditioning (which will come with time and training).
The only difficulty I'm experiencing in relation to using the SOLE footbeds is trying to adjust my laces of the shoe since the arch of my foot goes up in the sweet spot and the current lacing system I have doesn't work as well as it should. However, that's simple user error on my part and I simply have to find a better lacing method to make the shoe fit better. The other thing I have to learn is to STOP JAMMING MY FOOT IN THE SHOE! Cramming/Jamming your foot into your footwear can cause a minor shift in the footbed placement and you'll feel weird when standing in them. Slipping them on gently always works best.
Things learned so far this week:
- On a group run, figure out where exactly everyone is going and then go at your own pace - not theirs. I got smoked and slowed considerably after two miles in a 6+ mile easy run due to running a faster 8-9 minute pace versus a 10-11 min pace that my body can currently handle better. (6.43 miles in 1:06:17; traffic light stops - boo!!!!)
- Make sure you don't forget your workout clothes. Due to no running clothes, I did a 2 mile powerwalk on the treadmill in my jeans and a spare t-shirt. I had the speed set to 4.0 MPH @ 2% incline, so yeah - I got sweaty after the first 15 minutes.
I also think I figured out a good running/workout schedule for myself, but I'll see if it's successful after this week is up before I disclose it.
Happy running all!
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2 comments:
Congrats.
Although, I think maybe you need a bigger size. There shouldn't be any play in your inserts. I used Sole for about two years in everything (even my slippers). I slowly stopped using them and now I don't need them at all. Although I still keep a set around just in case.
Hey, they were my first sponsors back in 2002-03 (?)! Good insoles, kept the blisters away. may be I should go back...
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