Galloping into 2025

 

Galloping into 2025

As we step into a new year, let’s take a moment to celebrate your incredible journey through 2024. Every mile, every step, and every effort you’ve poured into your running deserves recognition. The passion and dedication you’ve shown are nothing short of inspiring.

Looking ahead, 2025 promises endless possibilities. Of course, there will be the good, the bad, and the ugly runs—but each of them plays a vital role in shaping your journey.

The Good

These are the days when everything just clicks. From the first stride to the last, your body feels like a finely tuned machine, and every fiber of your being radiates joy. These runs remind you why you fell in love with running in the first place.

The Bad

We’ve all been there: those workouts that should’ve felt easier, those days when running feels like a struggle. But don’t let them bring you down. The good runs are always on the horizon. Allow yourself the gift of recovery—active or inactive—and remember that every tough day is just a stepping stone to better ones ahead.

The Ugly

Ah, the ugly runs—the ones we love to hate but secretly cherish. These are the character builders: the grueling 20-milers in -15°F weather or the hill sprints in scorching 90°F heat. They challenge your resolve, demand resilience, and teach you more about yourself than any good run ever could.

Through it all, these runs—good, bad, and ugly—are what make our hearts race and keep the joy of running alive. From my perspective, there’s something to love in each one of them and you are a champion in orchestrating it.

Let the music begin!

Keep Running my Friends!

Have you run in super shoes

 

Over the years, shoe technology has continually evolved. In the last decade, the advent of super shoes has come to the forefront of this evolution. During this time, countless records have fallen to runners wearing these groundbreaking shoes.

I decided to buy my first pair in 2019 for my fall marathon. I was looking for every advantage in pursuit of a fast time and a Boston Qualifier (BQ). When I picked up the shoes, I was immediately impressed. They weighed just 5.6 ounces compared to my 11.6-ounce trainers. Once I put them on, I could hardly feel them as I walked around the house. However, they had a weird bouncy, squishy sensation that felt unusual.

The next day, I laced them up again and ventured out on a tempo run. As I ran, I felt light and springy on my feet. As I ramped up the pace, it seemed almost effortless. My GPS was tracking my pace, and I could hardly believe the numbers it displayed. When I finished the run and reflected on my first experience with the super shoes, I was all smiles.

However, the next day, my body wasn’t as happy. My calves were extremely sore. I turned to a few online resources to better understand what was happening. I learned that these shoes are designed in a way that can stress your soft tissue if your body isn’t used to them. A gradual progression was recommended to allow for proper adjustment.

Presto! Problem solved. I adhered to a slow mileage build-up in the super shoes. This was manageable for me since I always rotate shoes between runs. As I progressed in my training, the super shoes began to grow on me. They felt like an integral part of my preparation. However, as my marathon approached, the shoes started to show signs of wear. I knew the race would be my last run in this pair.

On race day, I lined up at the starting line and glanced around. There were others who, like me, had been willing to pay $300 for a pair of super shoes. I took a deep breath, and then the gun fired. The race was on. As the miles ticked by, my pace and effort remained perfectly on target for my BQ time. When I crossed the finish line, I was ecstatic—I had come in 7 minutes under the qualification time.

Pleased with the performance of my super shoes, I bought another pair shortly after. In my opinion, super shoes are an excellent tool if you’re chasing a fast time. They’re fun to run in and truly put a spring in your step. While the price tag may be steep, for serious runners, they can be a game-changer.