RunningAtom

I bought my first official pair of running shoes last January 16, 2010 at a running specialty store in Bonifacio High Street, Taguig (where I also had my gait checked), hoping to be able to use it on the next day's race. The Sales assistant told me not to use the shoe right away without "breaking" it in, or having it road-tested first. I didn't know that shoes have a break-in and road-test also like a vehicle.

So, for the first few days while waiting for my next run on February 7 (the Condura Run), I decided to record the break-in mileage of this Boston shoe, and blog about my observations and running experience while using it.


The Dry-run
Before buying the Adizero Boston, I was able to try other running shoe with a very much different outsole (it has an actuator lugs on the forefoot sole), which I think, the very first of its kind - the Newtons. The shoe is very light (200 grams for size 7) and my feet feels so light too, the odd design of the outsole helps to encourage the feet to strike in forefoot, much like the same as barefoot running.

Then I tried the Adizero Boston. I could feel the great difference between the Newtons versus this one. The Boston feels much heavier (300 grams for size 7.5), and does not have much of the forefoot advantage than what the Newton boasts of. But still, compared to my old Reebok running shoe, the Boston is far lighter in weight. The air-mesh sole of both the Newtons and Boston allows more air to pass, thereby keeping the feet cooled even in longer distance. The price between the two shoes determined my choice with around 37% of price difference.

20Jan2010, 6AM: Day 1 Break-in
Three days after the 2010 PSE Bull Run, I went on to my first day of break-in of the Adizero Boston. I planned to just run on my average pace. The route is from our house (near V. Luna) going to Quezon City Hall and then back to the house which on my estimation, averaged to around 3.3 kilometers.

The shoe really feels light, and I can also feel the wind on my foot coming in from the air-mesh of the shoe. Due to the lightweight of the shoe in my feet as compared to my old running shoe, I have not realized that I was already running my faster pace from our house going to City Hall. That made me exhausted early and running already in slower pace upon going back.

After the run, my feet felt tired but doesn't feel suffocated due to the see-through air-mesh construction. No blisters, no aches yet, and no injuries.


22Jan2010, 7PM: Day 2 Break-in
Two days after the 1st day break-in, my running buddies from the office went on a weekend night practice-jog/run at UP Diliman. I completed a total of 4 rounds at the academic oval which is equivalent to 8.8 kilometers at a time of 0:57:36. I added an interval trainings on my runs with the Boston, hoping to find or feel an ache in my body afterwards.

The result was still the same as day 1. Though my legs' muscles ached, I felt that it's not due to the shoes but due to the normal-slow-fast interval training that I did. The most astonishing observation I had after the run was, I never felt a stress on my heel. It's like my heel had never stroked the road within the duration of the training except when I am walking.

Overall, my feet felt much relaxed after the run. My heels seems to missed a lot of road striking, therefore, my knees never ached also due to absence of heel-to-knee shock transfer.


23Jan2010, 7PM: Day 3 Break-in
Since I already ran a longer distance on the 2nd day, I decided to take this day's training in a lighter mode. At the same time, my running colleagues also felt tired due to a week long of office works. We just walked on the first round at UP Diliman's academic oval of 2.2kms, and an added round of 5.4kms of average speed running pace for me.

Like on the day 2 break-in, it seems that my foot has become accustomed with mid-foot striking. My heels are still relaxed and never felt like it stroked the road at one time. It has been my 4 days (from PSE Bull Run) running already without using knee pads. Mostly, during and after running a distance of 5km, my knees would already suffer from pains like the symptoms of an ITBS or Iliotibial Band Syndrome.

I don't know if it was the shoe that contributed to the non-aching of my knees anymore for the past runs, or if I have just already accumulated enough trainings for 10k distance. I guess it's the combination of the right shoes plus the right running form.

You may check my conclusion review of the Adizero Boston on this post.

It is very seldom that our local media get hold of news about Filipino scientists' achievements, or even get a recognition from the Government about science discoveries by Filipino scientists and inventors. Mostly, the news are just kept within a few radius from the laboratory, but never gets to the Filipino public to be patronized or marketed.


So after reading about this latest health discovery by a Filipino from Inquirer Global Nation, I felt the need to blog about this recent achievement of Rhoel Dinglasan - an Entomoligist/Biologist at John Hopkins University Hospital.

The breakthrough of the discovered vaccine prevents the mosquitoes from spreading the malaria virus. Contrary to the current vaccines which allows our immune system to just fight-off the disease, the new vaccine works by stopping the virus on the mosquito itself, thus, preventing the spread and totally blocking the transmission of the virus when the mosquito hops to another meal. The vaccine or antigen is called AnAPN1.

To further understand how the new antigen works, I have posted below some excerpts from the Global Inquirer:

“Traditional vaccines work by introducing a killed or weakened version of a disease into the body, where the immune system spots it and cranks out antibodies against it. Then, if a wild strain of the pathogen comes along later—one that has the power to sicken or kill—the body is ready for it. The new approach is different. Developed by Rhoel Dinglasan, an entomologist and biologist at Johns Hopkins University Hospital, it would instead work within the mosquito gut.

You may read more about the full story of this breakthrough from Time Magazine.

The previous year's global economic upheavals left a lot of companies bankrupt, investments hiked down, and many people job less, that includes my wife. My insurance investment for almost four years also went to nothing. I was so frustrated of course, but I can't do anything about it. I'd like to get angry at the Insurance company, but it will do me no good. So when we found PSE's registration booth during the Yes Run 2009, dubbed as "Takbo Para sa Ekonomiya", I thought of maybe I could just run my frustrations out on this running event. It will be much better than to stress myself in chasing for the Insurance company which could not even give me 50% ROI assurance of my investment with them.


Thus, January 17, 2010, marked my first run for the year, to date, it is also my 2nd best time, and 2nd sub-50 for the 10k distance category. I guess my 2 day interval training in Baguio during my holiday vacation, and our constant practice run at UP Diliman this January did bear fruit. I was also able to apply the things that I learned on my readings about proper form in distance running, and the running form mistake that I realized when I had my gait analyzed last Saturday. It really paid of!


Overall, the race was magnificently organized, with enough hydration booths, fast race result, and generous give-aways from PSE investors and listed-companies. Sun Life also gave away 20 free life insurance coverage and I wasn't lucky enough to be one of the winners, I guess insurance is not really for me. The only side-comment I could give is the absence of kilometer markers. And I heard that for the 3k category, their route was not thoroughly organized. As for the 10k, they added a few more meters from the original race map, where we did a whole stretch run on the 11th ave. before turning right at the 28th ave. for the finish line.

You may download the 2010 PSE Bull Run race results on the following links below:
3k     5k     10

Race Profile:
Distance: 10 km.
Official Time: 00:49:53
Official Ranking: 89th out of 1,025

Race Info:
When: Jan. 17, 2010.
Where: Fort, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig
Event: PSE Bull Run 2010: Takbo Para sa Ekonomiya

Whenever I run for more than 5 kilometers, the outer-side of my left knee always suffers from pain, which also goes away after 5 to 7 days. That's why in most of my runs (and as long as my memory gap won't hinder), I always wear my knee pads which I have been using already for quite a while. I've been thinking that I might have some running form defects which I ought to correct before I get an injury. I don't want to stop from running since it has been one of my first loved sports.


Last Saturday, I visited one of the running-specialty stores in Bonifacio High Street, Taguig to canvass for a running shoe that would fit me and also to know more about this kind of shoe that I have seen from their website and some billboards in EDSA. At the same time, I was able to have my gait analyzed and also get my foot type.


The method for gait analysis is just simple. First they analyzed my foot type using some kind of instrument (called 'podoscope') that creates a thermal-like image of your feet after stepping on it for a few seconds. Mine has a normal arch, much like the image shown in the left. I was glad that I'm not flat-footed, since I've heard that flat-footed runners are more prone to injuries (I don't know if it is really proven), and those feet with normal to high arches have a higher chance of running faster (oh really? time to prove it!).

Next step was the gait analysis proper where I did a barefoot run on their treadmill at a speed of 9 kph, with a video cam a meter away from the treadmill recording my movement as I run (yeah, I noticed the video cam's location before I had my gait analyzed). The normal pronation should be 180 degrees and mine was just 180.7 degrees. It relieved me upon knowing that I still have a normal gait, with only a 0.7 degree of supination or pronation either way, I forgot what was the term that the sales assistant told me.


On the gait analysis video, I was also able to see one incorrect form on my running which, as the assistant said, can be consciously corrected. That is, on the lifting phase, my feet sways outside which is also due to incorrect toe positioning as it strikes the ground. I know this has been my problem ever since I started running. In my Baguio runs, I always try to keep my toes in the right position, which  I tend to forget already. Now I think, this has been the reason of my knee-aching problems. Happy to realize that! :)

I was surprised when I received this award from my running buddy and officemate MinnieRunner. She's a dysmenorrheac girl (lol, forgive me Madz), who have no love in sports until just recently, became addicted to badminton and running.

Thank you so much Madz!

Here are the rules:

1. Appreciate your followers on your blog. - Thanks to all of you :)
2. Award them with the 'Best Follower Award'. - Congratulations!
   
3. Award only the best and the most eligible followers. - Hmmm, I've been having a hard-time browsing my two blogs for the most eligible followers. And since I cannot return back this award to Madz, there's someone who have been reading my posts and anticipating my updates for the race results of our running events. And that is Rory. So this award goes to you. Congratulations :)