Tag: Asics

Trainer Review

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Last month I purchased some new shoes. Many times I’ve mentioned that I’m an Asics girl, I’ve had the same shoes for the past 10 years. I branched out (a little) and tried a new series by Asics. I got advice from Second Sole that the GEL-DS Trainer 16 was a good racing flat. So I bit the bullet, paid a little more money than expected and figured I’d give it a shot.

So I put them to the test. First I took them for a run on the treadmill. They were way too clean to take out in the mud. Whoa! These shoes are so light. I definately didn’t expect to notice such a difference. I felt like I was able to run faster than before. I even pushed up the incline and had a big boost of confidence.

Second test was taking them out on the bike. I don’t have real biking shoes so I’ve been using my running shoes, which are pretty bulky. The shoes again were lightweight and stayed on the pedals just fine. I don’t plan on buying shoes for the bike for a while, so this is a great option to have in between.

Third test was taking these shoes to the street. I’ve hesitated on this just because I hate the first time shoes get dirty, but after that I’ll be the first to run through a puddle. I took them out Monday to do those easy miles I originally planned, but in the short time I had them on, I felt like they were great shoes to really take to the streets and race in.

Pearly whites!

Overall, I love these shoes. They’re so light I feel like I’m running barefoot. The laces are on a slight diagonal slant so it doesn’t put too much pressure on the top of my foot. They also have a weird cut out in the back of the shoe, but I think it helps to provide a little bit of support lower in the heel. They give enough support that my ankles are rolling around. Plus the comfort level is way up there. These shoes are an A+ in my book, so go check them out!

Yep, my feet really are that tiny

Duathlon 101

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There is a little over a month left until the Huntington Duathlon and I feel that I’m out of my league. This will be my first, and hopefully not my last. I decided not to do the full triathlon because, well, I can’t really swim. Pathetic, I know, but Lake Erie wasn’t always the cleanest growing up. I’m not completely hopeless, I can doggy paddle, but once it gets over my head (all five foot one inch of me) I start to panic. Anyway…I think I can handle this. The race goes as following, run a 5k, bike 12 miles, run a 5k. I have no time set in place, but I’m guessing around 2 hours, thinking that my second 5k will be slower. I’ve even started to come up with some sort of training plan. I can easily run, then bike, but my training will focus on being able to go from biking to running. So if anyone has any suggestions on ways to get some good training in, please let me know.

Yesterday I broke the mold from my Asics, well, not entirely, but I tried on a new kind of shoe. For the past many years, I’ve gone through the Asics 1000 series and 1100 series shoes. A few weeks ago I went to Second Sole and wanted to get suggestions on racing flats that I could also use for biking and future road races. They didn’t have any in my size, but they finally got them in! I am in love with the shoes, and they’re so light compared to my regular ones. I haven’t bought them yet, but I think these could be great for training and racing. These are my future babies, the Asics GEL-DS Trainer 16. Anyone ever try them?

I also checked out some tri shorts, and of course the only ones that fit me were the most expensive, so the search is still on for some great shorts to wear for the duathlon. I finished the evening with a run and a stop at this amazing crepe place that everyone needs to try. In the Beachwood Place there is a place by the food court that makes amazing crepes. Seriously, I would go there every week if I could. You must try it.

Asics over heels

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After a busy weekend, I’m looking forward to doing easy miles, and finally running after a week off. Saturday was filled with morning class and a wedding in PA, the night was filled with good food, good alcohol and a pretty handsome date. The downside of the night was my feet were not a fan of three inch heels, causing my left calf and arch to cramp up all night long. Lesson learned, don’t wear heels 6 days after running a half.

Luckily Sunday my feet recovered and I was looking forward to enjoying an evening work out. Made a stop at Eddy’s Bike shop in North Olmsted, looking for bikes for Darren, and I was sucked in to at least browsing the collection of items I would love to have. I ended up getting a CamelBak to take on the long, hot rides I plan on doing this summer. Can’t wait to try it out.

Then came the moment I’ve been waiting for, slipping on those muddy Asics and lacing them up to go for a run. Much more comfortable than heels. Legs felt great, and my body felt fully recovered from the half. Only thing I wasn’t used to was the humidity, what happened to spring? Looking into the forecast, I couldn’t let the good weather slip and headed out for a bike ride. Unfortunately the roads in the metro parks are filled with potholes and cracks. Looks like I’ll be sticking to the pathway until the roads are fixed. Next item I need to invest in..new biking shorts. The lack of padding doesn’t make for a comfortable ride.