The Little Things…..

Posted on March 7, 2012 by tootallfritz

In my real life, Miami Beach vacations are certainly not a thing of the norm. In fact, had it not been for my momma & I’s traditional Leap Day trip to celebrate life, then I may have never seen the beauty of South Beach. In my REAL LIFE I cherish the beauty of the little things. A few of the little things that I have been appreciating over the last several days.

The Ability/Flexibility to Try New Things

Mojitos – About 9 out of 10 people were enjoying these refreshing looking drinks while we were in Miami. I decided to take the dare and try one even though I normally do not care for hard alcohol. I thought I might get lucky since Mojitos have ingredients that I like: lime, mint, rum. Unfortunately, the end result didn’t work for me. ~~It was disgusting~~ I didn’t like it at all. I had trouble finishing it, which says a lot since half the glass was filled with lovely greenery. Mojito – YUCK!
Birkenstock Sandals – I have never been a fashionista but I’m certainly not earthy either. The Birkenstock craze was huge in college but I never jumped on the band wagon. I mean, really, why would I pay the same amount of $$ for sandals as I would a good pair of running shoes? It seemed insane at the time, particularly when they didn’t fit my “style”. Well time changes almost everything. I saw a pair of these babies in Miami and they have come a long way in the style department. Plus when I slid them on my feet, they had a lot of support particularly for the Plantar muscle. Sold. Birkenstock – YAY!
Mom tried raw oysters! Wow! She is good about trying new things but let’s just be honest, raw oysters aren’t an easy sell. She thought they were “good” but didn’t really understand the point of eating something that you aren’t supposed to chew. Good point but I still like them. 🙂 Raw Oysters – ???

The Homecoming

Seeing the family. As a busy mom, I loved going away for a few days and having zero responsibilities, being able to just lounge, do whatever caught my fancy, and being able to eat out at nice restaurants; however, by the end of the trip, I was also anxious to get home to the kiddos and hubby. I missed the craziness of being with the kids. And they loved the fact that I was home for about 5 minutes before they started fighting and making demands.
Sleeping in my own bed. Who doesn’t prefer their own bed over any others? I really don’t like to stay overnight anywhere other than my parents. They have a good bed for me ~~and Michael~~ and it’s comfortable and I’m used to it since I stay there a lot. But otherwise, I don’t even want to stay at a friend’s house because I am just not comfortable. I normally do not do well in hotels either. Thankfully the Miami hotel had a good bed and sleeping was good but normally, I’m not a fan.
My dog. I have a Weimaraner, LibLib, who is my baby. Unfortunately, Michael now demands more attention than her and OUR cuddle time is much less than pre-Michael. However, I love this dog more than most people and I miss her when I’m gone. She is my heart, soul, and my very best bed warmer. No electric blanket needed, I have LibLib.

Back to Reality and a Schedule

I like a good schedule. That’s how I get through life. Organization and Time Management are key ingredients to Making It Happen.
Quality time with Aby. It is always nice to steal some quality time with the oldest ~~while hubby is picking up Michael~~ by taking a short run. Now that track season is on the horizon, all of a sudden, I’m more in demand with my oldest because she wants to go running to be in shape for the season. I think we probably missed the “in shape” boat by a month or more but I’ll ~~suck up~~ take all the quality time I can get with her while she still likes me. Last night we did a windy 3 miles on our country roads.

Wednesday Night F’N Runs. Wednesday is now my favorite day of the week because I have locked it in as a Run Day with the F’N Running Club. It certainly isn’t easy for the family to make it happen but we have somehow managed it for the last 5 months. I am hoping we can continue to manage it, even with Aby’s track schedule. We shall see. But this week, I’m in and soooo looking forward to it!

What little things in real life to you cherish and try to appreciate?

Happy Running, Amanda – TooTallFritz

13.1 Miam Beach Race Review

Posted on March 5, 2012 by tootallfritz

So for the last month I have been anxiously awaiting the Miami Beach trip to spend quality time with my momma, meet my on-line friend Angela for the first time and to run the 13.1 Miami Beach race. Miami certainly did not disappoint. Mom and I had an excellent time and the weather was unseasonably warm reaching the low 80s each day. We were able to have fun in the sun, walk around and enjoy the city and do whatever we desired without worrying about the weather. Super nice, relaxing and we had an awesome time.

I also really enjoyed meeting Angela. I was a little “under the weather” when we left for the trip and the head cold: sore throat, ear aches & headache was back full force by late SAT afternoon, which unfortunately was shortly after she arrived. I certainly wasn’t myself but did enjoy her company and meeting her in real life. She is a sweet person, great/loving wife/momma and a kick ass runner. We had non-stop conversation until my voice totally went out. A silent TTF is a very sad thing. 😦

We kept it very low-key the night before the race. We walked the beach and talked, walked thru the city a bit, ate at an awesome restaurant and went to bed early. At that point, I had already realized that the weather would not be ~~good for me~~ ideal and the fact that I had been eating in restaurants and consuming way too many calories, sodium and other additives which are not part of my normal diet would also probably not be a plus in my quest for the 1:50 but I tried to stay positive and BELIEVE that it was possible.

If you would like to read a race report on a perfect race, please click over to RunWithJess for her race recap of the Myrtle Beach Half Marathon HERE.

This race was not perfect in any aspect. We woke up at 4:30 in the morning to 72 degrees and 90% humidity, 9 mph winds with warnings of wind gusts up to 30-40 mph. As soon as I stepped outside the humidity hit me hard, just breathing, not exerting myself at all. I was feeling crappy with the head cold but had taken some Motrin to calm the ear/headache issues so felt okay by race time. We met up with a few of Angela’s friend’s and then we were off racing into the dark.

I lined up with the 1:50 pacer trying to believe that it was still a possibility but knew almost immediately that it was just a dream for a day like this. So I let the pacer run away from me at the first water stop around 1.5 miles. I knew it was vital for me to hydrate properly if I were going to finish.

At this point, we were on a very ugly bridge, which was scenic as it was the bridge closest to the cruise ship docks and we had a decent wind off the water but I was nervous. Really nervous. Not because the 1:50 pacer was GONE but because it was very early in the race and I was already thinking about bagging it. The bridge was several miles long with two very large inclines and corresponding declines, then a long flat section in the middle. The temp wasn’t horrible but the humidity was just thick. I walked for the first time in the third mile going up the second nasty incline. I didn’t walk for long, just long enough to regroup. It was somewhere in this section that I realized I was going to have to treat this race like any other scorcher and run it water stop to water stop. I walked thru every water stop from there on out, drinking both gatorade and water and also dumping water on myself then just tried to keep moving to the next. I had made the conscious decision to finish no matter how long it took and no matter how much I had to walk.

Somewhere in the 4th mile the 2 hour pace group powered past me looking very solid and stong. It was so evident in these early miles who were the locals versus the visitors. We “visitors” already looked like wilted flowers and the locals were powerful and stong in their home territory. It was almost funny, had I not been the wilted flower.

The course map was very simple, we ran a big square, so it was easy to break it down into quarters. As soon as we got off the first series of bridges, it was into town for a short shady jaunt, then a long set of second set of bridges with the ups/downs, then the homestretch. I saw my momma at mile 12 and stopped and ~~drank her water~~ talked to her.

The water stops were about every 1.5 miles. It seemed like a long way to run without water but I am glad they weren’t more often or ~~my time would have been even slowe~~r I would have overdrank. There were live bands or music every 3 or 4 miles, the volunteers and police were plentiful and friendly. The post race party was hopping with lots of food, beer, massages and live entertainment. Everyone looked to be having a great time!

Overall it was a good race and very scenic, just a bit too warm & humid for Ms. TooTall. The finish temp was 82 degrees. For me, my race strategy sometimes gets revised to self-preservation, which means running smart and safe to the finish. My body really just shuts down in the heat/humidity, it’s not even a conscious decision, the body just slows down. So I safely made it to the finish and that makes me happy regardless of the time. I was officially a 2:08:22 finisher and I’ll take that! Always good to make it back for the post race photos! Chris, Jess, Me & Angela:

After the finish, I walked/jogged back for Angela so it was a total 16.5 mile day for me. I’m a bit sore but not bad. My biggest “pain” is from the slanted/grated roads that gave me a huge blood blister on the side of my big toe. I did as lot of weaving around trying to find a flat spot to run but it was difficult. Here is the “loot”:

There wasn’t an expo, the goody bags only had the shirt, one sample of biofreeze, and the backpack. Although, it was a decent race, I don’t feel as if I’m missing out by not yet having ran the Chicago race.

After the race, we were up for some more fun in the sun but that was not in the cards. Rainstorms came thru and the temps dropped to 62 before we left Miami that evening. The high winds were ripping the palms right off the trees!

We did walk back to our favorite area for lunch but overall with the temperature drop and high winds we were just thankful to have been able to enjoy our days previous and it was easier to pack up and head to the airport. A few of my favorite sites before leaving, most are from a small street called Espana Way with lots of little shops and restaurants.

How do you do with “destination” races? Are they hard for you or do you always rock them? This was my first and probably my last unless I luck into being somewhere when a random race is happening. I race close to home where I am usually familiar with the conditions, can sleep in my own bed and eat my own food prior to race day.

Happy Running, Amanda – TooTallFritz

Fun in the Sun – Miami – Part II

Posted on March 3, 2012 by tootallfritz

Yesterday was a huge day and I feel like we fit in as much R&R and fun as possible. The first thing on my list was a run so that I could attempt to acclimate my body to this climate a bit for the race. I know I don’t have enough time to acclimate properly but I at least wanted to know how I was going to feel. So I went out about the time the sun came up and it was just a beautiful day.

I just ran/walked took some photos and just enjoyed the sights. I LOVED the performance of the Tough Chik tank in the heat. I never even noticed it was there which was a huge win. I also tested out a new (to me) product in the Mission Skincare line. They had a 5 hour anti-chafe cream that I compared to body glide. I am a body glide lover so was wondering how this would compare.

I used it the day before while walking around town and didn’t love it. So thought I better give it a try on a low intensity run. It goes on like paste, and it’s sticky. The stickiness doesn’t really go away. I didn’t chafe but just felt sticky. So I guess it “works” but I prefer the feel and texture of the body glide.

After the run, mom & I had a light breakfast and then spent several hours under an umbrella on the beach.

<img src="https://tootallfritz.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/20120303-092829.jpg"

Then shopping, lunch and general sightseeing fun.

Now off to pick up my packet for tomorrow’s race.

Hello Miami!

Posted on March 1, 2012 by tootallfritz

Wow, it has been a beautiful day in Miami, FL. I feel so blessed to be here with my Mamma enjoying her company and this beautiful weather. Today we had low to mid 80s with a slight breeze and some definite humidity.

We booked out hotel thru the 13.1 Miami Beach travel agent and they totally HOOKED US UP! Yay!! Here is the view from our hotel room at the Shelborne South Beach:

The beach which is directly in front of our hotel pool.

Mom & I:

Fun street for shopping & lunch!

Our lunch spot, which we were told was a very hot place to eat. Top 10, guaranteed, ~~yeah right!~~.

Fun times!

Run/Walk thru the CHI…..

Posted on February 29, 2012 by tootallfritz

Yesterday I hauled my ~~ass~~ self away from the office with the intent of knocking out an 8 miler. Well, that didn’t happen. But it was a beautiful day in the CHI and the sun was trying to peak out!

I wasn’t very far at all when I realized that my legs were very fatigued. So I readjusted my goal from 8 miles to 6. Then I got to Oak Street beach and realized that I wanted to walk.

So I walked. And realized I was only 2.5 miles in and if I wanted to walk at this point, then I better just turn around and head back for the office cuz it wasn’t going to get better so I turned around and the now 6 miler turned into a 5.

In addition to the heavy fatigue, my right calf was also ~~screaming~~ talking to me. The good news is that the ankle which was bothering me last week was silent, unless I just couldn’t hear it’s whimpers over the screams of the calf muscle. I’m thinking that a 2013 edition of the Warm Your Heart rat maze will NOT be in the cards for Ms. TooTall. Yep, the aftermath on my body was too much for a 5K distance. Not worth it in my opinion. Too many hairpin turns. I’m coming off the Plantar Fasciitis injury and am still not 100% so it probably affected me more so than a healthy person. The calf muscle that was screaming after the Warm Your Heart race and also during this run, is the same one which was swollen and so damaged that it ~~finally~~ sent me to the doc for the Plantar Fasciitis in September. I know this is all related. That’s okay, it will bounce back and I’ll know better for next year.

In the interim, I enjoyed a nice run/walk thru the city.

Chicago is getting ready for St Paddy’s Day!

So it was a good day to get out and enjoy the city but a very unproductive “run” per say. It’s okay, just a perfect excuse to take it easy the next couple of days in preparation for Sunday’s race in Miami. And fortunately, I have been doing this long enough to know that this will in NO WAY affect my performance. It’s just a bump in the road, the work has been done, the miles put in and I will be READY TO RUN a kick ass race on Sunday.

Cheers! Amanda – TooTallFritz

I’m a Tough Chi(c)k

Posted on February 28, 2012 by tootallfritz

I’m a tough chick. I’ve known that for a long time. As with all ~~bitches~~ ladies, some days are better than others but overall, I’m up there on the tough scale. Over the last couple years, I became aware of a clothing company appropriately named, Tough Chik. How fun is that? I had browsed their website multiple times but their products just weren’t exactly what I wanted at the time. They had lots of cute running tees but I don’t wear tees while running, or otherwise, and the performance line was small so I have been patiently waiting for them to expand the line. I don’t mind spending money on performance clothing ~~even though I have a ton~~ but I don’t spend it on stuff that I don’t love.

Towards the end of last year, my beloved Tough Chiks, who I been stalking but had yet to make a single purchase, announced they would be organizing a team for 2012. Anyone who joined the team, by purchasing from the Team apparel line, would not only be part of the inaugural Team Tough Chik but also have a year’s worth of discounts for all Tough Chik apparel, get discounts for numberous ~~yet to be named~~ sponsors, and possibly get a ton of random freebies in our team package. So basically we were purchasing a mystery package and well, I’m all about surprises and taking a chance, especially when the Team Tough Chik package looked to be just my style in regards to performance, function and fashion.

The team packages will be mailed sometime in March so I have been anticipating the delivery for several months. Then I saw that the TC performance line started to expand and I was intrigued. I’ve had my eye on this:

But I didn’t buy it. I thought it was cute but I didn’t know how the sizing would work, I have this team package coming and the contents might not fit ~~and since it’s custom I was sure that returns/exchanges wouldn’t be an option~~, so I was waiting to see how the sizing of the team gear would work for my body. I have an odd body shape. I’m long and lean but have a very poochy belly ~~cuz I like to eat and drink instead of doing core work~~. As a result, I have to be careful with my clothing not being too tight thru the belly or I look ridiculous. I know you will be shocked but I also have an issue with my height and some of the TRI and running tops are too short and I certainly won’t wear anything that doesn’t have proper coverage so I was still waiting. I figured that after the team package arrived and I had a better idea on sizing that I would try a few other things, like the pink tank above.

However, Tough Chik pulled a fast one and put something out that I COULD.NOT.RESIST. Many of you know that my favorite race is the Shamrock Shuffle in Chicago. Each year, I try to ~~harass~~ encourage as many of my friends as possible to run. This year I even ~~strong-armed~~ pursuaded a large group of ladies to run with me in green Team Sparkle skirts. And since the occasion will be so festive, I have also purchased shamrock socks, white leggings for under the skirt and a green pullover. But this green “i run” tank will ~~hopefully~~ match the Shamrock outfit perfectly:

Yep, I couldn’t resist but took the plunge and purchased my first TC product. It was relatively cheap at $30, plus there was an option of matching arm sleeves which I will probably need at the Shamrock Shuffle. And most importantly, it fit PERFECTLY. The tank is designed to be form-fitting thru the chest and then has a drop to a looser fit thru the mommy tummy. YAY! WIN! I was so excited last night when I tried it on that I couldn’t even contain my excitement but took some pics, posted them on Facebook, tried to get 3 of these in the PINK (above) for me and my girls running 13.1 Miami on Sunday….. but shocker……. they are sold out of the pink in some sizes…..more to come soon!

Arm Sleeves ($25) with little Tough Chiks:

Back:

I can not wait to run in this top. The fit is so nice, it was hard to take it off. The seams are flat and the arm holes go up high enough that I don’t anticipate any chafing in the underarm flab department, this really seems like the perfect top and let’s say that I have been thru a “few” brands to know a lot by just the initial try-on. Most tops I order never make it to a trial run but just get sent back immediately. I have never found any running tops that I really love but am very hopeful with this one. And quite honestly, the price point is so low compared to other technical brands, that I’m hoping this top performs half as good as I expect. You may only see me on the trail in Tough Chik i run tanks this summer. I’ll take this tank to Miami for a test drive this weekend and let you know how it performs. More later.

Do you have any running tops/tanks that you absolutely love? What is the price range? Let’s find some good stuff at a good price ~~for a change~~! Tell us what you like!

Happy Running, Amanda – TooTallFritz

Warm Your Heart Indoor 5K – Race Review

Posted on February 26, 2012 by tootallfritz

As soon as the Warm Your Heart Indoor 5K was announced, there was a group of us who immediately signed up. I mean, really, an indoor, guaranteed 70 degree race in February, YES, I’ll give it a try. This was, of course, way before somebody ~~stole~~ got ahold of the course map. Initially all we knew was that it was a “single” loop, inside, certified course 5K race. And then the course map was released and ~~holy shit~~ wow, it looked a little hairy!

This isn’t the exact course we ran because the start/finish line were not the same and since I knew were I started, the finish line actually surprised me. It was way before we would have re-entered the other building for a sprint back to the start/finish area. I didn’t have a clue that things were slightly off until I hit the 3 mile clock and then I knew I had messed up because I should have been running much faster that close to the end.

All in all, I will say the race was good. It was non-traditional but good. They had 3 ~~inconvenient~~ packet pick up locations and then also race day registration with a final packet pick up. Had I known there was race day pick up, I would have certainly done that but according to the website, packets could only be picked up previous to the race. So I went to the closest location to my work, in downtown Chicago, ~~in the rain~~ to get the packets for us Southsiders. Not convenient for us but ~~I’m sure~~ it couldn’t have been worse. The packets were sparse, included a long sleeve unisex tech shirt, a magnet, a small backpack and some literature.

I think just about everyone I knew commented positively about the shirt, so it appears to have been a hit with the majority. For me, it won’t get ~~any~~ much wear since it was a unisex size. I did try it on and it was just awkward and ill-fitting. But I did like the design/color and would have worn it had it been a ladies size.

Getting to and from the race was very easy. The race was at McCormick Place in Chicago, easy access and lots of parking. However, once we got up to the race area it was a bit chaotic. They had a mini expo going, runners were all over the place and there were lanes roped off in every direction. However, in the midst of this chaos was also a lot of organization, the start area was clearly marked, they had indoor bathrooms and portable units. I saw a gear check and the Starbucks was open. 🙂

We never did unite with our entire group which shouldn’t have been an issue with this small of a race. Thankfully, I took a couple of girls with me! Nicki, Kristina & April. We also brought our own cheering section since it was inside and the kiddos wouldn’t freeze. Nicole (April’s daughter), Aby & Michael and they did a great job too because I heard Aby screaming, “Go Mommy!!!” on several of my turns.

And of course, since we made such a spectacle, we got to hook up with Aurelia’s family too so that was even better, plus she took the group photo. Thanks, Aurelia! From left: Tim (Aurelia’s Hubby), Uncle Bill, Nicki, Kristina, April & Me.

The start was very organized and they had the paces clearly marked. Then each group had a 2-3 minute head start on the group behind them. This totally prevented the bottle neck at the turns which I had anticipated upon seeing the course map. The first mile was by far the worse as the lanes in the “start” building were narrower and shorter but there was plenty of room and the lanes were marked off with tape. Although there was a mass of runners everywhere you looked, there was never a question as to where you were going, just lots of turns.

I was also concerned about the flooring. They had removed the floor coverings and it was bare concrete in an unfinished state. So it wasn’t slippery at all. The biggest problem area was running from the start building into the finish building across a nicely finished, slippery hallway. It was very short though and not a problem for me. Then once we hit the finish building, the lanes were wider and the turns weren’t as tight so it was much easier to navigate. I would also say the temp dropped a good 7-10 degrees upon entering the second “finish” building, so the conditions were nice and cool for running. They had one water stop at approximately the 1.5 mile mark (I’m guesstimating). I was very concerned approaching it that the floor would be slippery, particularly since the lady in front of me honestly tried to grab 5 cups before actually connecting with one. I just stayed toward the middle to avoid the water, and her spillage, and I was fine but I was also in the first group that took off, so not sure how people further back in the pack felt about the situation.

It was good, I took it slow on the turns, and there were a lot of turns. My right calve and both hips are feeling those turns now but I am overall very happy with this “indoor” race. I would have enjoyed being able to have longer stretches to run without turns, I definitely feel as if the turns slowed me down because I was in a “better safe than sorry” mode but there was definitely room to run your own pace and no bottlenecks. Also the number of volunteers was outstanding. They really worked hard to make this first time race an event which will become a staple of the running community for the years to come.

Upon hitting the finish, there was immediately bananas, water, and Propel for refueling. Once we got past that, there was a timing station set up with multiple units in which you could enter your bib number to get immediate results as far as your time, your current standing against those who had finished before you, and your division totals. I run a lot of races and I believe this is the first time I have ever seen this and I like it. A lot.

Good race. Good organization. Good charity sponsor. Good overall event. I’d probably go back to run it again. I finished in 23:59. That’s my best time of the year ~~so far~~ for the 5K distance but I still have some considerable work to do on my fitness level for this distance.

Did you race this weekend? If so, tell us when and where. If you ran the Warm Your Heart, what did you think? Would you go back?

Happy Running, Amanda – TooTallFritz

No Honey Buckets in the Midwest…….

Posted on February 25, 2012 by tootallfritz

Due to the weekend chaos, I decided to try to get a 10 miler in last night instead of this morning. This wasn’t exactly ideal since by Friday night, I’m usually very tired and just want to chill but I wanted to get it out of the way since the entire week has been less than ideal. The Wednesday 10 miler turned into a 4, then I have an indoor 5K race on Sunday, and 13.1 Miami Beach next weekend. Plus I needed to break in those fluorescent pink Saucony Guide’s!

The weather was good at 28 degrees and there was no snow or wind when I began. However, that quickly changed. I parked at Ridgeland, ran east to Matteson and back for my first 4 miles. It’s very scenic in the first mile east of Ridgeland with a large pond on both sides of the trail. Very tranquil.

Then I picked up Kate for another 6 miles and by that time it was getting fun. The snow had started and the wind was ridiculous coming out of the west blowing the snow right into my eyes. Plus the wind was at the point where I.COULD.HARDLY.STAND.UP. But, of course, Kate was up for some miles.

We started off running into the wind to get that out of the way and that first 3 out were tough! It was hard to talk and we were slightly over a 9 minute mile, which felt like we were moving in slow motion! Once we hit the turnaround though we were flying until I realized I need a bathroom STAT! That slowed us considerably while we hunted for one and I had to just totally stop a few times to “refocus”. Sorry Kate!

This whole process really had me thinking about running in the midwest in the winter. Personally, as a Midwesterner, almost everything seems better on the west coast. Port-O-Pots included. And what was on my mind during last night’s run? Well, Port-O-Pots cuz I had to “go”. Several west coast run-bloggers have mentioned their beloved Honey Bucket’s many times over the last several years. Doesn’t that sound pleasant?

As a winter runner in the midwest, you will find that all of those readily available bathrooms, port-o-pots and water sources that you hit during the spring/summer/fall have all been locked up, or taken away, during the winter. Well, that doesn’t mean that you still don’t need those resources but alas they are unavailable. Kate and I were on a quest to find one yesterday when “the urge” hit me late in our run. So nice to be out running with a friend and have such ~~an issue~~ fun. Embarrassing but since she will not only be a Ragnar Relay partner but also a Chicago Marathon training partner, I guess she would have eventually realized that I have some “issues”. Still not ideal though on my part. 😦 And note to self: Cheese & Crackers pre-run is NOT a good snack.

Of course, all the nice, indoor facilities were locked. The port-o-pots at the parks had been removed. And one lonely Waste Management potty was left at Ridgeland Avenue. Thank goodness for whoever pays for that one to stay and be maintained. Not only was it open and available but it was also stocked with the necessities.

And the best part, although those 50-60 mph winds tried their darndest to tip this potty while I was inside, in the pitch black darkness, I got lucky and made it out unscathed. Some days are definitely better than others!

Anyone want to make a list of port-o-pots that are still available in the winter? I may need to readjust my running routes to include these places. So tell us if you know of any potties that are out along Old Plank Trail!

Happy Running, Amanda – TooTallFritz

Saucony Guide – 4 vs 5 – 8mm Drop

Posted on February 23, 2012 by tootallfritz

After running a full cycle in the “new” Saucony Guide 5‘s with the 8 mm heel to toe drop, I feel like I can give an accurate and honest review of the changes of this shoe. First off, the new Guide’s LOOK really cool, although this is the last thing we are supposed to consider when buying a shoe, let’s be honest, it ~~kinda~~ matters.

I have been running in Saucony exclusively ~~other than short 5K type races~~ since 2006/2007. Due to my size and forefoot strike, I have to change out my shoes approximately every 300 miles or 3 months. I really like to get 3 months out of a pair of shoes if possible but that is usually pushing past the 300 mile mark. So let it suffice to say that I am familiar with the Saucony line, particularly the Ride (Pre-Michael) and the Guide (Post-Michael – Don’t ask how my foot changed so much from having a baby but that’s not the only thing that changed so C’est la vie).

The Guide 5 is by far the most attractive pair of Saucony’s I have ever owned. It’s actually nice to be sporting a pair of “cool” shoes for once. 🙂 This new version with the 8 mm heel to toe drop is also 1.5 oz lighter. I know that doesn’t sound like a lot but it is a noticeable difference. I notice it when they are on my feet and I had both pair in my hands last night and the Guide 5s were considerably lighter than the 4s.

The Guide 5s also fit like a glove. It was love at first fit for me when I slipped these on my feet. They are soft, much softer than the previous versions and they feel more airy ~~like the Nike’s that I just love~~. Great fit in the store, great fit on the run!

Although I was initially impressed with all the new changes, these shoes broke down quickly. And I mean very quickly. I ran the bottom off these shoes by the time I broke 200 miles and that’s just not cool. I ordered a new pair from Running For Kicks once I hit 220 miles because my body was telling me it was time to switch them out; however, since the shoe has won so many awards and has a massive ad campaign in progress, it seems the shoe’s popularity has soared! Therefore, I had to wait 3 weeks for these shoes to come off the backorder and be delivered to the store. In the interim, I ~~panicked~~ ordered a limited edition of the Guide 5 from another source but have yet to receive those either. However, here is a peek at these beauty’s which I will be sporting with my girls at 13.1 Miami Beach! We decided to coordinate with pink & black and these babies will look pretty cool with our color scheme.

So just this week my ~~ankle, feet and hips started aching~~ backordered Guide 5’s arrived at Running For Kicks. I immediately picked them up and got to hit the trail with them last night. I certainly didn’t go far as I have some nagging aches that I need to ~~kick in the ass~~ evict before the Miami race; however, I was able to catch up with my F’N Runners for a bit. Good looking group showed up in the rain, if I do say so myself! From Left Back: Susan, Cathie, Wayne (newbie!!), Dawn, Kathy, & April. Left Bottom: Nicole C, Jeni – Sparkalish Roar, Meg & Nicole W (April’s Daughter!). Not pictured: MagMileRunner, Diane & myself.

I ran 4 miles with this crew before bowing out to go home to ~~Amstel Light~~ Motrin & the last remaining sample of the Arctic Ease wrap. Although the Arctic Ease is not as cold as ice, it is certainly more convenient than icing when you ~~have a toddler~~ don’t have time to sit down. They are temporary though, I had a larger covering that I had purchased at the Chicago Marathon expo and when I went to pull it out, it was moldy. This has happened with other wraps I have had too. They don’t last real long but are certainly handy.

As I was ~~self medicating~~ making dinner, I started to think about the difference between the Guide 4’s and 5’s, knowing darn well that the fact that I ran too long in the current pair of Guide 5’s was the reason for my new aches/pains. This prompted me to dig out my old shoes which I have been using to commute back and forth to work. Since the Plantar Fasciitis issue, I haven’t worn a real pair of ~~non-running~~ shoes for quite some time, so I live in my Saucony’s. The Guide 5’s are on the left, the Guide 4’s on the right. You can see the wear is so much worse on the 5’s with 285 miles verses the 4’s with 330 miles.

Forefoot of the Guide 5’s:

Forefoot of Guide 4’s:

In my opinion, it is conclusive that the Guide 4 wore much better than the Guide 5. That being said, I still think the Guide 5 is a better shoe in all aspects but I find it unfortunate that I will be getting even less wear out of the new version that I did previously. Is it worth it, probably yes but still not good for my bank account.

Do you buy the same shoe each time and know exactly how the updates affect your body? Any shoe you can tell us about that specifically made noticable changes to the good or bad?

Happy Running, Amanda – TooTallFritz

Do As I Say, NOT…..

Posted on February 22, 2012 by tootallfritz

I was roaming around WordPress today checking out other run bloggers and came across Arkansas Runner Girl. The post was on will power. I realized that I’ve totally failed on that as of late. I read ~~and shared on my facebook page~~ this morning about the benefits of almonds for runners. In order to follow-up personally, I wanted to add some almonds into my routine today. I, of course, didn’t have any with me so I went over to Walgreens to grab some almonds for my desk. I needed an apple too so it was an easy decision even though I try to be religious about bringing all my food/snacks to the office with me.

And then I noticed that Mars products were on sale today. 2 for $2. So I succumbed to the M&M temptation because they were “on sale”.

Then what happened? I ate the M&Ms and NOT the apple. I’m pretty sure this was a nutrition FAIL.

Bottom line, do as I say, not as I do.

Do the “sale” items always fall into your cart too or am I the only one with this problem? I ~~probably~~ wouldn’t have bought those stupid M&Ms if they had been full price!

Now, I’m leaving to go run off those M&Ms. I’ll see YOU on the trail!

Happy Running, Amanda – TooTallFritz

Benefits of Almonds for Runners (womensrunningmagazine.wordpress.com)

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Related articles

Share this: