T-Minus 60 Days and Counting, Part 2. . .

Sometimes a little bit of psychological redemption is good. So is a new pair of shoes. Experienced both on Monday during my 3 x 1600 interval workout.

Over the years, I’ve run mostly in Nikes, with one brief interval in a pair of Adidas. I’ve had a couple of bouts lately with some minor plantar fasciitis and was feeling that I wasn't getting enough arch support from the Nikes. So, after spending way too much time trying on shoes on Sunday, I settled on the Asics GT-2140. In the store, the feel was much different and the arch construction seemed to offer more support. How would they feel out on a run?

That question was answered after I cranked out the first 1600 interval on the riverfront path in a blistering 7:49. Followed that up with a 7:54 and a closing 7:53, all under the 7:55 pace called for in our training program. Support seemed better, arches felt good and cushioning seemed a step up from my old shoes.

With confidence restored in my running ability after last weekend’s debacle and confidence in a new pair of shoes, I’m cautiously optimistic about tomorrow’s 10-mile tempo run.