I've Got a Fever, and the Only Prescription is More Running

Earlier this week I had to take a 4 day hiatus from running due to a ridiculous work schedule.  I was completely exhausted after working a 40 hour work week in just 2 days, with about 6 hours of sleep over a 3 day span, so needless to say, my body needed a break.  I was crazy enough to think, however, that I could possibly sneak in a run during that time I spent in the desert, but all they did was collect dust in the back of a Suburban while we built almost 50 bombs for a Harrier exercise during Weapons and Tactics Instruction.
After I returned to the base on Wednesday, I crashed for a glorious nap, which turned into a great night's sleep, but as I awoke, I felt refreshed and terrible at the same time.  Refreshed from the sleep I finally got, but terrible because I realized I hadn't ran since last Saturday.  This is the fever I speak of, so I gave myself a healthy dose of running over the next 4 days, speed work on the track on Thursday, a 6 miler on Friday, 4 on Saturday which I turned into an unexpected tempo run (craved a little more speed), and a long 12 miles this morning for a grand total of 25 miles in 4 consecutive days!  The prescription was just the right amount to get my mind right and set the world straight, and even though I am sore as all get out, I feel freakin' amazing!
Runner's know exactly what I'm talking about when I talk about that fever, and there's no better feeling than getting over it with some good ol' fashioned effort, full of sunshine and sweat.  So if you're feeling a little down or sluggish, get out there and soak up some rays, turn on your favorite playlist, and hit the road for some of that sweet step after step thing we call running!  It will clear your mind, leave you feeling accomplished, and set you straight for the rest of the day, no matter what may come at you!  Yeah buddy!!

The Great Shoe Debate

So after running my first marathon a few months back, I began the search for the perfect marathon shoe (for me).  What I have come to figure out is that there is no perfect shoe, but there are definitely the wrong shoes to wear for 26.2 miles!
I first tried some Newton's, and while I initially loved them, after about 4 runs, the lugs on the bottom started pressing back on the balls of my feet too much and began to hurt the more I ran in them. Luckily, they have a 60 day run in guarantee so I returned them.
Next, I tried out a more traditional type shoe, the Brooks Transcend. Initially, this was the most comfortable shoe I've ever put on my feet, but after running in them, there was a spot on my left pinky toe that started rubbing to the point a blister was formed. I couldn't imagine how bad that would've been after a long training run, so back to the store they went.
I then bought a pair of New Balance Fresh Foam, and again, initially thought I loved them. Super comfortable, but turns out the sole was just too thick and I didn't get any road response while running in them. I will say, though, that I did keep these, and ran a PR 10k and ran a half marathon that was 11 seconds from a new PR, I just don't think I'd like them for anything longer than a half.
So the common thread to the last couple of shoes I tried was that they were thick soled, heavily cushioned shoes, and my feet seemed to hurt more in them than they did in thinner, more minimal type soles, such as the Brooks Pure Cadence that I ran 2 marathons in. I decided to revisit the idea of staying minimal but actually going to a "zero drop", meaning that my heel and toe were the exact same height off the ground, unlike traditional shoes that have around a 2:1 ratio drop with the heel sitting up higher than your toes. Enter the Altra....
I bought Altra The One zero drop shoes after reading some pretty good reviews about how the zero drop helped with knee, back, and feet ailments common to runners. So far, the foot pain and knee pain I was beginning to develop during this shoe treasure hunt I've been on for two months has started to dissipate. I've only ran in the Altras for about 2 weeks now, but I've put some serious workouts on them including a 10 miler and a speed workout with a 5:55 min/mi pace 4x400m. I used to run in Vibrams alot, but fell victim to listening to people say you can't distance run with a zero drop, non cushioned shoe. Well that's exactly what the Altra is, and I love it so far, so I'll continue this zero drop experiment until my body tells me no...which may never happen. They make each step feel effortless whether I'm doing a long slow run, or a fast paced speed workout on the track.
So take this info and do with it what you will, but the proof is in the pudding for me; bio-mechanically correct running puts alot less stress on each step, and makes me feel like going farther, faster.