I was looking forward to today’s easy pace run after yesterday’s 800 meter intervals on the treadmill. It was 40 degrees and cloudy at 5:30 A.M. when I started my run. I was also excited to try out my new shoe inserts. However, along the way my run took an unexpected turn.
Taking care of my feet
Ever since I suffered with a bout of plantar fasciitis last year along with the knee pain that stopped my running for two months, I’ve been obsessed with shoe inserts. I’ve purchased half a dozen different brands and close to a dozen sets of inserts. After all of my testing, my favorites are Currex and Superfeet.
I’ve found that each insert works differently in different shoes. I can put the Berry Superfeet insoles in my Endorphin Speed 2 and it hits my arch in a bad way. I can barely wear them. However, in my New Balance Rebel V2 they are awesome and I can wear the shoes for hours. My absolute go-to insert is the Blue Currex Run Pro though. That seems to be my workhorse that I can put in just about any shoe.
My younger sister works at The Good Feet Store and recommended their inserts for my ongoing foot issues. I visited the store and was fitted for an insert that I can move around into different shoes. I tried them today in the ASICS Novablast 2 which is a shoe I generally love for long, easy runs.
The arch support was definitely higher than the Currex Blue. I found it to be a little distracting since I could feel the support during my running. It wasn’t bad and I think with some adjustments these might be really comfortable and supportive. I did experience a bit of glute medius pinching in the last mile but I think it’s too early to attribute it to the inserts. More experimentation is needed.
The emotional surprise
As my mid-week runs have gotten longer I’ve expanded into a nearby neighborhood. The last time I ran in this part of the neighborhood I turned around at the bottom of the small hill. I wasn’t sure where the street led to after the curve at the bottom, so I ran back in the same direction I came from. Today, I decided to be more adventurous and run up the slightly steeper hill around the curve.
As I was cresting the top of the hill I came upon an old and very familiar truck. It’s unmistakably recognizable and had belonged to my uncle who passed away 15 years ago. I knew that the person who bought his truck still lived in the neighborhood because every once in a while I’ll see the truck driving through an intersection around town. It always makes me smile when I see it but today it was emotionally shocking.
Maybe it was because I was 5 miles into my run and I was fatigued. Maybe it was because of the dream I recently had about my mom, uncle and grandfather who have all passed away. Maybe it was the exertion from the hill. I don’t know what happened but when I saw that truck I immediately stopped. I stared at the truck in disbelievement with a half smile on my face and let out a surprised laugh.
I stood there a few moments and then I started to resume my run. I only made it a few steps before I felt compelled to stop and look back again. I thought my sisters would like to see the truck so I took a quick picture to send to them later. Then, I started to run again but I only made it a couple of steps before a deep and overwhelming emotion took over my whole body. I just stopped and started sobbing, right there in the middle of the quiet neighborhood street at 6 in the morning.
It crossed my mind as I stood there crying that someone would see me and say something. I really hoped they wouldn’t and would let me have my moment of emotional breakdown in peace. Thankfully, very few people are out at this hour and I was comfortably alone in my momentary sadness.
The truck was just a catalyst for the rest of the emotions. I can’t put into words why I cried or why I had such a visceral reaction in that moment but it was overwhelming. I believe that the physical fatigue I was feeling, combined with the recent dream and tangible object in front of me culminated in a perfect storm of emotions. I stood there crying into my gloves for a couple of minutes. I really don’t know how long exactly but eventually I knew I had to keep going, so I started slowly jogging and moving away from the truck.
After a few minutes I was back to my pace and calm mood. The sadness did not stay with me but I can remember the feelings that came over me and how I felt in that moment. I don’t think I’ll forget this run anytime soon.
Workout
- 8 miles at conversational pace