Today's Periodicals

This weekend, the latest issues of Runner's World and Triathlete magazines both arrived at my mailbox.  This morning while riding the stationary bike I perused the former.  I only made it about halfway through today, but in the process I saw a couple of interesting articles.  The first was an explanatory article on some very useful exercises runners can do at the gym or at home (most without any external resistance, which is the way I am tending in the strength training exercises I do nowadays - using bodyweight only) to stabilize the pelvis.  Most of the exercises illustrated were core stability movements that are popular in many circles currently.  I think I can add some of what I saw in the current issue of RW to my routine and bolster my own running ability in the short- and medium-term.

 

There was also the periodic (quarterly? bi-annual?) "new shoes recommendation" feature.  I find these pieces to be useful in selecting what will be my next pair of running shoes.  I generally try to buy the "Editor's Choice" - after all, these people have full-time jobs testing and evaluating running shoes, I figure they probably know what they are talking about.  Plus, I have had good results in doing this in the past the vast majority of times I have done it.  The shoe selected as "Editor's Choice" this time around is the Asics Gel Kayano 15.  Fifteen? you say?  Yes, it is the fifteenth of the line.  I currently run in the Gel Kayano 14 and have been very satisfied with those shoes from the day I bought them right up to the present.  As a matter of fact, I was a bit concerned when I bought them, back in October, because I purchased them the day immediately prior to a planned 10-mile run.  My previous shoes were well past their prime and needed to be immediately retired, so I used the Gel Kayano 14 straight out of the box on the 10-miler.  The verdict?  No blisters, no pain, a very comfortably, well-cushioned ride for the entirety of the session.  I have had nothing but good experiences with the shoe in the meantime.  My only issue with the RW shoe issue is that I have sometimes found it difficult to find the new model shoes shown within in stores soon after seeing them in the magazine.  There seems to be some degree of time lapse between when these new shoes are available to the testers at Runner's World and when they are on the shelf at my local department store or running specialty store.  I hope this time it is different, for I am really piling up the miles on the current pair of Gel Kayano 14's!

 

GJS