I have a pair of yellow Asics Speedstars that I bought at the Philly Distance Run Expo last fall. These are supposed to be my "fast shoes". I'd take them out for track workouts, tempo runs, and shorter races. They're lighter, flashier, with a little less cushion and I guess they somehow make you faster.

Sometime they work just as expected, the lightness of the shoe and the quicker response, if not actually making me faster at least they fool me into thinking I am. Other times they just make me feel like a fumbling idiot. My running gets thrown off, my feet smack the ground incorrectly, I get shin splints, and I have to either slow way down or call off the run. I then place them in the corner for a month or so until I forget how badly my last run in them went and the bright yellow color and lure of limitless speed call me back. (It also helps when my normal pair of running shoes are sloppy and soaking wet). Putting them on last night after work I was hoping for a fast run not a fumbling one and luckily they worked out.

I planned 10 miles out and back to the Art Museum with 2 miles of tempo in each direction. The first couple miles were quick and felt pretty good. I then did 2 miles in, 12:24, a little faster then I wanted to go but still a good tempo pace. I could feel some tightness in my right hamstring after the two miles and I decided to call of the tempo on the way back.

I had promised myself nothing faster than about 6:50 pace for the first few weeks of marathon training until my legs were used to the additional running. I went ahead with it last night because I have been feeling really good but even a little soreness in my hamstring was enough for me to call it off. The remainder of the run was done at about 7:15 pace for 10 miles in 71 minutes. All in all a good run. My leg stiffened some in the evening but feels pretty good this morning and I think I made the right call.