Instant Improvement || Shoe Advantage

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE PAIR of running shoes? Let me guess, you didn’t need a lot of time to think about that one did you? You knew right away. It’s all about the shoes, isn’t it? It’s usually one of the first topics when you speak to someone about running the brand of shoes the type of shoes and well how they just fit perfectly

Whether it’s during a run workshop or I meet another runner perhaps before COVID-19 the situation would be as follows you get on a airplane, take your seat and the person next to you has a pair of running shoes, maybe a brand you don’t own..and I ask you a runner or just like the shoes?  

Hey do you run or do you just like the shoes and usually you are she would not tell me about his or her running but about the actual shoes isn’t interesting? 

The comment would be either that he or she is satisfied with those pairs of shoes and or that the previous model was better and of course I would be able to respond with my own experiences because believe it or not my closet has a pretty impressive range of running shoes as well. 

And I have a wide range of stories and experience with different brands.

In the few running forums that I participate in, there is constantly a runner who posts a photo of a certain type of running shoe and at least 138 comments ranging from highly recommended to danger of avoidance and the two or three advocates for barefoot running.

Oh by the way, is it fine that we just start the blog right away? Or would you like me 1st to read five minutes worth of ads for some of the supplement? No I didn’t think so, and don’t worry this is not a blog about me trying to sell you a pair of running shoes. Actually I don’t want to sell you anything. I want to make you aware of something. Hey who am I well my name is Heiko as you heard in the  , and what I am absolutely passionate about is helping others develop their running especially if you are a runner say getting close to 40.  It’s at this stage of your life where your current circumstance, your past experience and your future hopes and dreams need to be carefully worked on, because let’s face it, you cannot train anymore like when you were 20? And the best and most neglected part to train is the brain don’t believe me well if we met in real life we could be talking about those shoes for a good half an hour

Now tell me why don’t we talk like that about running clothes, caps, sunglasses or other paraphernalia? 

I can tell you why it is because the shoes have the lure of increasing your speed.

Ha, making you a faster runner but as good as instant soup. Instant success instant result.. and isn’t that great? Isn’t that what we want? An instant improvement?

Now if you are shaking your head and saying to yourself not me come on be honest you never heard of the Nike 

There is a very famous article: Nike’s Fastest Shoes May Give Runners an Even Bigger Advantage Than We thought.

Dec. 2019 it is one of the most widely read articles, why? Well readers to this :

It refers to the Sub 2 world record, that stunning performance by Eliud Kipchoge, what a powerful display of really crushing a goal. 

OK, different topic: the shoes. Now remember this is perhaps the best long distance runner title we can debate about. There are others that run further, and do serious multi day challenges but looking at the level he performs over so many years, and the records he achieved, that is a power display. 

Means he is a pro runner and the studies and test showed that the shoe does offer a speed advantage.

And this is of course crafted into a powerful marketing story, and made available to us, the everyday runner.

To summarize: the shoes should give you a 2 – 4% advantage, and this is shown in  various graphs, charts, and other statistics.

What that would mean is  if you, as an everyday runner, have a 10K Personal best, let’s say in 50 minutes (well done by the way) you run at a pace of 5 minutes per kilometer, or 8 minute mile, the 6,2 miles in 50 minutes. 

The 4%, means your time would be close to 48 minutes, impressive. 2 minutes faster. If you can keep the pace on a half marathon, that means one hour and 30 minutes, here I come. If you keep the pace over a marathon ok I am getting ahead of myself. 

Undeniably a great improvement. An instant improvement.

But let me ask you something, it’s just you and me here. You can be honest, is that what you really want? I mean really? You want a two-minute improvement by investing in a pair of 250USD shoes?

To have a PB on strava, and finally beat your fellow club runner Boasting Bill? Or show SuperfastGirl1985 that you can keep up?

If you answered YES there is hope for you admitting is the first step to recovery. Ha, appreciate your honesty.

But on a serious note: No, of course you don’t want that “come on!” 

Although it does seem you do because the last marathon before COVID 19 I participated in I was a minority runner with my good old Adidas  that I got on a special clearance, old model. LoL. I wasn’t the lowest minority I was just a step ahead of vibram runners guys

Why do we run is not for instant gratification, or for instant improvement? I mean you started running for different reasons. And you train for a certain event and a lot of factors have to come together to get an improved time. And that, the whole process is what makes this sport of running so attractive. The whole testing, doubting, trying, practicing. Which creates perseverance, and requires discipline to show up, which in turn has a powerful effect on your mindset. Aaaaah finally 10 minutes into the blog and we get going  Mental powers.

readers, what I just mentioned, perseverance, discipline  those are not found in INSTANT. Instant gratification usually leads to some or other brain impulse changing, and will ensure you get distracted much faster, and lose sight of other meaningful pursuits. What next, if someone invents a knee bracelet that gives you another 4% speed improvement you will go for that too, and end up calculating your improvement via all add on devices the 6 million dollar man Steve Austion 

persistence in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success.

Perseverance is the ability to keep doing something in spite of obstacles. People who persevere show steadfastness in doing something despite how hard it is or how long it takes to reach the goal. Perseverance — sometimes called “grit” — is the great leveler.

What is the opposite of perseverance?

How to build it? 1.) Begin to take risks. 2.)Build your discipline.

Doesnt sound nice this definition: the practice of training people to obey rules or a code of behavior, using punishment to correct disobedience.

Discipline is the practice of making people obey rules or standards of behavior, and punishing them when they do not.  Discipline is the quality of being able to behave and work in a controlled way which involves obeying particular rules or standards. It was that image of calm and discipline that appealed to voters.

No, I have heard and seen that a legally enhanced time improver is not a one word, or quick answer. It’s a combination. Training regularly, staying healthy and having the correct mindset. And here I am not talking about mantras or shallow facebook posts: never give up. It’s not really going to help you if you are struggling to maintain your pace, and find yourself ready to pull out. That’s because it is too superficial, and there is no internal reference point for your thoughts to hold on to.

These thoughts, or the steps involved are ingrained in your brain and to get a strong mindset, they need to be replaced by others, more useful ones. That’s 

——— Your Mental Power

What mental training or investing in mental training will do for you is it will create a consciousness throughout your daily walk of life and help you reflect and pay attention to your thoughts before during and after your run you can understand yourself better how you talk to yourself what is actually the message and what impact there are of those words that are passing through your brain.

It’s not just a tool to be used in tough conditions.

I mean you do capture a lot of data perhaps you use Strava or Map my run or whatever one of those apps  and you can analyze the pace or where you analyze the distance the elevation but the real benefit or time improvement isn’t captured.

That improvement only comes after investing in brain training. That again our two magic words, perseverance and discipline

For those of you that doubt it just try the following..

For example, what feeling does it generate?    just think of something you really don’t like doing:

• visiting your mother in law 
• going to a funeral 
• going to the Chinese restaurant where you went three years back because when you came home you felt like you were going to die and since then the Chinese restaurant has changed its owner about five times and you still won’t care because you remember that bad experience.

The thoughts that enter our mind cause a reaction, it’s undeniable, and the power of mental conditioning is often neglected, or played down with a quick Instagram post.

Maybe you’re even experienced it before, using words like “I am” as a prefix are suddenly having a positive effect on your running rather than. struggling up the hill and wishing you would’ve taken a different route. Just by replacing your usual content or line of thought with a more valuable word.

If you haven’t ever felt inclined to apply this on your next run: “I am running at the steep hill” and then you think you’ll let me add a verb adverb. I’m running up the steep Hill at an incredible pace. I am running up the hill and feeling great.

It’s then you will be able to grasp the concept, and the effect.

It’s sort of like that cool shower after a sweaty hot run it is something you need to have experienced to understand it. 

Owing to what mental training, or spending time to develop your mental attitude will do .. (and I’ve spoken about this quite a lot on my youtube Blog a well check it out just search for advanced endurance coaching and my name heiko)  it will help you overcome hardships and not just in your running but we’re talking about running now remember why you started  with this sport you need to be challenged because that’s what it’s all about.   you loved the challenge in the beginning and then if you perhaps did not continue to set higher goals

you will end up with a misery mindset because you’re struggling to go outside and run today you commit and encourage yourself, build confidence and raise your self-esteem in order to start the difficult run but it’s quite the other way round it comes by being in a difficult situation and mastering it

Okay HEIKO I hear you I understood but you know what sometimes when I’m in a tough situation that I really don’t enjoy I’m on the track I really don’t like running in the track and I rather go for a long slow run instead here’s what you can do three things stay on for things actually

Stay on the track in other words be in the moment even though it’s a tough situation you need to understand that you will feel better as soon as you’ve completed it and you’re going to rest and maybe building a small interval next thing is you need to just think a little bird wider meaning this is part of a bigger plan for example you can realize that this is going to help you during your next run your next race that you’re going to take part in a virtual race and of course think long-term you need to connect your daily activity to the big goals your ability to look down the road in and break your training into these blocks for instance you take a weeks training and you didn’t have a signal work over a longer time period

And don’t get me wrong mental training is not like some people say or mental training or mental toughness is what you do when you start to feel uncomfortable no, this is not correct mental training is something you always do to overcome difficult situation if you enjoyed this blog shared friend recommended and please do give me a five star rating it it will help other runners who are looking for this type of topic finding the show if you don’t like it send me a mail give me some pointers give me a heads up my name is HEIKO thanks for joining me and remember take it easy .What does Philippians 4:13 say?

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13 is a popular religious message, appearing on everything from shirts and caps to socks and bracelets. It’s so common that even many nonreligious people are familiar with it. So wear it remember it, believe it.

My name is Heiko God bless you, and take it easy.