I did it!

In the words of my favorite 3 year old, Maggie, "I did it...!"

I ran my 4 miles this evening.  As a marathoner, recovering injured, cautious, goal oriented runner, I am stumbling through the first couple weeks of the training program.  I finally realized in the last couple years that a training program is only a suggestion and a runner is more successful when the individual body directs the daily mileage.  

This aligns well with an understanding that the number one cause of injuries is overuse or fatigue.

On the other side of the coin, how do you balance that with the drive to complete a goal and/or suppress the tired side of yourself?  I can tell every person in my life that they're capable of running a marathon and in the space, I can convince myself to sit home and that I deserve a rest day.

When is it best to run the miles, rest, or even dare I say... Cross Train or Work on Your Core!?

I am learning, have learned, and will most likely struggle and learn this lesson over and over again throughout this marathon training.  

For today's run, I ran 4.48 miles in the Hoka One One Stinson ATR.  It's a big shoe.  You can see how big it is!  As noted on The Hoka website, "HOKA ONE ONE engineers unique performance midsole geometries that feature higher volume, softer density, and greater rebounding foam than standard running shoes." 

Engineered midsole volume which is up to 2.5X the volume than standard running shoes, made with performance-specific cushioning material.

Benefit:

Excellent shock absorption and an inherently stable ride.

The HOKA did not make my top 5 favorite shoes based on today's 4 mile run.  I must re-evaluate and will provide further feedback after a couple more runs.  They did provide a nice cushioned ride and I enjoyed the Meta-rocker for the supreme rolling through my gait cycle.  For the construction of the shoe, it provided and delivered on its big volume foam.