Nike Study - Week #1 (AKA, Hell Week)

So there is not much going on right now in my running life, except my Nike Research Study.  I have spent the last few Monday’s at the Nike Lab getting my feet measured, my running and walking gate analyzed (from the same machine that I had to wait for LeBron James to finish using… Yes, His famous foot goo touched mine!), and my ankle strength measured.  My legs have been  colored on with sharpies and little metallic dots have been stuck all over my legs, belly and back and I run around and around a teeny tiny track with a million camera’s taking my picture as I run past.  WEIRD!

So the study officially started on October 1^st, I get my pace sheet and my 10-week training workout plan.  This requires an IQ of 4.2 billion and a master’s degree in mathematics or something… It seriously takes me more time to figure out what pace and how long I am supposed to be running instead of actually running.  2x100-600-800m at 97% VO2, 1:67… HUH?!?! I honestly had to download a MPH pace sheet so I could figure out what speed I needed to go for my Vo2 Pace... bladdy, blah! ;)

Nike Workout ~ Week #1

My Nike Free's... Complete with the non-removable awesome black velcro dots only on the 1 shoe for easy attaching of the metallic dots! AWESOME, huh?!?! ;)

I just completed the first week in my Nike Free Runs 3.0, I have re-named this the “Hell Week.”  I have never been in so much pain from running in my LIFE!  My entire left side from by lower back, down my butt to my calves is so incredibly sore that even walking is hard!  I checked “Dr. Google” and shockingly enough, you are supposed to “ease” into more minimalist shoes instead of just busting out 20 miles your first week in them… but I guess Nike dude didn’t get that memo!

I went to lab again on Monday, fully intending to tell the Nike Dude ALL my issues with the shoes and get some advice…  All I got was “Let us know when you fill out the survey, but can you run today?” ummm… OK, Yes… I will hobble around the track with my belly hanging out and little sticky things all over me so you to take pictures of my running form… all for research (and free stuff)! ;) 

Starting week 2 today and PRAYING that my body soon accepts these new shoes and my new running style and the pain lessens with each step.  I’ll let’cha know!