Responsiveness and ride (Part 1)

I think I understand what this is about now..I think..err..

I boldly went where I had never gone in Ramadans past tonight. I went on a 10k run. It wasn't that bad because I was determine to do a LSD and stuck to the plan and went out slow. It must have been the lack of sustenance through the day because I stopped to walk (all 3 lamp posts) at the 7.5km mark, and again somewhere after the 9.5km mark. Pity to have stopped a little so close to the end but the tank was near empty. The homeward journey actually had me engaging all sorts of mental tricks and physical feats just to complete and this is where I think I learn what they say about the responsiveness and ride of the shoe.

Currently, I am on the Asics Cumulus 10. It is very good shoe and really skishy. Toe box roomy enough, plush at the collar. However, it takes quite a bit to actually toe off because it seems to always want to go in one straight piece, resisting flex. This is probably due to the mid-foot shank, which to the credit of the shoe, is doing exactly what it was designed to do. So whilst I should be using all of my energy to push myself forward running, I needed to use some of the energy to flex the shoe to toe-off. Because it kept wanting to stay in one straight piece, there wasn't must roll when I landed, ie the ride was not smooth for me. All of this is actually not notice-able on a normal day but when the tank is near empty and every step makes you conscious of how your body is reacting, it matters.

So what should I be doing about it?

Well....I've been eyeing the Brooks Launch for quite a while now. Even tried it twice. It's a lightweight trainer, a touch under 10oz and hence just slipping into the performance shoe category. It seems to curve upwards a little and hence, i gather the responsiveness and the ride would be better. Nisa tells me to be careful - our prior experience with Brooks was not the best and I had not like the Defyance, it being the shoe I wear to walk to the MRT station, and on the train. Am I looking for an excuse to buy a new pair of shoes? Probably. Do I deserve something new? Probably not. Are the Asics sufficiently worn out to merit replacement? Probably not (it needs another month or so).

Let's see what this weekend brings then but I suspect I will visit the Brooks shop at the Curve..