10K Personal Bests in 2019

Here is the list of my 2019 personal bests in the 10K distance:

1) 44' 47" - 3 October (current personal best)
2) 46' 03" - 2 December
3) 46' 07" - 1 September
4) 47' 01" - 16 December
5) 48' 00" - 15 November
6) 48' 26" - 6 August
7) 48' 39" - 20 August
8) 49' 15" - 9 March

Ad maiora semper

Convinced

In September 2019 I decided to upgrade my shoes, shifting from a pair of Nike Zoom Streak LT 3 (unusable due to consumption and more than 1000 km) to the Nike Zoom Streak 6. Although I was not overly convinced about this choice (actually I couldn't find the LT 3 anywhere at a reasonable price), after 200 km my feet gave me a positive feedback: let's stick with the 6 model! As I wrote in previous posts, right now I have the impression that the "Six" are the right shoes for me, for the following reasons:
- they are more cushioned than the LT 3;
- my feet is more stable while running fast, even when I run below a 4 min/km pace;
- very snug and comfortable: maybe the ultra light LT 3 model is more ideal for tempo runs, but definitely cannot be compared with the "soft and bouncing" sensation that I feel on long-distance running with the "Six";
- after each run with the LT 3, my heels hurt, due to their very low sole. Never experienced such effect with the 6;
- better lacing system;
- last but no least, I think they will be more resistent than the LT 3, but this is something that only time will confirm (probably the thin mesh will be the first victim of aging, on the othen hand, the sole looks more solid and less prone to consumption).

This is the reason why I've been looking for a second pair of Nike Zoom Streak 6 (of course online, where I live I have never found a pair on the shelf of the shops, but this is another story...). I know that the "Seven" are similar, but I read reviews that highlighted the slight differences on the size (it seems that the 7 are bigger than the 6, and that means running the risk to order a pair which doesn't fit my foot...). This time I wanted to be on the safe side, so I explored the Black Friday offers (an event which I utterly despise, but, alas, my budget was limited...) in search of a new pair of Nike Zoom Streak 6. When I was about to give it up (Friday had gone and I couldn't find any model in my size at a reduced price), on the night of Saturday, 30 November, I stumbled on the website of Running Warehouse Europe, where I found a 60 euro pair with no delivery costs. Considering that the launch price was around 100 euro, I had no doubt: seen, ordered, received! As you can see, the color is questionable (olive green is trendy this year, but combining it with the flashing crimson swoosh was not the greatest idea...). The shoes lay now in my closet, ready to be used as soon as the white/yellow/black Streak 6 which I am currently using kick the bucket. Hopefully, as late as possible.

Breaking the wall

Honestly, only 1 year ago I didn't think it was possible. I mean, I had hopes to improve my 10K PB after the last encouraging performances, but whenever I thought of breaking the 45 minutes wall, I shoke my head in disbelief. I was wrong.
Today I put on my brand new Nike Streak 6 (well, they're getting dirty now...) and hit the road. The weather conditions were ideal for a new PB: light wind, 20°, blue sky. Let's try...after 15 minutes warm-up, I started running at a 4:30 m/km pace, making sure to not run faster than that (my feet instinctively reached a quicker pace, but I had to restrain them). The first split at 5K was 22:25, quite good, so it was the 7K split, 31:18. I could breath with no effort and I had the impression that I could accelerate a bit, but I wanted to keep the same rhythm till the end. Only in the last 500m lap I increased the pace, and I concluded with my new personal best: 44' 47" (a bit less than 4' 29" m/km), breaking the 45 minutes wall, which I thought it was unbreakable. Right now, one hour after this performance, I don't feel particularly stressed or tired, and I guess that this proves that my condition has reached an optimal level. The next target? Breaking the 20 minutes wall in the 5K ! 

New 7K PB, or: getting close to break the 45' wall

Pushed by the desire to test further my new Nike Zoom Streak 6, this afternoon I decided to cover the 7k distance at a 4:30 m/km pace and I concluded my session with a respectable 31'22" time (4:28 m/km). I think I've taken the right path that will lead me to break the 45 minutes wall in the 10k distance, provided that I'll keep on running with discipline and motivation. The weather for the last days of September is promising (25°, fresh wind, no rain), I am in a good shape and the new shoes are responding very well: today I felt like running with my slippers! After around 50 km, I can say that in these new Streak 6 my feet feels much more comfortable than in the Lt 3, whose very thin midsole and extremely low heel drop were a plus in terms of speed, but a minus in terms of comfort. However, I don't want to jump to conclusions too fast: let's run other 100 km and I will be able to express a more detailed opinions on both shoes. 

Goodbye Streak Lt 3, welcome Streak 6

On Saturday, 14 September, I accomplished a performance which had occupied the top of my to-do-list for too much time: running from home to the beach and covering a 15 km distance. The path is downhill (there is a difference of around 300 meters from the hill where I live to the seaside), so it is not an impossible task. Everything went fine: the weather was not too hot (around 25°), the wind was not too strong and the final time was more than satisfactory (1 hour, 9 minutes and 36 seconds, meaning 4'38" m/km). Actually, one thing went wrong: my old Nike Zoom Streak Lt 3 died. It was a symbolic event, as I used them to cover 1000 km and they decide to retire just after I finalised the purchase of my new Nike Streak 6, which arrived this morning...perfect timing indeed!
So here they are, my brand new Streak 6, bought at the great price of 50 € + 9 € delivery costs.

First impressions: compared to the Lt 3, they are a bit heavier (but still very light, under 200 g), more cushioned, even more breathable, higher and less tight. To better detect the differences, I wore a Streak 6 on my left foot and the old Lt 3 on the right one. I knew that the Lt 3 were "low", but I had never noticed how much! I really appreciated this feature, but lately my heels started complaining after each running session, even the short ones. I expect this not to happen anymore with the new Nike, due to the thickier midsole (something I don't like, though) and the 8 mm heel drop (vs the Lt 3's 4 mm). Also, the Lt 3 were extremely narrow, whereas the Streak 6 provide the foot with more space. I am curious to test the grip, which was excellent in the Lt 3, thanks to a very reactive sole. Last but not least, the color: I didn't mind the blue-orange-black combination of my Lt 3, but the dazzling white-yellow on the new Streak 6 looks really gorgeous. Alas, they will get dirty more quickly. And before I forget: running a prototype of these shoes, Eliud Kipchoge won the Berlin Marathon in 2015 (but he had serious problem with the insoles, a feature that was later improved when he won the London Marathon in 2016).

But what happened to my Lt 3? Well, honestly I hoped to enjoy a ride with them till the end of the spring 2020, but that was definitely wishful thinking. Experts suggest to hang them up after 400 miles, I overran this threshold by more than 250 miles, covering around 1100 km (660 miles) over 1 year. The results? The mesh on the side broke, the sole was completely worn-out on the outside-lower part and partly on the central-upper part, I found out a small hole on the internal cushion of the right shoe, which was getting dramatically bigger day after day. In a nutshell: for this kind of essential, ultra-light, A1 shoes, 1000 km are really too many. It was time to replace them.

Feedback after the first 5 km run in the afternoon: the new Streak 6 fits snugly, the contact of the upper sole with the ground is particularly "soft". They are indeed heavier, and I could feel the increased cushion around the ankle. Running at a 4 m/km pace, I confirm that this version is ideal for tempo runs, but I have the impression that they are comfortable enough for 10 km and half marathon distances, too. When I increased the speed, I felt a little pain on my little fingers, due to their contact with the mesh. I experienced the same with the Lt 3: sometimes my fingers were sored (even with blisters) after 5k tempo runs. Hopefully it won't happen too often with this model. 

Hurrah!

One year has passed since my best performance on the 10k distance (47'11", 13 September 2018, when I slightly improved my 2016 PB by a few seconds). During the last 3 years, I often asked myself: "should I give up my hopes to improve it?" or "am I too old to run faster than that?". So I decided to change strategy. Instead of running faster, I simply started covering longer distances keeping a "normal" pace (around 5 min / km). In July I was determined to improve my PB running at a 4:40 min / km pace, but after the 6th km I was systematically out of fuel. To hell, I thought! In August I enjoyed the spectacular landscape of the Sardinian west coast, running every day around 8 km in the pine-woods, along the lake and the sea. At the end of the month, my Nike Zoom Streak Lt 3 covered 200 km (112 below 5 min / km). By the way, after 1000 km they're still in a great shape! Moreover, I swam 10 km (around 500 m. every day) and did exercises for the upper part of my body 3 times a week.

This morning I didn't feel well. I thought I came down with the flu. And it started raining cats and dogs. No, this is not the day to improve my PB. But I was curious about the results of my new strategy. Around 18:00, in spite of a moderate wind blowing from north-east, I put on my Streak Lt 3 and hit the road. It was still hot, around 28°, yet not unpleasently sultry thanks to the September breeze. After the 2nd km, I had good vibrations: I felt powerful and light. The progress was promising: 5th km in 22:47, 7th km in 32:05. Not bad! Without major efforts, I could complete the 20th lap of the 500 m. circuit with a surprising 46:07 time, improving my last PB by one minute (average: 4:36 min / km)!

Possible reasons behind this performance:
- 202 km run in August: (around 50 km a week)
- 112 km run at a 5 min / km pace
- swimming: I read somehwere that it improves resistance
- more focus on quantity rather than on quality (meaning: running longer rather than faster).
- running 6 days a week, around 8 km a day, at least 10 km (or longer) twice a week

The cholesterol riddle

Back from the hospital, where I picked up the results of my last cholesterol blood test, I am confronted with a riddle. Compared with the values registered in September 2018, the total cholesterol level is up, so is the LDL one. Tryglicerides are still under control, whereas the HDL is down. This is not good news, but what's worst is the fact that I feel a bit lost when reading such values. Or maybe should I try to thnk more rationally? Let's try.

Let's start with the HDL values, which should be affected by the running mileage. All over the last 4 years, I have experienced that the longer the distance of "quality running" (meaning: running with a  ≥ 5 min/km pace), the higher the HDL tends to become. In 2018 I didn't run so intesively: only 617 km, a poor performance which is for sure not able to produce any considerable change.
And what about the diet? Although I tried to avoid junk food, I was not entirely coherent, as I indulged sometimes in too many beers and unhealthy food. Working and travelling abroad (even if not extensively) did not help. Moreover, I stopped taking the (miracolous?) "red rice pills", a natural statin I took for 3 months before my 2018 blood test (which showed very good results).

Are these considerations reliable enough to plan the next stretegy and solve the cholesterol riddle? I am not sure, but my resolutions for the next months of the year are clear: to run more (and faster), to adjust my diet and to check my blood again in 12 months. If nothing changes, that means that my 250 total cholestorol value is "natural": the diet and running alone cannot change it, so the only way to reduce it is to keep on running, take care of my food intake and start taking red rice (or similar drugs) again. 

Birthday Run

March is the month of the big test: to monitor my "running conditions". Since I've turned 40, at the beginning of spring I use to run 10 km, trying to keep a 5 minutes/km pace (or below). On Saturday I passed the test, completing the performance in 49 minutes and 15 seconds. Not bad, but I feel I can do better. However, I am not sure if I can improve my personal record and break the 47 minutes wall. I will keep you updated, of course!