350km and Paris' Half Marathon with my Newton

350 km and Paris' Half-Marathon later, I'm still in love with my Newton Running Stability Trainer :-)

5 weeks ago, it took me just the first 10 minutes run with them to decide I would train and run Paris' Marathon (11th of April) wearing Newtons. So far, I still think it was The (capital T) right decision.

These shoes simply changed my life - well ... at least the way I run. I was used to being very heavy on the heels, despite my 66 kg / 1m85 and finishing my long runs like some sort of an elephant, unable to raise my knees, dragging my feet on the floor ... But, I'm no more that guy !

The Newtons modified my stride without any effort. I mean, in the past, I tried to run on the front part of the feet with my classical shoes but it wasn't that easy and after a while I used to get back on my ... heels, which isn't simply possible with the Stability Trainer. Either you run a few miles or more than 20 miles, your stride keeps being the same, efficient, light and absolutely untiring.

I started Paris' Half Marathon at 4'18" per kilometer and ended it at 4'18". Exactly the same pace all along the race (for a final 1h30'49"), no slowing down at all and totally untired. I even went back home running a few more miles.

I made tremendous progresses in terms of running with my Newton :
- Max Speed : 2s less on 200m (series of 16x200m)
- Max Endurance Speed : more easy
- Long runs : cool and untiring ...

4 weeks to wait until Paris Marathon which I want to run below 3:15 and I'm sure the Newtons will help me reach that goal. These shoes are simply so fantastic !

First distance training with my NEWTON

CRAZY !!! I'm definitely crazy ! After friday's evening first training with my NEWTON RUNNING Stability Trainer (3x1000m at 15km/h - see my previous article), I had intended to run part of my Sunday's distance training (1h30 at 12 km/h) with them, let's say, for example, the first 15 minutes and then get back to my old shoes. This is at least what Sir Isaac says in the instructions, to take time to get accustomed.

Being alone at home for 2 hours on Saturday morning and still being in a high mood following Friday's evening team training, I decided to take my distance training one day in advance. I was supposed to run only the first quarter of an hour with the NEWTON but I just felt so great with them, so light, so quick and effortless that I decided to run 10 more minutes with them. Then, you know what ? I just felt so ..., so ... that I decided to run 10 more and 10 more and 10 more and 10 more ... and eventually ran my 18 km with them ! Forgive me Sir Isaac not to have followed the instructions !

These shoes are simply fantastic and make running effortless (for the same speed compared to other shoes). I maintained my 12 km/h pace even when the road was climbing. I didn't feel any pain in the calves or in the back. And I immediatly found a nice and efficient stride. Totally natural and easy. And for the first time of my life, my heels never encountered the ground ! Moreover, I was less tired than usual at the end of my 18 km. Waow. My God ! These shoes are simply fabulous !

Next training : 12 x 400m max speed on roads on Tuesday. Should be great and I should run faster than ever. Will keep you informed.

First run with my NEWTON

Here's a summarized translation of the article I wrote for my French website www.wanarun.net Please forgive my spelling and syntax mistakes. My English isn't as fluent as I would like to.

I got my NEWTON RUNNING's Stability Trainer on Thursday and decided to take them to Friday's evening team training. By the way, my team, AC CELLOIS http://accellois.athle.com is looking for a sponsor so if you'be got some spare money you don't know what to do with, let me know !

Why am I THE ideal guinea pig to try out NEWTON RUNNING's shoes ? Easy ! Despite my low weight (65 kg) compared to my height (1m85), I'm a heavy runner. Yes, you can be heavy at 65kg. I just mean that I run on the heels. So if what NEWTON says is right, I should improove the way I run.

On the coach's agenda yesterday : 30 minutes warm-up then 6 x 1000m at 4 minutes per km. The training session started with a 15 minutes ... talk show about the NEWTONs. Being the slowest of the team, everybody told me that now, they will have to ... follow me :-)

Then started the warm-up with my ... Saucony. Hey ! Sir Isaac writes : "one mile or so" for the first attempt so I didn't take any risk. I decided to run the first 1000m with the NEWTON (less than "one mile or so").

First of all, I immediatly found myself very comfortable with them and it didn't take me my usual 10 minutes to get the laces exactly tightened the same on both sides. Great improvement !

Then, on the tracks. During the first 994 meters I kept my usual and wide stride and didn't really find any plus with the Newton, moreover I had my calves tighted out (not sure for the translation). Then I remembered what the French importator told me "shortened your stride and just run natural". The last 6 meters were unsufficient to apply this theory so I decided ... to have an additionnal 1000m. This one was perfect and I found the good body position. For the rist time of my life, I felt "light".

As I had overtook the "one mile or so" by 300 meters, I decided to get back to my old shoes and then I felt heavy, heavy, heavy ... like some sort of elephant ... and even ran 0.5 km lower despite a stronger effort to run. So guess what I did for the last 1000 meters ? I got back to the NEWTON !

And I felt light, light, light ... So light than my coach told me "Fred, at least, now you look like a runner" !!!

This morning, I must confess that I don't feel anything in my calves. No pain at all. Contrarily to what I may have feared.

These NEWTON are FANTASTIC !!! Of course, I have still many things to try out and test : long distances runs, full speed runs (on Tuesday I should do 12x400m maximum speed) and so on ... I want to run the Marathon de Paris in April with them. But I'm already in love with them.