More rock, less roll

I saw Dr. G this afternoon and she noticed a marked improvement in my hamstrings. She agreed that it would be a good idea to stagger my distances now that we have a good assessment on the effectiveness of my therapy. Afterwards I picked up my new Amfit custom orthotics from Runner's High. How different these are from off-the-shelf insoles! The arch support is very, very strong and I could definitely feel them pushing more of my weight toward the outsides of my feet. I also bought a pair of Arch 750 insoles for my street shoes. For most runners, these would be ample support and stability control; for me, they're just good enough for casual, everyday low-impact use.

The custom insoles are quite rigid and need breaking in. I ran 35 minutes this evening and my feet felt really stable. My left arch did chafe a little during the run; this happened when I got my first pair of Superfeet insoles, too. Both times I happened to be wearing WrightSock Coolmesh socks; I've found these afford slightly less chafing protection than the company's Running socks.

This weekend, I'll be running an off-week distance of 7 miles. My next four weeks look thus:

• 9/16 – 7 miles
• 9/23 – 11 miles
• 9/30 – 8 miles
• 10/8 – 13.1 miles (Rock 'N' Roll Half Marathon)

So my next big test will be the 11-miler in ten days. This will either make or break my chances of running the Rock 'N' Roll. Keep your fingers crossed!