Trail Running Blog

First Long Run in the Nike Air Zoom Elite 7 Running Shoes

After coming in to my local Road Runner Sports for their free gait test analysis, I was able to find a running shoe that accommodated my running form, providing just the right amount of support I needed in a shoe. You can read about the entire Shoe Dog process here, I highly recommend both beginning and new runners to try it out. As I mentioned in the post, I was previously recommended stability shoes, but when I came in this time, was told I should run in neutral running shoes. Had I not gone in and taken the gait analysis, I would have just picked another pair of stability shoes!

There were two reasons why I chose the Nike Air Zoom Elite 7 as my next pair of running shoes. The first is because I had been running in Brooks and Adidas for the past few years and was really looking forward to a change. I bought one of the first editions of the Nike Free Run shoes and really liked the minimalist feel and comfort of the shoes (I still wear them to this day). Even though they did not have the wide toebox version, I still went ahead and chose this running shoe because it looks so bright and stylish! But I still wanted to see how the shoes and custom insoles fared on a run, and I decided to make it a long one.

I have a half marathon scheduled for early May. I know I’ll be able to run it, but am not completely sure how fast yet. I have not followed a training program in a long time now, I usually just make sure to get enough long runs in a few weeks before the actual race. Running during the week is a plus if I can make myself get up early enough in the mornings or swap my gym days for a run. I was hoping to go for a 6 miler this past weekend, followed by 8 and 10 the next two weekends. Unfortunately, ran a longer route than expected and ended up running 7 miles instead. It was pretty tiring, but manageable and I was glad I got that extra mile in.

The route is one that I have ran many times before, it’s basically 2 loops around my block, followed by a pretty direct path to this local park which I run another 2 laps around their dirt path. Although I enjoy running in more scenic routes, like trails or along the beach or ocean, I usually prefer the convenience of being able to walk out the door and run.

I always enjoy running negative splits, but it rarely happens during a race. I think the reason why it happens during my training runs is because I start off extra slow (probably because I’m still sleepy and not fully awake yet). Even though it was 7 miles, I was able to start off slow/easy the first mile and slowly pick up the pace and conclude the run with my fastest mile at the end.

Overall, the shoes felt very comfortable. Like I said in my previous post, the rep at Road Runner Sports suggested I wear a size 9 or 9.5 running shoes, which is much smaller than the 10.5 that I usually wear. I ended up choosing a size 10 for the Nike Air Zoom Elite 7 running shoes and they seemed to fit fine. I know my toes tend to get cramped during a run which causes blisters and callous along the side of the toes.