New Runners!

I've been needing new sneakers for a while now. Maybe over a month or two. The experts say you should replace your running shoes every 300-500 miles. It was time.

I went to Nike's website and did a test that determines what shoe is right for your foot type. What Nike shoe, that is, of course. It asks what type of terrain you usually run on - trails, road, track. It asks what your arch is like - high, low, medium. And it asks if you overpronate, underpronate or are neutral. I have high arches and overpronate slightly. I also mostly run on the road (and apparently treadmills count as roads).

The people at Nike determined what three pairs of shoes would best suit me. I made a note on my phone and went to the store. I tried two of them, and didn't like them. They are newfangled and just don't "feel" like running shoes to me. That's not to say they aren't good - perhaps they are fantastic, but I wasn't adventurous enough to try.

My sister told me about her Nike Vomeros that she loves. Considering we are pretty much twins, I thought I'd check those out too. Turns out, they felt fantastic. The guy at the store said they were better shoes than the other pair I was debating also. Plus, they have PINK accents, instead of the blue or green I've had in the past. Normally, I'm not a big fan of super-girly colors like pink. I've recently discovered, however, that when it comes to running, pink is it! I love wearing feminine colors when I run. Maybe it's because I sweat and sometimes grunt and feel unattractive when I run, I think I might as well wear colors like a girl.

I purchased the Vomeros, and some BOGO socks and happily went home. Then I took four days off from running. Um, oops. I should have been excited to go try out the new sneaks! The mistake was putting them in the guest bedroom, in the bag. I didn't see them, and forgot about my new purchase!

My legs started yelling at me on Saturday, and I should have listened, and gone out for a 5k, but chose not to. I need to start listening more to my legs!

I went out tonight to do 5k. I always walk to the end of my block as a warm up before running. I didn't even make it to the next house without realizing the difference in the shoes. I felt like I was bouncing, there was so much cushion! My shoes felt like suction cups on the pavement, gripping then releasing, springing my foot toward the sky.

My calves, however, were not happy with me. Skipping two runs causes pain. The first mile and a half were rough. My feet felt great, but my calves felt so tight, and each step was painful. After the mile and a half, it seemed to work itself out. I stopped to do some stretching for a few seconds too.

I read an article in Runner's World a while back that said something to the effect of: When you buy a new pair of sneakers, before you take them out of the box, you should smell them. Stick your nose right in there and smell the possibilities, the excitement, the chemicals. Well, don't inhale too deeply. But smell!

Distance: 3.76 miles

Time: 38:54

Pace: 10:20/mile