New Running Shoes Make Everything Better!

Since there must be balance in the Force it seems that since last week I felt like I rocked, this week I need to struggle.

Beautiful trail run with my hubby.

Monday evening I got off work and came home to do my four mile run.  My husband asked if I wanted to do a trail run with him.  Since he never runs with me cause I'm so slow I said yes.  We headed out on the trail around 6:00 p.m. and it was nice to run in the trees because it was so hot.  It was still hot but at least the sun wasn't beating down on us.  I felt winded and tired right from the start.  I couldn't seem to find a good rhythm and just felt "off".  Then I got frustrated because I really wanted to do well since I don't have many opportunities to run with my husband and I was pretty much sucking it up.  Had to stop once to use my inhaler, had to stop another time to walk just because I was so frustrated.  Average pace was 14'37" per mile.  Not anywhere near the pace I was doing last week, even factoring in that I would be a little slower because it was a trail didn't account for this.

On the flip side, the trail was really pretty, I had great company and I got it done.  I figured that it was just a bad day and it would get better.

Tuesday I had to run intervals on the track again.  This week I had to do six sets of three minute sprints with five minute slow in between and a 1/2 mile warm up and cool down jog.  I went right after work and it was hot, I mean HOT!  And after a full day of sweltering in a hot, stuffy classroom with middle school bodies I was already hot.  I made sure I had plenty of water and after stalling for awhile talking to my husband I finally went out to get it done in the lovely 92 degree heat.  For the second day I felt sluggish and not in my groove.  I got the work out done but my sprints weren't as fast as the intervals I had done last week even accounting for the heat and the longer duration for the sprints I felt it should have felt better than it did.

Wednesday was my cross training day so I got up early and got my swim done.  Even my swim didn't go well.  I felt like I was swimming in molasses and again, about all I could say when it was over was that I did it.  I certainly didn't do it well.

Thursday was a rest day, from exercising anyway.  I stayed at work until 7:30 p.m. trying to get some things done.  I have been feeling like I have been playing catch up at work since school started and wanted to try and get ahead.  :-)

Friday we had made plans after work so rather than run after school I decided to get up early and run in the morning.  I figured this way I could beat the heat and maybe have a better run.  I was really hoping it was the heat that was getting to me.  Nope.  I had another sucky run.  I was so discouraged when I got done.  My average pace was 13'38".  I realize that six months ago I would have been thrilled with that pace.  But last week my average pace on this exact same route was 12'47" and that was after school when it was hot.  But at least I didn't have to come home, go for a hot and frustrating run and then go to dinner.  I just got to come home and go to dinner.  Had a great evening with Goober #3 and my hubby.

Joe and I sporting our new Mickey Mouse shirts that Betsy bought us when she went to Disneyland for the Disneyland Half Marathon.   She spoils us! :-)

My husband said that I needed to take a break.  He thought that I have been pushing hard and my body needed me to back off a bit.  I messaged my friends that have been/are going through this same journey of becoming healthy and basically vented to them too.  Between my husband and my friends I got the message.  Take a break, your body is talking to you.  You aren't quitting (we won't let you), you are doing what you need to in order to be better later.  My husband thought it was funny that I wouldn't take his advice until my girlfriends gave the same advice.

I was supposed to do a 10 mile long run today.  Instead I drove to Salem and bought running and trail shoes.  If you can't run, then go buy stuff for when you can.  :-)

If you live in the Salem area or the surrounding area you need to go check out Gallagher's Fitness is downtown Salem.  They are fantastic.  We have been to several stores that specialize in running shoes and apparel and always go back to Gallagher's for our shoes.  They have our name on file and can tell us exactly what we bought last time.  They have a spot to run in the store with the shoes on and all of their salespeople can talk knowledgeably about your stride, foot strike, and what kind of shoe would be best for you.  I have worn Nike, Asics and Brooks.  I am a Brooks girl.  Nike has been hit and miss.  One shoe will feel great and then the next will be the pits.  I have had one pair of Asics and they hurt my feet anytime I ran in them more than four miles.  Not good when you are training for a Half Marathon.  I have yet to have a pair of Brooks that weren't awesome.

Here's a link to check out their website:  http://www.activesalem.com

The one problem I have always had when I get new shoes is that for the first few months my toes get numb during my long run.  I also have had a problem with losing my toenail on the toe next to my big toe after my runs that are longer than 10 miles.  I wondered if maybe I should be wearing a slightly bigger shoe.  So I took my old shoes with me.  I have always had a tendency for my ankles to fall inward and have worn off the tread on my shoes in a weird way.  I thought it might be good to make sure I didn't need a different shoe to help compensate for that.

Worn tread to be proud of!

I went in to the store and talked to the young lady about what I was looking for.  I wish I had asked her what her name was but she was fabulous to work with.  I showed her my shoes and she said, "That is worn tread to be proud of!"  I had to laugh.  She explained that not only did it show that I had put some serious miles in on these shoes but it also was evenly worn down and showed a good foot strike.  I have worked really hard on my posture and how I run this year so I got a big kick out this.

New tread, old tread.  

I also talked to her about how my toes get numb and I lose toenails.  She went and got me a pair of Brooks Adrenalins that were the same size as the ones I had so she could see how they looked.  She said no way, they were way to small.  She then got me a pair that was a half a size bigger but she still felt like my toes were to close to the end.  I was kind of bummed because the first pair was purple and that's my favorite color.  The second pair was blue.  She went to go see if there was an even bigger pair (11 1/2 in women's, I'm a serious bigfoot!).  Unfortunately the only pair that they had in that size were a narrow and that wasn't going to work.  She found me a pair of men's regular that would be the equivalent size and were regular width for men but would be considered a wide for women.  The fit great and I really liked how they felt.  They were blue as well.  We decided that I needed to jazz them up so I bought hot pink laces to add a little sparkle.  :-)

Brooks Adrenalins....with Sparkle.

Needed new trail shoes as well! (Also Brooks)

Tomorrow I will go hiking in my new trail shoes.  Monday I will run again.  Hopefully it will be better than this week.  But even if it isn't I'm still going to do it.  I will not give up and I will not give in!  I'm going to keep moving.  Because new running shoes make everything better, right?  :)  Time to create worn tread I can be proud of again.  :)