New outlook (& new shoes!)

It’s amazing what taking a day off can do for you. I didn’t run on Wednesday, but went back on Thursday. I did a 4 mile run on the treadmill and felt great. And the best part? I think I figured out the reason for the catastrophe on Tuesday: my music. I ran to my iPod with genre selected to play random country music. I think it was just too slow/sad/boring (mind you, I love country music). Yesterday, I changed things up and played only the upbeat, pop songs and it went great. I’m sure the day off and new attitude helped as well. I ran 4 miles in 41:45 which is a pretty good pace for me. Then I did 40 minutes on the elliptical.

On to my new shoes. I have been buying running shoes from a “real” (i.e., not a Dicks/big commercial store, but a store where they watch you run, fit you, and make recommendations) running store for a few years now. When I started going there they told me I overpronated (I was having issues with my knees and shins back then) so they put me in stabilizing shoes.  Well, my knees and shins have been great lately but my toes on the outsides of my feet have been hurting, and I was due for a new pair of shoes (okay, that might be a bit of lie, I’m not sure when I’m due for a new pair because unlike a good runner I wore my most recent pair of shoes as my regular shoes as well so I don’t know how much I actually ran in them).  Turns out, after taking a look at my most recent shoes and the wear on them, I don’t actually overpronate, so the stabilizers were forcing my feet outward, causing the toe pain. I also have a wide foot, so the woman recommended wearing men’s shoes (ugly) or women’s in a wider size. I ended up getting asics in a D width. They were so great last night. I can’t wait to run in them tonight and see how it goes. I also got my garmin in the mail yesterday (it had to charge so I couldn’t use it for a run yesterday), so tonight’s run will be a big shoe and garmin debut (along with some new pop music I put on the ipod). I’m doing a short 3/4 mile run outside tonight and a 6 mile run after class tomorrow (yeah, class on a Saturday and then class again on Easter Sunday. For 8 hours each day…but I can’t complain you do that for 2 weekends and get 3 credit hours. Easiest three credits in law school, and the class is actually fun). If all goes as plan, I’ll have run 23 miles this week I’m sure I’ll report back soon about how all this new equipment goes.

Have a great weekend.

~ by jaimielyn on March 21, 2008.