Goldilocks and the three......shoes???

I'm sure you weren't paying that close of attention but in each of the pictures from yesterday's post I'm wearing different shoes. After the half marathon in April my trusty Asics were completely shot and needed replacing. I felt like I was ready for a change......like I had outgrown the traditional running shoes I'd been sporting for the past year-and-a-half. I knew several people that had transitioned into more lightweight shoes and I love a good bandwagon so I decided it was time to hop on as well. Thus began my journey to finding my very own shoe utopia.

Shoe #1: I stupidly went to a large discount shoe store to replace my worn out kicks and decided on the Saucony Mirage 2.

All I could think about as I was looking in the mirror at them on my feet was "They are light. They are flashy. I want them." Initially, I couldn't figure out what size to get and frequently have trouble with numbness in my feet and blistering so I thought it would be wise to experiment with a larger size. Made sense in theory, but failed in execution. I ran in them three times and disliked them so much that if it came down to never running again or wearing these shoes while running, I was never running again. The worst part of the situation was that I spent $100 on shoes that I couldn't return because when you go to a store like that, return policies are basically non-existent once you've worn the shoes out in the real world. Expensive lesson learned. Final assessment: Too Big

Shoe #2: After that debacle, I wised up and decided that I needed to go somewhere and get some help (keep the jokes to yourself, please). First stop: a large sporting goods store. Return policy is a little bit better but the inept high school students they had staffing the shoe department just pissed me off and I ended up leaving empty handed. Ok, fine. I'll go get fitted at a specialty running store. Second stop: Fleet Feet Murfreesboro. I probably spent an hour there getting measured and trying on/running in various shoes. The last pair I tried was the Brooks PureCadence from their Pure Project line (please excuse the stock photo - I deleted all the pics of it off my phone much the way I would photos of an ex-boyfriend. What can I say? Break-ups are rough on me).

I really didn't even want to try them on. I'd read that they were a stability shoe and I was certain that was not what I needed. Based on the Mirage Massacre, I realized that, clearly, I am no expert and listened to the knowledgeable salesman and guess what? I loved them. They were lightweight , encouraged my natural forefoot strike, and had a satisfaction guarantee (YESS!!!). I was sure it was a match made in running shoe heaven. Sadly, it was not meant to be. I went out running that evening and could feel my toes smashing into the outside seam on the right shoe the whole time. I went back in the next day to chat with the owner and she felt like it was probably more a style issue than an incorrect size (which turned out to be true - the half size up didn't feel any better - just bigger) and suggested I try the Pure Flow. I was not happy about this considering the fact that I was already emotionally attached to these beautiful shoes despite the fact that they made my feet ache. The store didn't have the Flow in stock, so while I waited for them to come in, I continued running in the Cadence to see if I could work out the kinks. They went from bad to worse and I ended up with a blister on the top of my big toe. Final Assessment: Too small

Shoe #3: It took about a week and a half for the PureFlow to come in.....but it was well worth the wait! I had originally ordered the red/turquoise ones but Fleet Feet couldn't get those in so they ordered an equally beautiful Neon Purple!

They are literally the color of a purple highlighter! No joke! See??

I could tell immediately when I put them on that the toe box was wider than the Cadence and felt so much roomier in the forefoot. I jogged around outside in them a bit and decided they were the better option. Of course, the very same night, Molly and I took to the Murfreesboro Greenway for a test run. Aside from the usual numbness I feel in my right foot sometimes they felt great and I'm very optimistic that come October, these will be on my feet when I set a new PR running The Murfreesboro Middle Half. Just like the Cadence they are super lightweight - coming in at only 7.5 ounces per shoe - and again, encourage a forefoot strike. They're fairly similar shoes but the combination of the wider toe box on this one and the fact that it is a neutral versus a stability shoe made it the winner in the end. Final Assessment: Just Right!

So there is a recap of my search for the perfect running shoe. I am completely aware of the fact that I complicate what is meant to be simple and that this didn't have to be the epic process that it turned into. Between wanting to prevent injury if at all possible during my training and also being careful not to just throw money away without being completely convinced that what I'm spending it on is a good investment, it takes me a little longer than normal to make a decision and slap down the cash for expensive kicks. My only hope is that I haven't jinxed them by blogging about them already.

Time for a quick catch-up!

Wow, I can't believe it's been over a month since my last post. I'm totally slacking. Right after the half marathon I slowed down a bit on the running......and by "slowed down" I mean I did two 5k's in May. On May 12th, Darcy and I ran our first one together - it was called "See Spot Run" and was on the MTSU campus. I was a little worried that the whole event would be a little bit of sensory overload for her. Yeah, she's use to people and pets at the clinic but a gate holds her back and prevents her from going completely bananas over everyone.....sort of. There were probably about 100 dogs there and my sweet girl maintained composure from 0-3.1 and rocked it out in 28:21. So proud of her and definitely looking forward to more in the future.

The next one I did was on Memorial Day. I always say that a paid day off of work should be started out with a race. I was especially excited for this one because I had managed to convince my co-worker, Kendra, to make this her very first 5k. It was a little hot, and a lot hilly but we had a great run (official time was 30:15) and we even placed 3rd in our age group! Shoulda stayed for the awards. I try not to do the same event twice and I think this is especially true for this race. The course went through a crappy beat up parking lot at Greer Stadium and I would be amazed if everyone made it out injury-free. It was an accident waiting to happen.

Of course, my partner in crime, Molly, joined the fun as well. Such a great day for a race and Kendra totally caught the racing fever and wants to do more. I have informed her several times that 5k's are the gateway drug to half-marathons! It's gonna happen :)

One down.....

This past Saturday I ran my first half-marathon. My first, but certainly not my last. I hate to get all sentimental about it, but it's a little bittersweet sitting here thinking about it. I looked forward to (and stressed about) it so much and before I knew it, it had come and gone.

My sister flew in Wednesday night so she could witness the excitement of the weekend. Friday she and I, along with my ever-supportive partner in crime Molly, went downtown to the health expo to pick up our packets and t-shirts. We also grabbed our Gu to fuel us from 0-13.1 as well as Sweaty Bands to keep our hair out of our faces as we pounded the streets of Nashville. On a side note, if you are an athlete of any kind, you must get a Sweaty Band. They DON'T slip! They are an absolute revelation in the world of headbands - and I'm not exaggerating. And no that is not sarcastic. After the health expo, we went shopping for some suitable racing attire and after about, oh, 10 stops, we finally made some purchases. Ready for the race....and a photo opp!

Naturally, I couldn't sleep the night before. Between the excitement of the following days' events and the shear terror of over-sleeping, it was a long night to say the least. Three a.m. came early.....but not bright. It was still pitch black out. There's just something wrong with getting up before the sun, isn't there?

By 5 a.m. we were parked at LP Field. Granted, we had been downtown at 5 a.m. before, but we weren't just arriving, we were leaving after a night of shenanigans on Broadway. Full circle. As we pinned on our bibs and prepared to get on the shuttle, we danced in the parking lot to the new One Direction song. Oh yeah, now the blood is pumping. All aboard the shuttle!

Centennial Park was hopping at 6 a.m. The lines for the port-o-potties were growing by the second and runners were warming up for the big event. By seven we were hanging around by our corral watching the paparazzi swarm the premises. Pretty excited about our pre-race picture because I'm pretty sure that all the subsequent pictures taken during and after the race will be heinous. And I don't use that word lightly.

When the gun went off for our corral at about 7:30ish Molly and I took off running with big smiles on our faces. We were even laughing! I couldn't believe that we were finally out there running in the race that we had been training so hard for. It was nothing short of amazing. I finished in 2:22:52 and Molly finished in 2:34:47. In the family reunion area, Michelob Ultra's in hand, we toasted the day and agreed that we can't wait to get back out there and do another one.

There is so much that I'm sure I left out so if you want to read a funnier account of our day, check out Molly's Blog.

Rules of Pinterest

I know, I know. I said the P word again. I just had to put a quick post up and vent some of my frustrations about this wonderful, yet addicting site. I've made a concerted effort recently to start making some of the recipes that I have so painstakingly pinned on my food board and I have to admit, it's been pretty awesome. I've broadened my culinary horizons a bit and enjoy having left-overs to heat up at work instead of the usual cheese sandwich and piece of fruit.

That being said, I have a beef with some of you pinners out there. If you're going to pin a recipe, don't simply label it "get in my belly." First of all, that phrase just sounds gross and second of all, what is it? Where will this pin take me if I click it? It's not always obvious what is in the picture. It might be chicken but look like lasagna.  If I find a recipe I want to pin, I call it what it is, not what I want it to do or how it makes me feel. Ok, maybe I add that after the title, but that's the only time! Anyway, if it's Pan Roasted Chicken, that is what I put under the picture I'm pinning.

Another complaint I have is that pictures of s'mores brownies and chocolate dipped peanut butter pretzels are showing up in the fitness section. Don't label a board Food/Fitness if you're going to pin crap like that on there. We don't eat that stuff. It doesn't go with fitness! Please be considerate and make a separate board strictly for junk food. But please don't make any of it, it's going to your hips.

There's my Sunday rant and I totally realize that it was purely for my own benefit. I have no delusions that it will make any difference in the vast world of Pinterest. Stay tuned for my next installment - possibly a Rules of Pinterest: Part II.

Ritalin, anyone?

So it's Wednesday. You know what that means - wait, you don't know what that means? Oh. Well, it means that I had yoga class this evening. I've been going for a few weeks now and have immensely enjoyed every session - except this one. From the moment the lights went out and we took our three cleansing breaths, my mind was going a mile-a-minute and I just couldn't focus. I was thinking about work, my Jillian Michaels workout I was going to do after, my stomach grumbling, and how I could smell peaches. I had gone tanning right before I class and the lotion I use has a subtle fruity peach smell that isn't exactly my favorite. I don't like peach scented things - they're never quite right. I do like to eat peaches, though. And peach yogurt. Especially the Georgia Peach frozen yogurt at Sweet Cece's. Wow. There I go again. This is exactly what I was dealing with during yoga. I imagine it's how Darcy feels a lot - especially when she's trying to learn new tricks. Totally ADD and a lot of  "Ooo, shiny." 

It seemed like I was totally off-balance through the whole class and was constantly telling myself to focus on the poses and get them right, gosh darn it. It didn't work and when we left I really felt no better than I did when we walked in. I guess I'm bound to have off days but I'm a perfectionist and don't like sub-par performances. Hopefully next week will be better. Are the brooms still standing? Maybe that's the problem.

This Saturday is my 7 mile run for my 1/2 marathon training and I'm oddly excited about it. I've been using an app called Endomondo and it is a revelation! The GPS tracker is spot-on and I can challenge myself against friends or against a previous run. I did a challenge for my 3-miler yesterday and got a new PR.....3 miles in 26:39! Hell, yeah!! I thought I was going to pass out after I finished but euphoria quickly kicked in and I was higher than a kite. So, good week so far and hopefully I can finish strong on my remaining two runs. Half-way point!

What is this, a pirate ship??

On Monday I started level two of Jillian's 30-Day Shred. I have never spent so much time in plank position during a 20-minute period. From "walking push-ups" to a burpee-type move to an entire minute in plank position for an ab exercise, my arms and shoulders are spent by the end of this workout. Spent doesn't even seem to be an accurate description - more like FLAT BROKE! Couple that with a lot of planking at yoga tonight and it's really a hot mess.

Despite the increased difficulty in level two, I really like it. I have to do some modifiers but I'm hoping that in another day (or two, or three) or so I'll be able to do more of the advanced moves. I have to keep reminding myself that I felt this way at the beginning of level one as well so I just need to stick with it. It's not going to get easier..........I'm just going to get better ;)

After Friday's workout I'll be exactly half-way done with the 30 days and I'm mildly considering taking my measurements. I'm kind of afraid to in case I don't see shrinkage where I want it. I'd hate to get discouraged, although that may be impossible considering the miracle that is occurring already in my upper body. I've got a couple more days to think about it so we'll see how I feel then. Not too worried about hitting the scale since I totally stalk my weight everyday - I'm down a couple pounds, not sure why. Shouldn't I go up a bit with all this rockin' muscle I'm building? Ha! Anyway, just wanted to post a quick update. I think I've said this before, but I'll say it again: Jillian Michaels = Legit.

Spring Ahead

Today was the first day of Day-Light Savings Time. I have mixed feelings about this event because as much as I love the extra hours of daylight, I am not excited at the prospect of the week ahead - mainly the idea of getting up to go running tomorrow morning. Usually, I get up and am out running by 7(ish) on Mondays which means that tomorrow, my body will think it's still 6 a.m. Eww. Not my idea of a good time. I just have to remind myself that the first week is always the worst and it will get better. Eventually.

I spent today cleaning my house. I spend so much time working and working out that I tend to neglect my home-owner duties. Like cleaning the litterbox. And vacuuming. Wait, how are all my spoons dirty? Oh yeah, didn't start the dishwasher. I swore off running and my Jillian Michaels workout for one day to get a handle on the disaster that I call home. The weather was gorgeous so I opened all the windows in the house and started getting things done. I have to say that it puts me in such a fantastic mood to have a clean house. If only I could keep it this way. I need to at least attempt to do something small everyday to maintain this state of bliss that I'm in right now.

Yesterday I did a 6-mile run after work. I had some apprehension about it but the weather was extremely cooperative and I enjoyed every last minute of it. I'm really starting to feel optimistic about the 1/2 Marathon next month. Oh, my! It's NEXT MONTH! Calm down. Breathe deep. K, I'm good now :)

My other big accomplishment yesterday was finishing the 10th day of Jillian's 30-Day Shred. I successfully worked out 10 days in a row and completed level one. I'm pretty amazed at the difference in my endurance between day one and day ten. Night and day, people. I'm a believer. Tomorrow I start level two and I admit I argued with myself all day as to whether or not I should preview it. I decided that ignorance is bliss and I'll just see it for the first time when I do it tomorrow night. I refuse to take any measurements or additional pictures until I've completed the whole thing but I definitely see more definition in my arms already. I've been told that they look really toned and someone even told me they look ripped. THANK YOU!! Ha! I'm looking forward to starting the next level and am motivated by the fact that even if the first day sucks, it will get better if I stick with it.