Another post from the running archives!

April 28, 2011 – So, I splurged on the new running shoes earlier
this month and I’m really enjoying them. My shin pain has disappeared
and so far not resurfaced.

I remember buying new athletic shoes as a
child and truly believing they made me run and jump faster. I always
wore them out of the store, excited to see what I could accomplish in my
new kicks. So are these shoes really helping or is it just that “new
shoe” mentality? I think they are helping me physically, but I know they are helping me mentally, so I’ll take it.

Buying
them was a new experience for me because, for the first time, I told
myself not to care what the shoes looked like. I went to our local Fleet
Feet store where, after having me walk around the store barefoot to
evaluate my step, they had me try on several pairs of shoes.

The first pair had horrific fluorescent green and pink accents. I needed to shield my eyes when they came out of the shoe box. But … I liked the cushion so I walked around
in them a bit. The arch didn’t feel quite right though so we tried on
several more. I kept going back to a pair of Brooks. No fancy gels,
no funky air cushion, but they felt light and secure and didn’t rub my
feet when I jogged around the store.

And let me add that jogging
around the store was a little strange – running past people browsing the
running pants and sports bras. But others were running around the store
too, so if I looked like a fool at least I had company. Then I gave the
shoes a quick jog on the store’s treadmill before deciding to keep
them, despite the Tennessee orange accents (shudder).

I really
wanted to wear them out of the store like I did when I was a kid, but I waited until I was in my car to slip them back on. Other than that car
ride home, I’m only using them for running. That is supposed to improve
their longevity, but also serves as motivation for me. I love my new
shoes, so I look forwarding to lacing them up for my workouts.