New Shoes and a Kick in the Ass

The title of this post pretty much says it all. The new shoes got me out the door and a constant kick in the ass (from me) kept me going.

My shoes arrived yesterday (finally!) and today was the first time I was able to try them out, which is the main reason I forced myself into running clothes and outside to hit the pavement. I won't lie, this run was painful. I had little desire to get out there in the first place, let alone knock out a seven- to eight-mile quality run according to my training program. The nonstop mental battle was an added obstacle throughout a majority of the the six and a half miles that I ended up finishing. It was one of those runs where no matter how deep you dig for inspiration or motivation you come out with an empty hand and the bad guy on your shoulder telling you to just stop. I just felt heavy today too, like I was carrying another couple legs on my hips and a few pounds of led in my stomach. These are the runs where you just run to get it over with, you just run because your training program tells you that's what you should do. Nike would say, Just Do It ... I would have probably added a choice word in there.

I got a little over five miles and that so-called extra weight was telling me to give up. Then I figured I mine as well run off those extra additions while I'm at it. Who knows where that jolt of minor motivation sprung up from. I ended up at my apartment around six and a half miles and that was good enough for today. Even though there are the runs that always start off with nothing but negativity, it always (ALWAYS) feels good to finish a workout. On another somewhat positive note - I loved my shoes! AND ... I did run with an average 8:30min./mile pace, which was a lot better than I'd anticipated ending up with.

This is something I try to think of when I come up unsuccessful when looking for motivation ...

"Everyone would rather party, or even veg out... instead of buckling down. That's the easy path. Being a true rebel nowadays means embracing responsibility with gusto and energy. The last rebellious act, really, is to COMMIT TO SUCCESS, no. matter. what."

Restin' Up

I hit my mileage all week with Friday in mind since it's chalked up as my rest day. Now that it's Friday ... I kind of want to go out for a run, or at least a short workout on the elliptical. Resisting whatever urge I have to run is pretty important; it'll be better that much for my long run (11 to 12 miles) tomorrow if I take it easy today. Runner's World says that it's a good idea to not only rest on your off days but to do something fun that you don't usually get to do, like seeing a movie, going out to eat or something else that may encourage relaxation. Also according to Runner's World, "A study published in Psychosomatic Medicine found that a distraction can lower stress levels and raise levels of cytokines, which are hormones that help tissue regenerate." Since we were allowed to leave work at 1pm today, I laid by the pool and read a book for awhile and then ran some errands. Tonight I plan on watching tv, reading a bit more and drinking a beer. (And of course, alternating that with water.) :-)

Good news! I bought some new shoes today! I thought I was going to get a pair of the Nike Structure Triax but I read a few reviews today on Road Runner Sports and many people mentioned bad cushioning and even a bulge feeling in the forefoot of one of the shoes. As I started thinking about it, I remembered an odd feeling in the forefoot when I tried them on the day before. So I decided to look around some more. Finally I found the Nike Zoom Elite+ 4. Since I was shoe-shopping on a budget, the price of these appealed to me. Then, I checked out the reviews and its classification (stability, cushioning, etc.). These seem to be a good fit for me. Unfortunately (and probably ignorantly) I didn't have a chance to try them on, but it was a great buy. I'll keep you posted on how they feel and perform. ETA is in five business days but with the holiday weekend, I don't expect to see them until later next week.

I hope everyone has a great Labor Day weekend and I also hope to relay some upbeat news after my long run tomorrow!

This weekend when you don't feel like hitting the pavement, think about this ...

"The challenge in running is not to aim at doing the things no one else has done, but to keep doing things everyone could do - but most never will."
-Joe Henderson

Good Run, New Gear and Some Other Stuff

So I ran five miles tonight and then went out to eat some Mexican ... bad combo. On the better note, the run was good; it was a route that my boss alerted me to. It's pretty hilly but it's one of my go-to runs. I mean really, there aren't many places to run in Raleigh that isn't a hill-fest!

After work today I went to Raleigh Running Outfitters to check out some kicks. I think I found the ones I want to get. Nike Structure Triax. I didn't go for it tonight because I wanted to check and see if I could get them any cheaper anywhere else. Good rule of thumb: I typically wear a size 7 heel, probably a size 7.5 sneaker, but I tried on an 8.5 and they said that's the best fit for me. The guys helping me said having about a thumb's width of extra space is good since your feet will swell after such long runs. Anyway, they were having a 50% on-the-rack sale so I got two pairs of Nike running shorts, a Nike sports bra and then a few GU packs (all for $50!). I've never tried GU so this weekend we'll see what the fuss is all about. I also bought the GU Chomps - apparently they're new. I have a feeling I'll be able to tolerate those a little better.  Something about the texture of the straight-up GU makes me nervous.

So I saw this cool little thing today on Runner's World. Marathon Pacing Temporary Tattoos. It's called PaceTat and it lists every mile split and finishing times. Looks like a good tool if you don't have a good watch or like Runner's World suggests, if you're running solo. They say it's pretty durable. I would hope so if it needs to last 26.2 mile! Could you imagine that ... mile 22 and you wipe the string of sweat dripping from your hairline with your forearm. Awesome ... miles 22 through 26.2 is now on your face.

Thanks for checking out my blog, I appreciate the support! 'Til next time! :-)

Something Else to Buy ... It Never Ends

I mean seriously ... look how beat these things look. The first time I wore these was the week before the D.C. Cherry Blossom 10-miler, which was in the early part of APRIL! If you know me, you know this ... I'm frugal! There I said it! Running shoes are expensive - not to mention the unnecessary amount you have to pay to enter the race in the first place. Anyway, I knew it was inevitable and I know can't push these troopers much more than I have. They're Adidas, which has been what I've worn for about five years now. Not by choice. IU is sponsored by Adidas and since I was on the FH team, we got all that stuff for free. Yes, at times it looked like Adidas threw up on me in red and white. :-) I have no complaints about Adidas running shoes but I'd like to switch it up a bit just for kicks (no pun intended).

I went into the Raleigh Running Outfitters (love this place by the way) off Six Forks Road in North Raleigh and fell in love with these Nike shoes. They have this shoe grid to help determine what shoe is right for you. Then, the shoes are all classified on the wall according to the grid. They look at your walk, your arch and some other things and then pretty much just tell you what section of the wall to stick with. I just trusted whatever they were saying. My sisters recommend Mizuno. I need to research those more than I have - they love them. If you're into the technicalities you can check the how to in picking the right shoe. I'm more into how it feels when I try it on. I know there's more that should go into making that decision but that's just how I am. 1) Are they cute? 2) Do they feel good? 3) Does the person helping me recommend them?

So that's my next adventure ... shoe shopping ... without the heel.

Ran three miles tonight with my sister and my two nieces, which entails two strollers to push. Lucky me - I pulled the short straw and got to push the (almost) three-year-old. Whew! Talk about adding another element to the work out!