Running... in One Month

"Hey! I put some new shoes on." - May 1-3, 2009

This may come as a surprise, but I am not one of those girls who enjoys the prospect and purchase of a pair of new shoes. I much prefer to buy comfortable, cheap flip flops that I can wear for years until holes develop as a result of my dragging feet than to drop over a hundred dollars on stilettos that I’ll wear with one dress on one occasion. It may not surprise you to know then, that I have been wearing the same pair of Nike sneakers for basically any outdoor activity since my dad purchased them for me over 7 years ago. That’s the great thing about shoes… you may put on a few pounds or drop some weight but your shoes will always fit. So, no sense in buying new ones if the old ones are still in one piece.

Here’s a picture of what I’ve been dealing with:


Amazingly, I was under the impression that it was completely safe for me to be running in these things. The first few times I went out last week to see what my level of stamina was, these bad boys slammed some pavement with me. They have also accompanied me on 3 Walks For Hunger (20 miles each) and plenty of camping and hiking trips.

The first few runs were outrageously painful. It was hard to breathe, move, push through the pain. Everything was hard. But I figured it was supposed to be that way and gave myself some mental lectures for letting myself get so out of shape. It wasn’t until Thursday night that I visited Runner’s World online and realized a pretty big error on my part. Turns out, shoes are a pretty big deal when you run. Oops.

So, on the first of May, the first day of this challenge I’ve given myself, I visited the New England Running Company in Beverly, MA to buy my first pair of Running sneakers. I had done a little bit of research before going, so I had a price range and I knew basically the kind of support I was looking for. The woman took a look at my gait, made some recommendations and sent me on my way with these babies:


I had no idea what I had been missing! The support offered by these shoes is incredible. The back of the shoe is snug, holding my foot in place and in a position that promotes healthy posture while running. The front (toe box) is open, giving your toes room to spread out as you push off from the pavement. These things were designed to function as the most crucial tool for runners and having a pair of my own was greatly satisfying. I bought a few other things this weekend to compliment my goals and these spiffy shoes:

3 sports bras (I can’t believe I’ve never had one of these)
2 pairs of running shorts
2 wicking shirts
3 pairs of moisture controlling socks
1 iPod shuffle (I hear that listening to distracting music while you run makes the time go faster)

So after a bit of a shopping binge (something I’m definitely NOT known for) I hit the road - one step at a time. Spending money is certainly a great motivator. Gotta put all this stuff to use!


Yeah, that's right, I'm a Beast!