Category: Gear

New shoes

New shoes vs old shoes. Spot the difference!

Checked my Garmin stats, and saw I’d run 385 miles in my Asics GT2170 turquoise and lime beauties. This included the London Marathon, a 5k race, a 10k race and 2 half marathons.Was it time for some new shoes?

Well, odd twinges and aches are most unwelcome after running (not going to name them as I’m in denial) but in my opinion can often be cured by new shoes. Sometimes. Maybe. Worth a try, anyway.

So I ordered the shoes, same as last time as these have been so good. Went to collect them, and found these purple beauties waiting for me. Fantastic! (and a much more practical colour for Winter training!)  Thought they deserved a new pair of socks for their first run, dug my last pair of brand-new-supermarket-cheapy-but-great socks and what do you know? Turns out they are white and purple too.

I’ve never been so co-ordinated!

Sadly though, the washing machine seems to have eaten one of my fantastic new purple socks. How does that happen?

The Training’s Restarted!

You’ll be pleased to hear I’m still in a positive mood! After my two short runs last week I also managed  to cycle to the swimming pool, aqua-plod for TWO HOURS and then cycle home again. I felt brain dead after those two hours, but the cycle home helped wake me up, and then as I came back into the village I passed the postman who flagged me down and shouted that he had already tried 3 times to deliver a parcel that had to be signed for, so he’d loop round and try again. I cycled home so fast I beat him there, and he handed over my NEW SHOES!

Busy weekend (daughter being dropped at school in the early hours for her trip to Germany, son’s birthday sleepover and Mother’s Day for starters!) so couldn’t get out to try them. Then Monday morning dawned. Everyone was out, the sun was shining, the shoes were calling….

I set off for 4 miles. Everything was stiff, aching and complaining, but I carried on. After 2 and a half miles the stiffness was easing off. Shin was still sore but I was ignoring it. At four miles I was nearly back home, and I suddenly realised my shin wasn’t painful. I couldn’t feel anything sore there. It didn’t feel like someone was pressing hard on the bony part of my leg any more. Overjoyed I decided to press on and ran an extra mile. Shin started hurting again on a gentle downhill, and then again on the gentle uphill, but it gave me hope that this WILL clear up. One day!

So what shall I do today???

No More Moaning (for today!)

Sat down and read back my last few blog posts last night, and it even made *me* depressed! So, enough moaning, let’s have some positive thoughts & vibes here (man!)

I survived Monday’s epic 2 mile run, and by Tuesday my leg was still okay. Still a little sore, but definitely walk-on-able. More stretching and icing, and a decision made. I investigated the latest date to defer my entry for VLM. Turns out, the latest date is 22nd April 2012 – which is Race Day! This means I can continue to train for now and can literally decide at the last minute that its not feasible to do it. (You’re not allowed to defer if you actually start the race!)

Although this may be just putting off the awful decision I actually feel much happier, as I have a plan in place now, and a definite date to aim towards. As I was feeling happy I decided I would try (again!) to get some new shoes. Do you think these are bright enough?

Look nice! Thanks for the photo, Sweatshop 🙂

Actually, I haven’t got them yet – they’re being posted to me. Good things come to those who wait – so after spending around 2 hours in the shop, and then waiting for them to arrive, that MUST mean they’re going to be good!

Came home, and was inspired to pull on my (old) trainers. Optimistically set off for 3 miles – and survived! Leg was a little stretchy-sore again, but I stopped after every mile to have a stretch and then walked for a minute. Iced and ibuprofen when I got home. It was okay last night, and certainly no sorer than usual this morning.

It is lovely to be out in the fresh air again (even if it was murky-foggy air) and one incident reminded me especially of how much I love running in the countryside where I live. Running down a track with hedges on each side, I heard a rustling under the hedge on my left just ahead of me. I slowed down and saw a small bird running (looked like a young pheasant maybe) and then a hawk swooped down from the top of the hedge and sank its claws into the young bird’s back! At the sound of my shuffling feet the hawk stopped, turned, looked at me, and the released the bird and flew off. The young bird looked stunned at its escape and scuttled off to hide under a different hedge instead.

You don’t see that driving around in your car!

Noo Shooooooes!

Nothing quite like new shoes! I braved the treadmill in the Running shop, am pleased to say I didn’t fall off however I was told I have a ‘very odd’ running style. Somehow that doesn’t surprise me!
Despite this, I came home with a lovely shiny white pair of running shoes which will help support my feet (and legs!) as my runs become progressively longer. I though I’d better post a photo of them now before they set foot outside. Rain is forecast tomorrow for their maiden voyage …..