New Running Shoes + An Extra Run (weekly workout recap)

After my run on Saturday, I decided that I had to go to Runner’s Edge to try on new running shoes.

Like I said last week and as I said to the girl who helped me, I really didn’t want to open up this can of worms.

I’m not the easiest when it comes to running shoes and I was honestly not in the mood to go through the “try this model on your left foot and this model on your right and see which you like better.” And then to make it even more confusing, “go run up and down the hall in this pair and then switch to this pair and try to decide which is better.”

I rattled off my list of running shoe requirements (and complaints) and we narrowed it down to the Brooks Glycerin and Saucony Guide.

My top running shoe requirements:

• Need a higher heel drop
• Can’t compress the top of my foot
• Can’t feel too heavy
• Laces need to tie in the “right” place
• Need wide toe box
• My foot needs to feel supported but not too held in
• Need to feel nice cushioning

I liked both shoes that she brought me but ultimately went with the Brooks Glycerin.

I once had a pair of Glycerins. The Glycerin 13’s. I bought that pair a few days before the Long Island Half Marathon in 2013 which is not what runners should do before a race but I did it anyway. That was when I decided that Asics were no longer right for me.

In my opinion, the Glycerins have the cushion I was looking for in the Ghost 14s. They remind me of previous Ghost models actually.

I added an extra run yesterday to test them out — so far, so good. I think. Again, I’m a freak when it comes to running shoes. I may feel something about the toes but don’t ask me to explain that. I can’t. Overall I do think they are going to be the right running shoe for me right now!

Weekly Workout Recap

I think this was the first week in a while that I ran four times. When I cut down on mileage, I gravitated to four runs a week. These days I end up with more like three runs a week but as it gets warmer, I am sure I will range between the 3-4 times a week again.

Monday – 20 Min Super Power Yoga/Pilates Flow + 40 Min Walk

Another terrific new flow added to Melissa Wood Health’s menu! It was a quick add to my favorites list.

Tuesday – 3 Mile Run

Wednesday – 3 Mile Walk + 16 Min Full Body Flow (1 lb weights)

I usually do yoga/pilates before I walk but sometimes I reverse the order.

Thursday – 5 Mile Run

I can’t recall the last time I ran 5 miles on a weekday! The warmer weather today totally inspired me to keep going.

I made up a workout as I went along:

• 2 Mile Warm-up
• 2 Miles: 1 min hard/1 min easy
• 1 Mile: 2 min hard/1 min easy

Friday – 19 Min Yoga/Pilates Flow + 40 Min Walk

Saturday – 5 Mile Run

For some reason, I wasn’t really in the mood to run but had no reason not to be so I just went with it and even threw in a speed workout.

The best thing about speed workouts when you aren’t really in the mood to run but physically have all the energy is that they totally engage you into being in the right mood to keep going!

I quickly lost track of distance and just get mentally lost in the pattern of switching between increasing my effort and going easy.

• 1 Mile Warm-Up
• 2 Miles 2 min hard/1 min easy
• 2 Miles 3 min hard/2 min easy
• Cooldown

Sunday – 3 Mile Run + 15 Min Standing Arms/Abs (bodyweight)

I love the first run in new running shoes! The cushion felt nice and I was a little faster than my average easy run too.

I’m also wearing the Lululelmon Power Stride socks. The neon colors that come in the 3-pack are a plus!

Running Things + First Pure Barre Class

 

The worst thing possible happened to me last night.

That would be a majority of my chocolate dipped waffle bowl broken. On the ground.

I stared at giant chunk of my waffle bowl on the ground in disbelief for longer than the five second rule although I seriously considered picking it up and eating it anyway.

It’s not fair when things like this happen to nice ice cream waffle bowl loving people like me, especially on National Ice Cream Day.

Of course I could have pleaded my case back inside Cold Stone and maybe the guy would have given me another one for free but I didn’t bother. I was too upset.

And I couldn’t afford to buy another bowl in the event that he didn’t offer me a free one because I spent all of my money yesterday on new running shoes.

Adidas Adistar Boost. The model right above my beloved Energy Boost.

It’s really too soon for me to discuss and review them since I have yet to actually wear them for a run but they are basically the same shoe I have been loving just with added arch support.

I don’t love the color but we can’t choose our running shoes based upon color so salmon-melon-some shade of peachy orange is what I will be running in for the next 300-600 miles.

They claim to last 600 miles sort of like an expensive step-up in the type of oil you select for your car’s engine but who knows.

It’s not that I was really due for a new pair of running shoes but lately something has been bothering me.

It’s like I just get a feeling while I am running that I need more support or something. Something is off somewhere.

Something is lacking in the heels. Like I need more support back there. Maybe. I don’t know.

This is the exact vague/strange description I gave the nice man at Runner’s Edge who must be used to working with crazy bizarre runners because he listened like a therapist and then proceeded to evaluate my feet.

He decided I needed some additional support in my arch because I may have started slightly pronating (feet turning in from the arch/midfoot, more the left than the right) which can happen from an increase in mileage and length of runs.

My feet were craving a change in sneakers over the weekend to the point where I whipped out a pair of Brooks Glycerin 10’s that I still had in my closet for my long run.

They actually felt pretty good but I know they are not the shoe for me.

Can I ask you a random question?

What do you look at while you run? Do you even know?

Most of the time, I am looking at the thoughts in my head making me pretty unconscious to the sights and scenes around me.

That’s not to say I don’t actually see the cars and the people or where I am, I am just not all that present.

Which, if you ask me, is a perfect excuse for not waving and saying hello to every dog walker I encounter.

I have told you before  – I am not the friendliest runner you will pass. I don’t really do it on purpose, okay maybe sometimes I do but half the time I am so tuned into myself that I don’t look up, make eye contact or even notice someone is waving to me or that I should be waving to them.

I have been considering some shirts with slogans that say, “Talk to me AFTER my run” or “Not as friendly as I appear” or “The bitch who runs.”

I run so early that in my mind, keeping to myself rather than paying attention to the lady in her pajamas walking her dog while she is clearly still rocking her bed head is polite of me.

You do your morning routine and I will do mine.

Oh my gosh. I forget to tell you that I took a Pure Barre class for the first time on Friday. If you follow me on twitter and instagram you may already know but I failed to mention it in my post thus far today and even forgot yesterday when I was wrapped up in recipes that I have yet to try.

I made the decision to sign up for the Pure Barre new client special which gives me a month of unlimited classes.

I went with Pure Barre over signing up for Spin classes because I felt I needed cross training in the form of non-impact, strength and core work to complement my running routine.

I am glad I received the Pure Barre socks last year at the Fitness Magazine Meet and Tweet.

A little info on Pure Barre from their website:

In just 55 minutes you will achieve a full-body workout concentrating on the areas women struggle with the most: hips, thighs, seat, abdominals and arms. The Pure Barre technique is low-impact, protecting your joints by avoiding any bouncing or jumping. Each strength section of the workout is followed by a stretching section in order to create long, lean muscles without bulk. The technique works to defy gravity by tapering everything in and lifting it up!

My thoughts from my first Pure Barre class:

*My muscles were shaking immediately. As in, shaking during the warm up making me wonder what the heck it is I do every day to shake and tremble during a warm up.

*It was a great, full-body workout without actually sweating or even feeling my heart rate go up.

*Super-nice instructor and staff as well as a good mix of women of all ages.

*I liked the little movements that focused on strength and toning.

*Decent amount of stretching.

*We did a lot of “tucking” which I can’t even describe to you just yet since I am not sure I did it correctly if at all.

*Even though I routinely do planks, my core needs work.

*At some point we did something with our heels which I decided must be great for running and the strengthening of heel and calf muscles.

*I am not all that flexible.

*Certain exercises and poses were much easier for me than others.

*I thought I would be sore but I really wasn’t except for in my “seat” which is the term the instructor used over and over to reference the glutes.

My plan is to take two classes a week (maybe three, don’t know yet) and my only issue with Pure Barre is that the location I attend is in the same shopping center as Red Mango.

I allowed myself one parfait after my first class but I absolutely cannot make this a habit because I cannot afford it.

I spent all my money this weekend on the one-month Pure Barre membership, new running shoes and a broken ice cream sundae.

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Which running shoes are you currently wearing?

Do you rotate which shoes you wear?

Ever try Pure Barre?

Do you notice what you look at while you are running outdoors?