Red Mango, Running Gloves And KT Tape

 

I never made it to Panera Bread for the new Hot Chocolate with the chocolate chip marshmallows.

Did you try it? How was it?

I did get to Red Mango though. Of course I did.

We should start playing “Guess How Much Meredith’s Red Mango Parfait Cost This Week”. Wouldn’t that be fun? No? Oh.

This beauty only cost me 54 cents!

OK, to be fair, I had a $5 reward from using my Red Mango Club Card, but, if you are decent at math, that means the whole parfait only came to $5.54! Sure beats last week’s price of $11.00.

I went to a different Red Mango, one of the only Red Mango locations remaining that isn’t a self-serve store.

The girl who works behind the counter makes the parfaits up all nice and big yet costs a gazillion dollars less.

I do have to drive a bit further for this fabulous Red Mango location but driving for what I love has never been an issue.

In fact, I loved Saturday’s parfait so much that I planned our Sunday slightly around it so that I could have one again.

Thank goodness the little boy never says no to Red Mango. I wouldn’t go for no nor would I go for a tantrum.

Actually, it would probably be me throwing the tantrum if he disagreed with my lunch of choice.

Two gigantic parfaits (he even requested fruit and flax granola) all for the price I paid FOR ONE PARFAIT last week.

I must have been on a savings safari this weekend because I even scored running gloves at Target which are half the price as the Lulu Lemon gloves.

I see absolutely no difference between these Champion gloves and Lulu’s version – except for the price!

Please note that I bought the size M/L and I have small hands. If you intend to purchase them, I am going to advise you to try them on to decide which size is best.

On Friday I mentioned my quest to find warmer running socks. I didn’t come across a pair but I should probably address why my foot was covered in pink Saturday morning.

If you follow me on Instagram, you saw the picture.

How pretty that the  KT Tape matched my polish? Essie’s Madison Ave-Hue.

Why did I need KT Tape? I don’t really know for sure, I just know that something has been bothering me on the tops of my feet, more the right than the left.

Almost like a shin splinty feeling, nothing that stops me in my tracks but I notice it and felt like my right foot just needed a bit more support before I headed out for my run.

If you have never tried KT Tape, you must. I am a strong believer that KT Tape is a medicine cabinet essential. You never know when you will need it.

My run on Saturday went surprisingly well; time totally flew by to the point where 12 miles were done before I knew it.

Hmm. It sounds so weird to write that “12 miles flew by” but if you have ever run a long distance (or any distance), you understand what I am saying.

As for my foot, it really feels OK almost all of the time. I really don’t notice that shin splinty feeling (the only way I can describe it) until about half a mile in and it does go away.

I sometimes wish I could run in two different pairs of sneakers just to figure out which one is best, don’t you?

I tried switching up my shoes yesterday in an effort to pinpoint the cause of my discomfort but I have come to no conclusions.

That’s the thing – you can try changing your shoes, blaming your path, the weather, the treadmill, the pavement, googling each and every random symptom when deep down, you kind of sort of know that it is simply overuse causing your aches and pains.

Last week I realized that my weekly mileage is on the high-end of normal for me and that high-end has remained high for several weeks in a row. I have been around or above 35 miles a week and for me, that is a lot.

Please note the words: FOR ME.

So many of the amazing bloggers I follow each day consider 35 miles a week their low-end, their recovery week or even just a long run for a Saturday.

We are all different. And we need to remember that. Sometimes, especially if you follow a ton of running blogs, you start to read numbers of 7 mile daily runs or a half marathon preceded by 10 miles and you start to think it is the average thing to do.

You aren’t jealous, no, you just start to routinely think in terms of those higher numbers when in reality, those numbers may or may not work for you.

I scaled back a bit last week and even though I am participating in the Pile On The Miles Challenge, I am giving thought to scaling back even more.

I mentioned to a friend the other day that I am considering taking 5 to 6 days off from running and strictly cross-training just to see.

See what? I don’t really know exactly but it can’t hurt.

The muscles and bones could certainly use a break from pounding the pavement.

So why does it sound as though I am on the fence about this little plan?

I am stubborn. And a runner. Not a good combination.

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I NEED TO KNOW:

Did you try Panera’s New Hot Chocolate?

Which running gloves do you wear?

Ever have top of the foot pain like I described?