First Day back Running

Hobby of the Day: Running and Gear

New Running Gear

So I haven't run in about two weeks.  Right up until Christmas break I was swamped with shopping, baking and wrapping, not to mention cleaning and packing.  Then, I got sick over Christmas break, which I am still currently fighting off.  I was mostly lethargic during break and slept a whole lot. Thankfully  I did not eat too much and therefore, NO WEIGHT GAIN! Score one for me....haha.  That doesn't mean that I still don't have lbs to lose.  I gots to get ready for Spring Break 2012.

Today I  busted out a lot of new running gear. Thankfully this new hobby of mine enables loved ones to buy me unlimited amounts of running gear.  Gary and I only ran 4 miles and that was a mess for me.  I am still struggling with breathing (thanks cold) and therefore have difficulty swallowing since I keep sniffing.  I wore my new Brooks Ghost 3 shoes, my feet need to get used to wearing nice new shoes. Hopefully I can break them in after a week or so.  The only real setback for me running was that my feet really fell asleep. They usually fall asleep around 3-4 miles but always wake back up, but today, maybe because of the new shoes they fell asleep hardcore, to the point where I couldn't even feel that I was running on feet and my ankles also fell asleep too.  We'll see, the last race I did I don't think my feet even fell asleep, but I had also been running a lot more frequently and also in shoes my feet were familiar with. 

 

My brother-in-law got me some new running tights from Under Armour, the coldgear frosty compression tights.  I have had trouble with running tights in the past.  I feel like they are constantly falling down, or that that they are sagging so to speak.  These tights got good reviews, I always read reviews, just to give me some insight.  I wore those today.  They were nice and tight around the ankles, so no ridding up.  Unfortunately I am short so these tights fit well but could have been a little shorter for me, they did bag up a little around my thighs, but I kinda pulled them down.  These tights do not have a draw string, I always feel like drawstrings give me an extra sense of security, but they do have an elastic band and because the tights are so "tight"  they definitely do not ride down.  First day of wearing them: success.

I also wore my new running shirt from Northface, women's impulse 1/4 zip, courtesy of my good friend Jenna.  It fits well and it has thumb holes which I love.  Thumb holes were such a great invention!  I love the color of this shirt, I tend to lean a lot towards pink for some reason, so this teal color is great! It is a half zip and also has a pocket, score again.  I always need pockets for keys and chapstick. For some reason my running gets hindered if my lips are not moist. Weird huh? The only problem that I found with this shirt is that the sleeves are a little too long. Again I am short and I do think my arms are shorter than they should be, so while standing/resting the sleeves are way long, but while running it seems to be ok because I like to have my hands covered. The only thing is I also feel like I hold on to the shirt more too thus clenching my fists. 

I did not however wear the new gloves my mother got for me Nike Women's Lightweight Run Glove.  It's cute, my mother is not an athletic person, nor does she follow sports, but she wanted to be supportive of my hobby, so she bought me these super cute gloves.  I wanted these earlier this fall they have a key pocket on the palm, perfect for me.  Way to go mom!  Love her!

Shoes?

When I used to run back in middle/high school shoe brand didn't really matter all that much to me.  I wasn't a super serious runner and I never had a lot of money to by extras.  I usually went to Kohls, which was of course the best place to buy running sneakers.  My checklist were usually, not expensive, comfortable and "cute" (i.e. nice colors).  I typically would keep the same sneakers for about 2 years or so.  Since I have become more "serious" about running I have tried to be better about buying good running shoes. 

Nike Turbo 8- My Shocks

Prior to last year, I had only gone once to a legit running store, but not to purchase sneakers I purchased running spikes for sprinting.  I've also shopped at the Nike outlet for sneakers.  The last pair of Nike Sneakers I bought were,  the shoes above.  I bought them because I love pink and I liked the design, I just assumed that they would be fine for running and they were.  However, I've now had these Nikes for a little over two years now and they've definitely seen better days.  Shoes are just so dang expensive!  

Pumas

Last year Gary and I went to the Georgetown Running Company and they had me run on the treadmill to see how I planted my feet.  They recommended that I get shoes with more support, surprisingly my husband who has plantar fasciitis needed a more neutral shoe.  Sadly, I purchased these Pumas.  After using them at the gym a few times I realized they really hurt my feet. They gave me support all right, too much in the heel area and not enough at the ball of my foot, so it felt like I was pounding the daylight out of them.  Similar to wearing heals with no platform in the front.  Sad to say I've only worn these shoes 4 times.  As you can see there is some dust/hair gathered at the toe.  Ooops :-)

This year I discussed running shoes with many of my running friends.  They recommended Brooks, Mizuno and Asics.   I purchased these Brooks ghost 3, not the newest of the ghost series.  I still have yet to run out on the roads in these, but I did try them out on my mother-in-law's treadmill and have been wearing them around my house.  Tomorrow I will break them out for the first time. Wish me luck!