New shoes!

I got some new shoes last week. I'm in LOVE. And so are my feet. At least the last 3 pairs of shoes I've had were the same brand and same basic style. I figured, if it's not broke, don't fix it.

But I finally got into a running store (www.roadrunnersports.com) and did an analysis. They have you run on the treadmill and they analyze your stride and recommend a type of shoe. I kind of already knew it, but I was wearing a shoe with not enough support.

The first time I ran in my new shoes (Nike Air Zoom) my feet could have kept going when my body was ready to stop. That was a first! I can really feel my feet and they have the support they need--but they are so comfy.

I'm really hoping to take a little bit of time off my mile with them.

Now I need to figure out how to do some speed training. I know I can be faster...I just need to develop a plan to do it.

The Turnaround Point

While I was running today I was thinking about what keeps me going. I've been upping my mileage consistently over the last year. although I love running and totally thrive on it, most runs there are points I just want to be done. Or the idea of running x miles is overwhelming.

Most of my runs are about 4 miles. I realized today that one of my mental tricks is just pushing through to the turnaround point. 2 miles really isn't that long and it's not too hard to get there. Once I'm at the turnaround point, I know I'm in the home stretch. I have to get back to the car. The kids will start to melt down in the jogger if the run takes too long. The faster I finish, the better all the way around!

It might just be me and how my brain works--but if I can get to the turnaround point--then I know I can get back! Hopefully once I get a bit faster, my turn around point will be a little further.

But one way or another, I have to get back to the car, so I might as well keep going!