Throughout all my runs this week, I kept thinking of this quotation. It perfectly describes the kind of week Illinois had. Okay, so it didn't snow. But it did rain a bit. And it was friggin cold!
For my Wednesday lunch break run, Weather.com said the temperature was 29, feels like 14. Throughout the run I kept telling myself that it would be the last time for a while that I would run in the cold. Then Thursday came and it wasn't much better. I ran with C and we still had to bundle up, and our breaths still produced little clouds.
But next week should be in the 50s and I am ready for that!
In other news, I need new shoes.
Today we went to a local running store in St. Charles called Dick Ponds. I thought that they would throw me on a treadmill to see how I run but the guy just looked at my running shoes and looked at how I stand on one foot (or tried to stand on one foot).
Surprisingly, I was satisfied with his analysis.
It was like he read my future (good 1/2 marathon time?) by the way I stood. He told me about the problem with my current running shoes; it turns out that they are too flexible for the way I run. Turns out, I have low arches so I need shoes with more support. And my knee pain is probably caused by the poor arch support of my old shoes.
I tried on about 5 different shoes. I won't list every pair but I will give you a brief overview.
I tried on a pair of Nikes that felt like there was a metal bar on my arches. A pair of Brooks felt like there were clamps on my heels.
The Sauconys felt perfect. According to coach C, Sauconys are great running shoes. But, I gawked at the price. They were $93! To some, that is pennies. But to me......"what?!!"
I know that the next pair of running shoes will be my close buddy for the next year. We will run through rain, heat, wind, dog poo, mud, snow, everything. But $93 is a lot to spend on something that I will discard in a few years.
Yet, a part of me really feels that it would be a good investment.
Either way, I know I have to shop around before I buy. C and I went to the Naperville Running Company to comparison shop. As expected, the shoes were more expensive in Naperville. Naperville is just too expensive for its own good!!
I also shopped online and found my shoe for only about 5 dollars cheaper. Once S&H is added, it's gonna cost more. So I will probably get my shoes from Dick's.
Ladies and gents, my next running shoe!
The Women's Saucony ProGrid Omni 7 Ultimate
Its well-ventilated and has good arch support. Knee pain, goodbye!
5 comments:
Melissa,
Just a quick note - the Omni Moderate would have been $90 for you at Naperville Running Company as long as you are a member of a local health club or running group or charity group (3 Day Walk, etc). We offer a 10% discount to these groups. If you're not a member, shoot me an email and I'll get you added as a preferred customer. Thanks for visiting our store!
Kris Hartner
Owner, Naperville Running Co.
Sorry, forgot, here's my email address:
kris@runningcompany.com
I wish decent running shoes here in Australia were as cheap as $93. Here you are looking to spend between $150 - $200 for a good quality supportive running shoe.
Well, Riayn, that makes me feel a little better!!
Hi Melissa,
Good job making it through the cold & running outside anyways! As my friend Steve says, "You can't race in it if you don't train in it." :) Those type of runs are definitely "character-building." :)
Glad to hear you found the right shoes for your feet/stride. It's so important to run in the right shoes; it can make all the difference to your legs/knees/feet!
I really like all of the photos & comments you put on your blog. It definitely makes people feel like they are part of your running experiences. :)
BTW, thanks for your comment on my blog. I responded. :)
-Corey
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