It's the Shoes, Stupid!

Tuesday I went out to run, determined to get up the hills at my local park.  It was going to suck, but I was going to do it!

A few things went wrong.

First, while sunny and warm, the wind was blowing so hard I got a sand facial running into the wind.  This also proceeded to slow down my already slow run.

Second--hills are much larger in person than they appear in your imagination.  Especially when you have to run up them.

Third--I discovered my shoes were hurting my shins, feet, and pretty much everything else.  So I managed to get around the park twice, although my dreams of running at a clip, with the theme from "Rocky" zipping through my mind, a gentle breeze blowing in my face,  was not to be realized.  The burning lungs, sweaty face, and side cramp were there to greet me instead.

Wednesday I went to Running Wild to buy a new pair of shoes.  My old shoes are still pretty new, but apparently aren't what my feet like when running.  The guys at Running Wild are really good at helping pick out the right shoes for your foot.  My eyes immediately gravitated towards a purple pair that would look fantastic on my feet, but after a quick mental slap to the forehead, I realized that pretty won't help with the shin pain.

After having me walk around the shop to see my stride,  the clerk proceeded to bring out 6 different pairs of shoes for me to try on.  The shoes I had been running in were for people who had needed  a lot of arch support, which I don't need, and it was creating stress on my feet that made my shins hurt.  Glory be!  I was suckered in by the "on sale" price of those shoes, and didn't bother to really try them out.  Lesson learned.  They will be used for short errands around town, but no running.

After trying on each shoe, I was down to two pairs.  One was just slightly more comfy than the other, but the clerk assured me the shoes would loosen up over time and relax.  He then told me to go outside and run around in them to see if they felt ok; telling me I could return them within two weeks if I discovered they just didn't work out.  No shin pain!  My feet felt great!  I quickly paid and left, hugging my shoe box with a big ol' smile plastered on my face.

I now have a new pair of running shoes, and tried them out this morning on a three mile run.  No pain in my feet or legs.  Yippee!  It really is the shoes, stupid!

Happy feet in new running shoes!