Gearing Up

I may have graduated, but I still believe in back to school shopping. I figure, I am working just as hard as I did in school, so I deserve to gear up for a new season and a new year. Only now everything seems to be running orientated... go figure.

Purchases in order to be properly prepared:

Gary Garmin

This is the reason why my new favorite number is 610. Meet Gary, my new training partner! I have decided to upgrade from a regular Soleus timing watch to the big daddy- the newest touch screen Garmin Forerunner 610. So far I have absolutely loved it. Besides being slightly depressed after realizing how slow I actually do most of my runs, I am in obsession mode. I can tell my cadence with the foot pod and I am getting some of the first heart rate feedback I have had in many years. Lots of information all at my fingertips. The best part is that I get to upload all the info my 610 gives me right to the training log I have been using for 5 years- Logarun. It has been a great way for me to log/journal/record all of the stuff I have trouble remembering. I can't express how important it is as a runner to keep track of things like your mileage, sleep habits, weight, weather, and the way you felt after races and work outs. You can see patterns and habits that you may not be able to see with out a log. Some of it seems like common sense, but we all know how easy it is to let life just kind of rough us up a bit. PS- the graphics and the way Garmin Connect sets up the website and info is really great! I love the map of the route I ran. I can see everything! Plus, it is so much thinner than any of the GPS watches I had seen. Fits my little wrist just right!

Fire, as worn by the Asics DS Trainer

Of course, in a healthy relationship it is only fair that you give as much (or more) as you receive! So my surprise for Derick was a new pair of DS Trainers! They were perfect Trinity colors. He used to run in these and while he has a new pair of running shoes (see below!) now I figured they would make a great coaching shoe! He fought me a bit on the size (he has worked at a running store as well, if you are in Ohio go here: Columbus Running Company) but I won. They are just a color update to the DS Trainers set out this year, but I loved the red. I am still waiting on feedback from Derick, but he has worn them a couple times. They have to compete with the new wear test shoes that Puma sent him and his new running shoes(New Balance Road Minimus) but I think he likes them.

New shoes+ Old feelings = minimalist

Enter Derick's new running shoes. He has never really been a minimalist runner, buuuut I have been begging him to get new shoes for a while and these are what he went with. The New Balance Minimus. I have had a pair for a while and I just use them for work. After my race at Jon's Run, I realized that my feet are not quite as young as they used to be and I need to be careful of which shoes I run in. For me to transition into minimalist running, I have to take a very cautious and slow approach. Derick, on the other hand has been wearing the same pair of DS Trainers and old Puma flats for years. That is basically like running minimalist- no cushioning and most of the support is long gone. The Road Minimus basically feels like a racing flat, for those of you who are familiar with light weight shoes, and Derick has been able to just start running in them and not look back. I am a bit jealous! My Brooks Adrenalines and I will always be best for each other, but I miss the days where I could pop on a pair of flats or spikes and just run fast for a bit. Derick hasn't complained one bit about the lack of cushioning or flat feel. I tried to get him to grab a pair of the NB 1190's but he stayed solid on wanting the Minimus. Runners who are wanting a great transition shoe in the minimalist world would be very happy with the road or trail Minimus. New Balance has done a great job of re-vamping their style, approach, fit, and technology to be on a whole new edge of running.

Minimalist by heart,
but nature calls for a little help for my feet

The other side of New Balance: Trail Minimus. This is the new women's color and they were great at work today! I have a pair of the Road Minimus, and I have been so in love with them I refused to go to the other side! Until today. The fit is very different than any shoe I have had. Automatically I want to stand differently when I slip the shoes on. With very little heel, my feet sit flatter on the floor and I use my forefoot more. In some of my other work shoes, I get some pain in the balls of my feet because the taller heel shifts my weight a bit forward and I put a lot of weight on that part of my foot. While I can't run in a minimalist shoe, I can still benefit from wearing them at work! They help my posture at work and while my calves were sore after the first few times that I wore them, they feel much better now.

More my speed

The Nike Lunarglide was the first shoe I purchased at Run On! when I got the job. Generally, in retail, you should get used to wearing the product that you sell. My first day I showed up in a pair of Derick's Pumas. We don't have a single thing by Puma in our entire inventory... I had to catch up quick! My old closet of shoes used to include about a 75/25 ratio of dress shoes to running shoes. I really only needed one good pair of training shoes and a pair to race in. Now, I actually forgot that I still have a pair of cute boots and at least one pair of heels in my closet. I am in running shoes almost 24/7 now. The ratio has tipped quite heavily towards the cushioned, supportive, and colorful athletic footwear! I have become such a huge shoe nerd. For 6 years, I was strictly a Brooks loyalist. Still loyal, but quite curious now, I have explored and found many shoes that I like the feel of. The fun part has been being able to try the different shoes on my runs and workouts. The Lunarglide has been a great shoe. First time on they seem to have a semi-firm feel. But walk around in them for a day and you feel them soften right up! One of my favorite work shoes and a shoe I can run in on lighter days.  

The Sacrowedgy

You can not overlook injury prevention when you start running again. With some of the back pain and sciatica I have been having, Derick recommended the Sacrowedgy. I ended up needing the guys version as a "taller slender female" because my hips apparently are "shaped more like a male" as the instruction manual puts it. It was "a more natural and comfortable fit"...It is a pretty awkward device but I haven't used it enough to tell what the difference is. The goal is to help situate the hips like a sports medicine or a chiropractor does. I will keep you updated on the results of this fun-looking device. 

Kettle Bell does not equal Kettle Corn

The final purchase we made was a little Kettle Bell. While I try to stay motivated and get to the gym, I don't always have that much energy. Body weight has always been enough for me, but I have seen the light. The lifting light. I feel strong is when my arms can match the effort of my legs and my heart. Apparently, I don't weigh enough make that happen. The Kettle Bell helps with that. At least I can look at it now and remember that if I was motivated enough to buy it, then I will sometimes have enough motivation to use it!



GIGI'S CUPCAKES

Of course after a long day of shopping and gearing up for the upcoming season, it is easy to have your energy sources depleted! Simple solution: EAT AT GIGI'S CUPCAKES! They are amazing and I have eaten way to many of them. Easily my favorite is the Red Velvet Cupcake. Beware, they only make certain cupcakes on certain days. But just look at the pictures...the frosting is taller than the cakes and I would run a very long distance to have these amazing little things.  

Also- I have a wish list of other things I am waiting to gear up on. Next on my list is the Stunt Puppy leash so Derick and I can run hands free with Sherlock.

The Stunner