A little motivation.

{image via Pinterest}

Sometimes I just need to remind myself that I have the ability to lace up my shoes and run.  And for that I am thankful.

My new kicks.

This past weekend I went shopping for some new running shoes.  After my epiphany, I knew what kind of shoes I was shopping for.  I had a couple of brands in mind; Nike Free, Vibram Five Fingers, and Merrell Pace Glove.

After telling the sales guy what I was looking for (something as close to barefoot as possible) he immediately brought me over to the Vibrams.  We totally bypassed the Nike Free, they had a little too much sole in the heel and that was one of the main things I wanted to avoid.  So I tried on a couple pairs of Vibrams.  Oh man, I couldn't get passed the feeling of those little toe holes!  Sure, they were fine in the store, but I can't imagine running a few miles in them, let alone a half marathon.  And quite frankly, I didn't really care for the colors they had available.  I'm sorry, but that is a factor when buying shoes, I am a girl, afterall. :)

Finally, I tried a couple pairs of the Merrell Pace Glove.  They actually do fit like a glove.  And the best part is, they have Vibram soles.  They are very light weight, lighter than any running shoe I'd ever owned.  Another plus, I don't need to wear socks and I can throw them in the wash when I need to.

So I think I got the best of both worlds here.  Light weight, "minimalistic" running shoes with Vibram soles.  And for the price of $100.00 they were the perfect match for me.  I went for a run with them on Sunday.  Got a few blisters, which is to be expected of new shoes.  I really can't believe the difference between these and my old running shoes.  Just like when I ran barefoot, I naturally wanted to land on the ball of my foot or at least flat.  And again, my heel didn't really touch the ground.  I felt like a gazelle running through the plains!  Before I felt as if I had let my feet dry in a bucket of cement then went for a run.

I'm hoping these shoes will make my runs more enjoyable.  :)

This deserves a post.

It's been AGES since I wrote on this thing.  But after my last run, I have to share.

I get horrible, horrible shin splints.  To the point that I can't walk normal for a couple of days even after the shortest runs.  I've tried everything from running at an incline on the treadmill, resting days between runs, ice, heat, stretching, complaining... None of it really has worked.  Mike recently mentioned running barefoot, which I never really considered before.  I could definitely see how it might make a difference.  When I run I land on my heal first.  My shins do not like that very much.  I have tried to make a conscience effort to land either flat or on the balls of my feet, but it takes so much concentration and effort that it just makes me more tired.

So, today I thought I'd give barefoot running a try.  During the week I run on the treadmill in my basement.  I figured I'd start off easy and do a mile on the 'mill and see how it goes...

Then, 29 minutes and 34 seconds later I ran 3.13 miles!  My fastest 5k time yet, with a 9'25"/mile pace.  I consistently run between 10 and 11 minute miles, so this is a huge difference.  I could have gone farther but I seriously blistered my toesies.  But, oh my goodness, the difference!  My feet naturally wanted to land on the balls and my heals hardly touched the ground.

My legs felt like what I presume they should feel like after a run, sore calves and thighs.  Not achy joints, i.e. hips and knees.  And the best part of all, very little shin pain.  My shins are still sore from the run I did two days ago, so it's kinda hard to tell.  At least they don't feel worse.

I'm going to shop for some of those barefoot running shoes this weekend.

Who knows, maybe I can trick my body into thinking it's a runner. :)