Special Delivery

I love mail.  

A  blogger I read posted awhile ago about getting excited about receiving mail, and today, for me it was quite true.  Packages from Amazon, Running Warehouse, and Gone For A Run all graced my doorstep and I did a happy little dance.  The Amazon package was a surprise - books from my mom for my kids (awww!).  The other stuff, I actually ordered and have been (not so) patiently waiting for.

First, the bras.  So freaking excited, it's almost actually a little sad.  I wanted to find sports bras that had actual clasps in the back, but I'm on the smaller side, breast-wise (yes, I just typed that), so mostly what I end up with are compression type bras.  They're fine, they do the job, but some days, they are freaking impossible to get in and out of.  After a particularly bad run a few weeks ago, I had to pitifully call my husband in to help me get out of one, and then wearily explain to him that I was not trying to come on to him, I was just stuck and had wrenched something trying to get myself ready for the shower.  (Poor guy LOL)

So when Running Warehouse announced this week that they had select Saucony products on sale which included bras with BACK CLOSURES I was thrilled.  I bought the only two colors they had - black, and a dark pink.

Of course it's sideways... Pfft. How did that happen?  Anyway.  Saucony Curve Crusader Bra

Have not tried them on yet since I just got them, but I'm sure I'm going to love them, if for no other reason than I'll be able to get my self dressed and undressed.... something that I have been proud to be able to do since the age of, oh, I don't know, THREE.  

Moving on.  The box from Gone For A Run held two items.  First, these puppies:

13.1 Flip Flops from Gone For A Run

I saw these and immediately had to have them.  My "debut" half marathon is next weekend, and I'm not the bumper sticker sort, but I wanted something to commemorate the event, since I figured people would stare at me oddly if I wore the medal everywhere I go.  Since I pretty much live in flip flops in the summer time, I figured these would be fun.

The next item I purchased just a few hours before I found out about the Adidas shirts.  Kinda bummed about that, actually, since I'm pretty sure that the shirt I'm bought didn't benefit anyone except the people who made it, but oh well.  I still love the message, and will wear it a lot.

Love this shirt! It came out of the package mighty wrinkled, though, didn't it? 

I'm still waiting on one more item that I've ordered recently - I don't know what got into me, but I've been on a running-related spending spree lately.  There must be something in the water.  

How about you? Any fun running related purchases lately?  

I do what with my feet?

When I decided that I was going to start running last year, I went to a running store that I’d heard about to talk to an “expert” re: shoes.  A nice woman watched me walk barefoot, pulled out 4 different boxes of shoes, told me I needed inserts, and $160 later, I walked out the door feeling like a “real” runner.  I’m an over-pronator! I need “guidance” shoes! And inserts! And I know all this because some lady told me so! Yay!

Fast forward to three months later, when I had shin splints and had been pointed in the direction of a different running store where they did “gait analysis” and all kinds of fancy stuff.  After running on a treadmill in front of a camera, having my arch analyzed by some high-tech gizmo, and talking at length to another nice lady, I walked out the door another $120 poorer, feeling like THIS time, I had it right.  I don’t need “guidance” shoes! I need neutral shoes!  Yay me!

Fast forward yet again, to present day.  Err, today.  Took a short run this morning in my good ole “guidance” shoes (I returned the “neutral” ones after about a week, thinking that they didn’t feel any different than the “guidance” ones… because I still had shin splints.  Never occurred to me to take care of the shin splints BEFORE trying new shoes…  DUR.), and started thinking back over all the various aches and pains I’ve had, and how despite stretching and warming up and blah blah, my really good runs were few and far between.  I seem to have more aches and pains than other runners I know, even “newer” runners.  Maybe I’m not cut out for running.  Maybe I’m too fat.  Maybe I just suck.

Or maybe…….  Maybe I need different shoes.  Hrm.  Could it be?  Could the second lady with the fancy technology have actually been right?

So I finished my measly 3 miles, went home and cleaned up, and headed to yet another LRS to get a tie-breaking opinion.    ANOTHER very nice lady helped me, and guess what?  I’m back in neutral shoes.

I ran two miles in them tonight, just to test them out, and it was amazing.  No foot pain.  No shin pain. No calf pain. No ankle pain.  NO PAIN.   It was – and I don’t use this word lightly –  AWESOMESAUCE.

So. Moral of this story?  I *heart* Brooks! No, actually, the moral of this story is to not try new shoes when you have shin splints!  Also, don’t wait nearly a year to try new shoes again!  Dur.  =)