Hello, Ladies.
Sorry for my absence. I've had two sick kids to deal with the last few days. One was home from school yesterday. Before they decided to get sick, I decided to rip apart Jacob's room and paint. So, in the middle of my urge to redecorate, I was doing my best to take care of the kids AND get Jake's room painted. Good thing moms can multi-task :-)
Anyway, it looks like the meeting at Panera will be Tuesday, March 24. Let's say 6:00?
I hope you all went out and got a planner/calendar. Some of you told me that you did, you get gold stars! I really think you'll find those to be very useful.
The next item on my list is sort of an obvious one and that's running shoes. It is the only piece of "equipment" that you really need to run. This one is really important!! I would recommend buying something new (shopping trip!) and make sure those shoes are only for running. Resist the urge to wear them to walk the dog or go to the store. I know it's hard when they're so darned cute, but do yourself a favor and only wear them for running!
There are many places to buy running shoes. Before I did my half marathon training last summer, I usually bought my shoes at JC Penney's, Kohl's or Dick's. I would go and try a bunch on and whichever ones were comfortable and reasonably priced were the ones I bought. Pretty simple.
When I was training last year, obviously I was running A LOT of miles and I started getting aches and pains in my feet, knees, hips, etc. that I never had before so I went to a place called Fleet Feet. It is a really cool store. They analyze how you run, take various foot measurements (they even videotape your feet while you run on a treadmill) and then they recommend shoes based on all of this information. It turned out I wasn't even buying the correct shoe size! I needed one full size larger than what I had been buying! Amazingly, after buying the shoes they recommended, my aches and pains disappeared and I finished my training (and race) injury free!
Is this necessary for everyone to do? Absolutely not. It's only another option. I honestly don't think the average beginner runner needs this. Maybe you have some kind of foot issues and you think you need the extra guidance, then by all means go for it. You won't be sorry and you'll have shoes that you'll be very happy with. Expect to pay a little more than a department store, but it will be worth it.
Sorry for my absence. I've had two sick kids to deal with the last few days. One was home from school yesterday. Before they decided to get sick, I decided to rip apart Jacob's room and paint. So, in the middle of my urge to redecorate, I was doing my best to take care of the kids AND get Jake's room painted. Good thing moms can multi-task :-)
Anyway, it looks like the meeting at Panera will be Tuesday, March 24. Let's say 6:00?
I hope you all went out and got a planner/calendar. Some of you told me that you did, you get gold stars! I really think you'll find those to be very useful.
The next item on my list is sort of an obvious one and that's running shoes. It is the only piece of "equipment" that you really need to run. This one is really important!! I would recommend buying something new (shopping trip!) and make sure those shoes are only for running. Resist the urge to wear them to walk the dog or go to the store. I know it's hard when they're so darned cute, but do yourself a favor and only wear them for running!
There are many places to buy running shoes. Before I did my half marathon training last summer, I usually bought my shoes at JC Penney's, Kohl's or Dick's. I would go and try a bunch on and whichever ones were comfortable and reasonably priced were the ones I bought. Pretty simple.
When I was training last year, obviously I was running A LOT of miles and I started getting aches and pains in my feet, knees, hips, etc. that I never had before so I went to a place called Fleet Feet. It is a really cool store. They analyze how you run, take various foot measurements (they even videotape your feet while you run on a treadmill) and then they recommend shoes based on all of this information. It turned out I wasn't even buying the correct shoe size! I needed one full size larger than what I had been buying! Amazingly, after buying the shoes they recommended, my aches and pains disappeared and I finished my training (and race) injury free!
Is this necessary for everyone to do? Absolutely not. It's only another option. I honestly don't think the average beginner runner needs this. Maybe you have some kind of foot issues and you think you need the extra guidance, then by all means go for it. You won't be sorry and you'll have shoes that you'll be very happy with. Expect to pay a little more than a department store, but it will be worth it.
With that said, keep in mind that I ran for many years just buying sneakers on sale in department stores that I was perfectly happy with. In fact, one of the brands I wore faithfully was Adidas (usually from Penney's). I always loved the way those fit! (FYI - Nike's tend to be narrow and run small). Also, keep in mind that what works for me may not necessarily work for you since our feet are all different shapes and sizes and we all run differently, too. Take your time and choose your new shoes carefully.
The bottom line is: don't wear a pair of old sneakers you wore to cut the grass last summer. Treat yourself to something new that is going to be comfortable and make sure they are running shoes, not walking shoes, not cross trainers. And, don't be afraid to jog around the store a little bit - no one's watching :-)
If you need any help buying sneakers or need more information, let me know. That's why I'm here!
The bottom line is: don't wear a pair of old sneakers you wore to cut the grass last summer. Treat yourself to something new that is going to be comfortable and make sure they are running shoes, not walking shoes, not cross trainers. And, don't be afraid to jog around the store a little bit - no one's watching :-)
If you need any help buying sneakers or need more information, let me know. That's why I'm here!
