SHOE SHOPPING IS NOT ALWAYS FUN

I never thought finding a pair of running shoes could be this hard.  Last year, I purchased a pair of New Balance 760 and I loved them so with my new training I decided to get another pair.   I am one of those people that like to stick with what I know so I got the NB860 which is an upgrade from the NB760.  I initially got my old size 7.5 but they were not fitting right (the little finger was touching the shoe and it was uncomfortable).  I guess it is true what they say about your feet size changing after pregnancy.  I went to the Pacers store in Arlington to find out what was going on.  The salesgirl was not very helpful but did mention that the manufacture had narrowed the shoes in the NB860.  Why ruin a perfect pair of shoes? So I exchanged my NB860 for size 8 wide.  I think I should have stuck with the size 7.5 and just got them in wide as the new pair was now bigger.  I am thinking of putting an insole to see if it makes a difference.  

Last Sunday (March 18, 2012) I was feeling restless and decided I needed an hour of  me-time. Earlier in the day we took Safa to her swimming class and when we came back I took a nap with her (I normally don’t take naps) and instead of feeling full of energy I was actually tired and grumpy.  I decided to go to the book store to do some reading in order to find out which running shoes are now being recommended by the experts.   It was nice just to sit, read and have a nice cup of coffee without any interruptions; however all the reading just make me more confused.  I wish they made it simple and just tell you which shoes are the best but it is more complicated: you have to figure the type of foot arch you.  Apparently there are three types of food arches 1) normal (medium) Arch 2)Flat (low Arch) and 3) High Arch.  Check this site out for more information http://www.footdefense.com/knowyourarch.htm.  When I left the book store, right next was Dicks (local sports store) and they had this scale where you set on and it tells you the type of arch you have.  I found out I had high arch.  I tried one pair of shoes and then checked the time, it was close to Safa’s bed time so I decided to just leave.  I did ask the sales person their return/exchange policy and he told me as long as I don’t wear I can return it.  I knew I would not be buying my shoes there.  Honestly I feel I am always in a rush lately and I don’t have a lot of time, so when I shop I like to go to stores that have hassle free returns/exchanges.  How in the world am I going to know a pair of shoes will be perfect unless I wear them? The few minutes you try them on in the store is not a good indication to me. 

So last night, my sister and I went back to the pacers store near my house.  Did I forget to mention that my sister is now living with us and not only is she looking after my darling daughter but she is also my other running partner. Sometimes things have a funny way of working out.  I love having her with us.  I am actually a bit jealous of how close her and Safa are becoming. Usually when I am around Safa is all mine but now there are times she will run to my sister instead of me (I need to have a serious talk with the little one).  On a serious note I absolutely love having my sister with me especially since the rest of my family live far away.  I would give anything to have my daughter grow up next to her cousins, aunts and uncles.  NOTHING LIKE FAMILY and close friends.  Before I get all emotional let’s get back to the shoe search story...

 So we went back to the Pacers store and this time got an amazing guy to help us out.  His name was Alex and although he had other customers at the same time he had the gift of being able to help everyone at the same time without you feeling like you are not getting any attention.  I actually called the store this morning and spoke to his manager and told him what a great guy he was (I do complain about bad service but I also make sure to acknowledge when I get good service). Anyways, Alex asked me to try a pair of shoes (Brooks), then walked with them, after walking he asked me to go on the treadmill (so cool) and jog like I would normally. I did and hooked on the treadmill is a computer that actually records your feet and determines your arch and based on the report from the computer he made shoe type recommendations.  It was so cool and I loved the whole experience.  To make it even better I can buy the shoes and within 14 days if I am not satisfied return or exchange them!!! My kind of store. I purchased the Brooks Adrenailine GTS 12 for $110 + taxes and I am hoping they will be the perfect pair for me but if not I guess I will be going back for an exchange. 

So my recommendation for those of you looking for a good pair of running shoes is to go to a store that specializes in running shoes and let them make recommendations. Also make sure the store has a good return/exchange policy. Sometimes it is worth it to pay more for service and conveniences.

Crazy But Why Not???

On March 7^th, 2012; I signed up for my first marathon.  Honestly, I had no intentions of signing up for a full marathon, my plan was to do a 10k or maybe the half (BIG MAYBE) but that morning when I got to work I realized the registration (Circled on my calendar for months now) was only for the full marathon.  I had few hours to make a quick and hard decision. It was extremely important to me to do the Marine Corps race this year because I had signed up for the 10K last year and in August found out I was pregnant and running went out of the window.  I guess I could have trained and still did the 10k but I was a rookie in her first pregnancy and the last thing I wanted to do was take unnecessary risks. So signing up this year would be my way of making up for last years. 

I did quick thinking, doubts started running through my mind. Is it possible? Can I actually train for 26.1 miles in eight months?  I liked the idea of training and what I even liked more was the knowledge that with all the running I will be losing (hopefully) the unwanted weight from my pregnancy.  My daughter is nine months and I still have 10 pounds to lose before I can go back to my pre-pregnancy weight.  I was excited but also nervous and scared.  I wondered if I would actually have time to train.  I work full time and I have a new baby plus all the other everyday things I have to deal with– is it possible to dream this big? 

I have always loved running and in my younger days I wanted to run a marathon but the most I have done was 10 miles and to go from 10 miles to 26.1 is a huge jump.  I emailed my friends to get their opinion and I also called my husband to discuss as this would impact him as much as me and my daughter.  He was very supportive and told me to go for it.   Wish everything else would be that simple!!!

As I analyzed the decision in my head, the most emotional aspect of it was the time that I would be away from my daughter.  I printed a schedule off the web (Jeff Galloway) and noticed that training is actually three days.  Two week day runs which are not longer than 45 minutes and I can take my daughter with me (I am extremely lucky to have received the Bob jogging stroller from my friends Awo and Tina as a shower gift) and one long run on Saturday’s.  At the beginning it would be okay to do the long runs while she is taking her first nap (9am to 11am) but as the long runs get longer I would be missing more of the time she is awake.   Since I am a working mother and do not see much of her on the weekdays, the idea of missing even two hours of the weekend’s sounds unfair to me.   I focused on the positives; my daughter being introduced to active life style from early age, my husband and my daughter getting some alone time without me interfering or taking over and  remembering it is the quality of time rather than the quantity that is important made it easier to deal with my decision.  I think at end my daughter will be happier knowing her mother was happier and healthier. So, I convinced my friend Lily (also her first full marathon) to sign up with me and decision was out of my hands.  

Afterwards, I wonder what I got myself into.  Was I crazy? Is it possible to actually do it? What if I could not? So here begins my journey to the marathon and I will see what happens at the end.  My goal is to finish but if I can do it under 5 hours then I would be even happier.