I think I'm a little bit of all these types...
Happy running! :)
Friday
Thursday
Pennies from Heaven
When we got home today, my 8-year old exclaimed, "Lucky day! A penny! And you walked right by it, but I saw it. Yay!!! One day I found TWO pennies! And then there was like a month when there was a penny outside every day!"
If I could bottle his enthusiasm and innocence and sell it, I'd make a fortune. Heck, I'd give it away. There are enough people out there who could benefit from that level of pure happiness and positivity.
Waiting on my maybe
I didn't want to fight traffic to get new running shoes, but I had been putting it off for too long. My shins have started hurting after running, which is usually my sign that I need new shoes. Plus, the blister I developed during the marathon has not gone away. It probably doesn't help that I'm running in the same model of shoe further allowing the developing callous to get bigger and more bothersome. So off I went to Road Runner Sports. No more telling myself, "maybe this pair is fine. I'll run in them one more week and go next weekend", it was time for new shoes.
It's been awhile since I've been fit for shoes, and never at RR. They have a "perfect fit" program in which they evaluate your arch type, how you distribute your weight, and how you run barefoot on a treadmill. The treadmill running they video so they can examine your gait, how you point your toes, and how flexible your Achilles is. For me, it was quite the practice in getting past my self consciousness. First of all, I was not dressed for this activity, coming straight from work. I was in a skirt, a cami with a breezy top over it...my mom picked it out for me for my birthday :)... and flip flops I keep in the car. I was probably quite the sight running around the store in what I had worn to work. Then there was my laundry list of all my current aches and pains, including said callous, which the guy who evaluated me (Fit Test Guy) brought up and examined before he showed it to a different guy who fit me with the shoes (Shoe Test Guy). Hello! Did I mention I was self conscious? Fit Test Guy also had to touch my feet to mold custom inserts. I don't have a problem with my feet being touched, but I'm not sure I would want to do that with someone I didn't know. Also, running barefoot on a treadmill when I'm not in running clothes, hearing the loud pounding of my feet on the tread had me cringing. But not as much as when he showed me the playback on a huge flat screen monitor. Panic! There were my legs and feet on display for everyone in the store to see! No one seem to be pointing and laughing though...
Anywho, Fit Test Guy would show me examples of the different categories and ask me which one I thought I was. For the arch evaluation and pressure test, I went in assuming they would come back and tell me I had high arches. When I was in College Part 1, I worked in our black box theatre. One summer, I spent an entire day painting sets. I was barefoot and in overalls, my work pant of choice as a 19-year old. Since we would paint the floor after the set pieces were done, I wasn't exactly careful about paint on the floor or my feet. Toward the end of the day, one of my bosses, Jeff, came to check my progress. When he saw my footprints he was surprised at how little of a print my arch made. He regaled me with stories of his mother who also had high arches resulting in easily broken feet in her old, frail age. Wonderful! Something to look forward to! At any rate, I wasn't surprised when Fit Test Guy showed me my arch evaluation. For this portion of the test, I had to stand on a gel mat that was linked to the computer. I was asked to stand evenly with my hands at my side. The computer showed a topographical rending of my step. Fit Test Guy asked me what kind of arch I had. I responded that I had no arch because that's what it looked like. My step didn't look like a footprint at all, it was literally just the ball of my foot and my heel. There wasn't any imprint from the side of my mid foot. So he decided on a supportive shoe. I also am a bit unbalanced (in how I stand, wiseguys...). I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do with that information, but it could be why my IT band gives me problems. Fit Test Guy iterated the importance of rollering and stretching my IT.
The treadmill running showed that I turn the toes on my right foot out just a little bit, and I have flexibility in my Achilles. Is the flexibility good or bad, I have no idea. After Fit Test Guy molded the inserts, he handed me off to Shoe Test Guy, who chose shoes based off of the recommendations of Fit Test Guy. (Size 8-wide, in case you wanted to know.) Shoe Test Guy brought me four shoes to try:
Anywho, Fit Test Guy would show me examples of the different categories and ask me which one I thought I was. For the arch evaluation and pressure test, I went in assuming they would come back and tell me I had high arches. When I was in College Part 1, I worked in our black box theatre. One summer, I spent an entire day painting sets. I was barefoot and in overalls, my work pant of choice as a 19-year old. Since we would paint the floor after the set pieces were done, I wasn't exactly careful about paint on the floor or my feet. Toward the end of the day, one of my bosses, Jeff, came to check my progress. When he saw my footprints he was surprised at how little of a print my arch made. He regaled me with stories of his mother who also had high arches resulting in easily broken feet in her old, frail age. Wonderful! Something to look forward to! At any rate, I wasn't surprised when Fit Test Guy showed me my arch evaluation. For this portion of the test, I had to stand on a gel mat that was linked to the computer. I was asked to stand evenly with my hands at my side. The computer showed a topographical rending of my step. Fit Test Guy asked me what kind of arch I had. I responded that I had no arch because that's what it looked like. My step didn't look like a footprint at all, it was literally just the ball of my foot and my heel. There wasn't any imprint from the side of my mid foot. So he decided on a supportive shoe. I also am a bit unbalanced (in how I stand, wiseguys...). I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do with that information, but it could be why my IT band gives me problems. Fit Test Guy iterated the importance of rollering and stretching my IT.
The treadmill running showed that I turn the toes on my right foot out just a little bit, and I have flexibility in my Achilles. Is the flexibility good or bad, I have no idea. After Fit Test Guy molded the inserts, he handed me off to Shoe Test Guy, who chose shoes based off of the recommendations of Fit Test Guy. (Size 8-wide, in case you wanted to know.) Shoe Test Guy brought me four shoes to try:
Brooks Ravenna 4 (Which I loved! And bought!)The Brooks were the first pair I tried on and they felt great. Shoe Test Guy helped me with the lacing since he was flabbergasted that I slipped in and out of my (now) previous running shoes without lacing. Shoe and Fit Test Guys were bother flabbergasted that I was still running in the Mizuno Wave Nirvana. "They don't even MAKE that shoe anymore!" I bought the molded inserts too, but need to get the right one adjusted. It feels like it's pressing into my arch too much. Overall, I had a positive experience at Road Runner Sports and would recommend them to others. Since my purchase, I've had a couple chances to run and I'm SO happy with my new shoes! They don't rub wrong on my callous and my legs have been much happier. Now I know, no more waiting on a maybe! Replace the shoes! Happy Feet and Legs, happy running! :)
An Asics model (Which I traditionally don't care for)
A Nike model (Which I've never run in and would feel like a sell-out...don't ask me why...which is ironic because I like their running clothes)
A Saucony model (Again, never run in, but don't have a problem with the brand, just didn't care for the fit)
Monday
0.35 miles
0.35 miles doesn't seem like much. I could run that distance backwards in heels if that was all I was running. However, on a hot day when the humidity is a million percent (actual recorded value...sort of), and I'm trying desperately to finish a 7 mile run so as to not be too behind in training, 0.35 miles seems like an eternity. At the beginning of a run, 0.35 miles is barely a scratch on the surface of a long run. But when I've stopped to take a breather and a swig of water a gazillion times (I stopped counting at a billion, so this number is approximate), I might as well set up camp for the night when I'm 0.35 miles from home. 0.35 miles is not an impressive distance by any measure, but for me it was the difference of a 6.65 mile run, and the 7 mile run I was targeting. My total time was not impressive by any measure, but my total time was for the full 7 miles I wanted to cover. The amount of stopping I had to do was not impressive by any measure, however I ran with my inner yogi in charge, understanding my limits in that moment, in that space, at that time, at those conditions. I even stopped to smell the roses, literally. I consumed so much water that I ran out. Twice. I was able to stop once to fill up at a public drinking fountain, but I neared the end of my supply again...0.35 miles from the finish. I was hot. I drank. I dumped some over my head. 0.35 miles until I'm done, I thought. I can do this. Motivation was low. Then I heard a question. "Can I get you some water?" A man had stepped out from his house, in front of which I was stopped. "It's just tap water." I assured him that would be fine and thanked him profusely. "My name is John, by the way."
"Thank you, John,"
What John may not realize is that his simple act of kindness in the gift of water did more than quench my thirst. It motivated me to finish those last 0.35 miles. And not only did I finish, I finished with a smile on my face.
"Thank you, John,"
What John may not realize is that his simple act of kindness in the gift of water did more than quench my thirst. It motivated me to finish those last 0.35 miles. And not only did I finish, I finished with a smile on my face.
Tuesday
Wednesday
Aggravation
Until recently, I had not fallen prey to a fast-fix gimmick. I don't really know what changed this weekend that I decided to order a weight-loss product, when, after all these years, I've refrained. Okay, okay, I did buy some Hydroxycut a couple of years ago but I didn't last a week trying it. It made me too jittery and nauseous. At any rate, Sunday evening as I read this "news article" in a "women's health magazine, I realized that I HAD to order a "free trial!" of an appetite suppressant. But wait! It only works if I also by the cleanse product as well. It will be so easy, just take an oral dose twice a day. There's no need to change my diet or exercise program! The belly fat will melt off! The woman who was "lucky" enough to evaluate the product for her magazine wrote that she lost 10 pounds in two weeks! She was finally at 121 lbs! Her before picture, at an apparently "huge" 131 lbs, and after picture, 21 lbs later, were all the proof I needed. I grabbed my credit card and ordered my free trial. After all, I only needed to pay for the shipping and handling! A 30-day trial for both the appetite suppressant and the cleanse for only $10 shipping? Sign me up! I haven't even started the trial but I can already show you my before and after pictures. Ready?
Here they are...
Look at that sour expression! And I haven't even started the program! If ever there has been a gimmick to annoy me out of ever falling for a gimmick again, it's this one.
Let's review the fine print:
30-day free trial is actually only 14 days. If I don't cancel after 14 days (from ordering, not receiving) and return the unused portion, my credit card will be charged $80. A month. Until I cancel.
But wait! There's more! I get to also pay the shipping to return the product!
And as if that weren't enough, today I received my very! first! phone call! Oh joy! They just needed to confirm my shipping information, even though the products have already shipped! Oh, did I ignore the email about the free 21-day trial with live body coach?? Sure I'm not interested, but they'll go ahead and email later that I activated the program! Oh goody! I get to call and cancel that too before my card is charged another $20/month!
Even with all of that, I think the icing on the gimmick cake was when I told my little antidote to two of my coworkers, a kind of "Silly Julia" story. (Yes, I overshare at work. I don't learn THAT lesson either.) When I said I would have to return the product as soon as I received it, one of them commented, "Or you could still take the pills."
Oh, I am just as pleased as punch right now. I think I'll go for a run.
Here they are...
 |
| Before |
 |
| After |
Let's review the fine print:
30-day free trial is actually only 14 days. If I don't cancel after 14 days (from ordering, not receiving) and return the unused portion, my credit card will be charged $80. A month. Until I cancel.
But wait! There's more! I get to also pay the shipping to return the product!
And as if that weren't enough, today I received my very! first! phone call! Oh joy! They just needed to confirm my shipping information, even though the products have already shipped! Oh, did I ignore the email about the free 21-day trial with live body coach?? Sure I'm not interested, but they'll go ahead and email later that I activated the program! Oh goody! I get to call and cancel that too before my card is charged another $20/month!
Even with all of that, I think the icing on the gimmick cake was when I told my little antidote to two of my coworkers, a kind of "Silly Julia" story. (Yes, I overshare at work. I don't learn THAT lesson either.) When I said I would have to return the product as soon as I received it, one of them commented, "Or you could still take the pills."
 |
| After-after |
Oh, I am just as pleased as punch right now. I think I'll go for a run.
Tuesday
Homework
For the past two weeks I've been doing my homework. Now it's time to seriously commit to it. Not for glory, or accolades, or magic fix-its (to which yesterday's run can attest)...but to make it part of what I do. To make it a habit. To train with purpose. To achieve a goal. Then another goal. And another...
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