Tag: shoes

A Few of my Favorite Things

Jumping on the bandwagon here! And multitasking for the win. 😃 If you’re reading this on a computer, you may have noticed a menu item called “Goals and Gears” up there to the left? No? Well, that’s good then as I forgot all about it and hadn’t updated it in about a year. Ooof, it was rough. As I was working on updating it, I realized it could be tied in with the holiday season. 🎁 Gift guides are the all rage right now so why not join in? And if you’re looking for more details on my favorite things, check out my new page- The Slacker Runs With.

As runners we can all list things we would like to have, things we want, things we desperately need, etc. I like learning what other runners love though, what is their tried and true and keeps them running everyday? There must be a reason right? So before we get to the wants, how about-

A few of my favorite things-

Shoes– Can’t run without those!

Brooks Pure Flow 4 – current fave with no aches or pains
Mizuno Wave Hayate- For those times I want to hit the trails.

Socks– Did you know some people run without socks? How does that even work?

I love my Pro Compression socks. I’ve always been a bright and funky sock person and rock knee socks on a regular basis so these were just a match made in heaven. Compression, knee high and awesome patterns? Sold!

Skirts– I never thought I would run in a skirt but I gave it a shot and they rock. My favorites are both by Lululemon – Pace Rival II and Pleat to Street. I thought the pleats would drive me batty but then I discovered that there are 5 pockets. 5! I also love their Speed shorts for training.

marathonfotobugsur — Lulu, PRO Compression, Sunski’s Fitletic all in one shot!

Belt– Fitletic I’ve owned 3 of these belts. I’ve tried many others but I always come back to to Fitletic. I hate bounce and wear my belt super low (like butt lift low- I got that comment at a race once) and this works great. It fits everything I need and I can attach my pepper spray to it as well.

Hydration–

For most runs, I grab whatever water bottle is nearest to me but for races I carry my own sports drink in an Ultimate Direction Jenny Handy 10oz. I tend to over hydrate in races so this smaller size works for me. For hikes and trail runs, I have a Nathan Fire Catcher. I don’t have a bladder for it, I just rely on the 2 10oz bottles in the front.

As for that sports drink- I love Skratch Labs. I love the orange hydration mix. Yum. 🙂 Plus it’s fun to say. For some reason my mother finds it hilarious when I say I am out of Skratch.

Watch– Garmin Forerunner 220. I love numbers and everything it tracks. Truthfully it probably tracks way more than I know. I wish they still made real user manuals. Am I showing my age here?

Sunglasses– Sunskis I have really poor eyesight and issues handling too much brightness so shades are a must. I also tend to destroy sunglasses very quickly. I love Sunski’s. Polarized, very affordable and cool looking too? Score! And both pairs lasted at least a year. Win in my book!

Security–

Road ID– I don’t carry my ID when I run. I misplace my debit card all the time, my license would probably run away just as quick. This bracelet has my name, 2 emergency contacts and any medical alerts I might need them to know. Stylish and smart all at the same time.

Pepper spray– Always be prepared. You never know what you may run into. They even make stylish colors now. 😊

Other ideas- Wants-

A new PR– but we can only give that to ourselves, right?

Race entries– We love our bling but those shiny medals cost a pretty penny- anything helps. 😝

Awesome running shirts– In the last year, I’ve come to love shirts with sayings on them- inspirational and funny alike. The internet is full of them. My favorite? Check out Pavement Runner and the #WeRunSocial gear.

Once again, all my favorite things in one pic plus #WeRunSocial

Shoes!!!!– runners are picky- gift cards are awesome if you aren’t sure what their favorite.

Music– the right music can be a big part of running- help them add to their collection.

Go for a run with them!

and here’s an oldie from 2013 for you!

Santa Sweetie

What are your favorites?

What did I miss?

*I am not sponsored or compensated for any of the above. Hell, the companies don’t even know I exist. 😏

Adios August

Goodbye August, don’t let the door hit you on the way out. Well, actually, on second thought…😝😃

I started August with such high hopes but unfortunately it seemed like life had other plans. Between work stress, getting sick, crazy heat and humidity, headaches, crazy drivers and car accidents, I was so happy to see August end. To add insult to injury I have some crazy, creepy bug bite. I felt something sting after my good interval workout last week. It just felt like I scratched myself so I ignored it. Come to find a huge red lump below my ear on Friday. It was so creepy that my coworkers are helping me keep an eye on it. I can’t see it really well and cannot seem to get a picture of it either, so they and my mom have been super helpful. It’s still a lump today. So long August!

But let’s get to the numbers-Not what I was hoping for but at least I am going back up in miles. Even if it’s a tiny bump (half a mile), it’s still up. I deliberately took the month off from racing as I was feeling achy and tired. I was having some leg/foot/shoe problems that I needed to figure out as well. Which led to buying new shoes. So far I am really liking the Pure Flows. My only concern right now is I am wondering how long they will last. I am afraid that what makes them so comfortable will not last long. Only time will tell. 😃

This look back made me notice some things. While my running was pretty consistent at 3x a week, my actual workouts were hit and miss. I thought I had done better than that. I never ran farther than 7.3 miles. Which if this was a non training period would be fine. However, I am training for a goal half marathon, followed a month later by another half and a week later by a 25K. This was not the month I needed. I have been doing some serious thinking about that goal half but have yet to come to a conclusion. Between the heat this month and my stupid stomach, I try to not even look at my splits. Looking for a positive spin, maybe I am base building for 2016?

So hello September. As much as I am looking forward to September, I have some serious scheduling issues. Every single weekend is booked. Between a work weekend, race weekends and Avocado Margarita Festival ~~conscription~~ volunteering, I have no idea how I will get my long runs. Well I do. Get out of my own way and get up early. But can this Slacker do that? Combine those weekends with my boss going on vacation for 2.5 weeks, which means I can’t even leave the building, and September will be busy. Can someone set up a Diet Coke delivery? 😄 My planner looks a little scary. I am trying to only look at 2 days at a time, 2 days is manageable and lets me breath. All that chaos aside, I am still looking forward to September. In denial that the year is 2/3 over but still looking forward to September.

Starting with this weekend- first booked weekend- 5k! But I have Monday and Tuesday off!!! Monday is Labor Day and I told my boss I needed a mental health day before she left so I asked for Tuesday off. 😉 I also haven’t raced a 5K since July 2014 so this could be a train wreck, we shall see.

How does your September look?

Any plans this weekend? Anyone racing?

Should #getoutofmyownway be my new motto?

I’m Cheating

So, is it possible to run yourself out of shoes? And I don’t mean by putting too many miles on them.

When I first started running, I ran in Brooks. A pair usually lasted me a year. I was also barely doing 200 miles a year but that’s another story. The shoes weren’t bad but I didn’t love them either. I had a bad case of shin splints that would come and go as well. After a few pairs of Brooks- Ravenna, I think- I switched to Mizuno. Instant convert. I loved my first pair of Wave Inspire 9’s. I put over 500 miles on them. I replaced them with another pair of Inspire 9’s. Loved those too, until I didn’t.

I started feeling aches in my feet and achillles. My 10K PR was set at 55:40 and I still don’t know how. My left achilles hurt so bad throughout the race I came to a complete stop at one point to stretch it out. And then there were the walk breaks. I took a week off after that race and started looking at my shoes. I had also been running in a pair of Wave Rider 17’s for my shorter runs and I felt better in those. But they were neutral and I was supposed to be in support shoes, so back to the store I went. They suggested a high cushion shoe to cure the aches and pains. So hello, Brooks Adrenaline 14. Holy crap, those were bricks. Plus the right one was way too big and even shoe-doo’ing the laces didn’t help. It was the first time I ever returned a pair of shoes. I felt really bad about it- I tried to like them, I did- put about 100 miles on them but just couldn’t. Back to the store again. Another treadmill test showed I pronate the same in support shoes versus a neutral shoe so what was the point? The employee helping me suggested I run in what was comfortable to me and not what “anyone” recommended. Glory days! I switched to running in the Wave Rider’s full time and it was smooth sailing from there on. Over the next year I picked up a pair of Wave Hayate’s for trail running and Wave Sayonara 2’s for shorter, faster runs. Things were awesome…until they weren’t.

Now, I admit I have odd feet. The left is bigger than the right, one arch is high and one is medium. Oh, did I mention they change size? Legitimately change size, I have had them measured more than once each time I felt like they had grown or shrunk. The shoes in my closet range from 8-10. Some of them collect dust depending on what shoe cycle I am on. Those Hayate’s and Sayonara’s that I love? Too big now. When I run trails, I wear multiple socks. And my much loved Rider’s? They’re not right anymore. Something’s off.

4 pairs in and they make my legs hurt. My knee aches, my shins and calves are tight, my ankles hurt. I tried going back to supportive shoes and tried the Wave Inspire 11. Yuck. That was the second time I’ve returned a pair of shoes. Sorry! So I bought the updated Wave Rider 18. What the hell. They are awkward and make my left foot hurt and ache in odd spots. I’ve tried reworking the laces but no luck. If I wasn’t embarrassed I may have returned them too. 😂 So back to the drawing board.

Everything feels like a lot of shoe these days. I was kind of embarrassed to go back to the Running Warehouse with my current issues. I wanted to try things on but not have to bother anyone. So I headed to Dick’s. I tried on every shoe in my size that I could reach and put away on my own. I made sure I didn’t leave behind a mess. The only things I didn’t try on were Hoka and Nike. I’ve never liked a Nike pair of running shoes and as for Hoka? I have troubles picking my feet up as it is, let alone with that much shoe. There were 2 options that felt good to me but I was still undecided. I felt like I was cheating on my running shoes. The shoes I liked were entirelydifferent than what I have been running in. Decisions, decisions.

To help my choice, I ran a few runs in my Sayonara’s. Too big yes, but overall so much better than my current shoes. Before last Thursday’s run turned creepy I was experimenting with my shoes. I ran 2 laps of the lake in the Sayonara’s and 2 in my Wave Rider’s. I was going to change back to the Sayonara’s for one last lap but then creepy truck happened. Grrr.

Saturday I headed back to the Running Warehouse to make a decision. I asked for 3 pairs of shoes. Mizuno Sayonara 3, Brooks Pure Cadence 4 and Brooks Pure Flow 4. The Sayanora 2’s have been phased out and while the 3’s were awesome colors, I didn’t like how they felt on my fit. To me they look and feel like an entirely different shoe. Closer to the Rider 18’s actually but they felt wrong on my foot. The Brooks Pure line is entirely different than anything I have run in. I tried them on years ago and hated them. This time they made the arch on my left foot happy. One pair more so than the other. So I left with a pair of Pure Flows. What have I done?! 8 pairs of Mizuno and I left with Brooks.I am breaking them in slowly but so far I like them. I am running differently in them but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. My shins are achy but that’s happened every time I’ve switched shoes so I am not alarmed at the moment. And my left leg joined the party!! I’ve mentioned before that my left leg is lazy and usually the source of my problems. I went for a short run on Monday and it was like my leg woke up. Hey, where have you been this whole time?! So now the problem is long runs. I don’t feel adjusted to the Pure Flow’s enough to run long in them but my Rider’s make my knee hurt. I’m trying to figure out how to change my shoes at some point during the run. Hmmm. Laps of the lake would work but I don’t want to go back for a few weeks.

So, thoughts?

Have you ever just stopped liking a shoe?

Am I the only one with odd feet? 😃

Thoughts on how I should attempt long runs?

Week 9 Recap

Hmmmm, let’s just call this a step back week?

Monday- Rest

Actually I had a Harvest Marathon meeting, so a rest day worked out perfectly. Plus it was Monday and I don’t seem to run well on Mondays’. I was late getting to the meeting so I felt like a total slacker. It’s just hard when work runs late and then I still have the commute.

Tuesday- 3.74 Miles

The less than great run. That being said, I think my post about it came across more negative than I had wanted. Yes, the run was rough but overall it wasn’t that bad and I was glad I didn’t bail because of all of my gear/ shoe issues. Maybe that’s why non runners think runners are crazy- I cried but I still call it a decent run. 😉

Wednesday- Rest

I remember!! Tuesday’s stomach issues doubled and I felt the beginning of a migraine coming on so rest day. I headed to Target for some small things and headed straight home for the comfy chair.

Thursday- 5 Miles- Creeptastic run

Not only was my headache still around, I was exhausted. Stupid hormones. Any how, I headed to the lake after work hoping for 6 miles but resigned to 4. I honestly didn’t think I had more in me even with keeping an easy pace. However once I got running I felt pretty good even with the headache and thought I could run a 10k. Then things got weird.

You know when you feel like something is looming over your shoulder? I got that feeling as I hit the backside of the lake just before mile 4. I looked over my right shoulder and there was a truck driving half in the dirt and half on the street super slowly. My first thought is that they wanted to pull over and park and I was in their way. So I sped up. So did the truck. Ummm? I slowed down again, so did the truck. This went on for 1/2 a mile. I came to a complete stop and tried to get a better look at it. It pulled behind some trees. Enough. Run done. I got my ass back to the parking lot as fast as possible while looking for the truck behind me. As an extra caution, I ran to the playground and waited there for a while just to make sure it didn’t follow me to my car. Cue the Slacker PSA– Maybe I overreacted, maybe I didn’t. As much as I love the running community and all people I cross paths with while running, I am out there running by myself. Hence rule #1- Be Paranoid. If something seems off, trust your gut. Don’t continue assuming that everything’s ok or that you’re tough enough to handle whatever comes your way. That may be true but toughness should be a last resort- cut your run short or change your route. Don’t be stubborn, you can get the miles in on another day. End PSA.

Friday- Rest

I fell prey to a cookie around 9:30 but that ended up working in my favor. I started work at 7:30 but didn’t get to lunch until after 3:00. I credit that cookie with getting me through the chaos that was Friday. 😆

Saturday- 4 Mile walk

I went to SLO for 2 intentional purchases but ended up spending more money than planned. One stop was the Running Warehouse but more on that next post. Victoria’s Secret had sports bras for $35 so I had to go check that out- those things are expensive! But kind of useful for running. 😝 Those were the planned purchases. What was not planned? At least it hadn’t been a fully formed thought-

So that happened. I was in the best running shape when I rode the stationary bike 4x a week. Ever since mine died, I have never followed through with going to the gym. Now I have to follow through. Yes, recumbent is lazy but my stomach and side appreciate it. Now if it would just get here.

Finished the evening with a 4 mile walk, testing out some new gear. More on that later, too.

Sunday- 4.5 miles

Long run fail. I had planned for 8-9 miles but woke with a gnarly headache again. I think it was part hormonal and part sinus- I’ve had some allergy issues lately. I blame the humidity, that’s my scapegoat these days. Sunday family dinner wasn’t happening so I decided sleep a little more and get the run in the evening when it was cooler. Then things changed. Not only was Sunday dinner happening but it was at a restaurant. Well damn, now I couldn’t even show up sweaty. I headed out in the heat of the afternoon and pulled off a slow 4.5 miles. My head was not too impressed with that decision. I was hoping I could out run the migraine. Not so much. It did ease a bit though by the time we headed to dinner (steak and veggies for me).

All in all, not a horrible training week. No speed work thanks to my stomach but I kept my weekly mileage consistent. Low but consistent. It’s the little things right?

Paleo Week 1- C

Last week was also my first week changing things up. Breakfasts and lunches were on point, dinner was atrocious. I ate out every single week night last week. I didn’t even do it on purpose, it just kind of happened. Tuesday pizza was supposed to be the only night eating out. Bad!! I also ate a little bag of Lay’s one day. Last week might not have been the best week to start paleo. I tend to want to eat everything that week of the month. So I guess in some respect it was a win because I didn’t go crazy on the snacks. Also something in my lunch veggies- spinach, romaine, cabbage slaw, celery and carrots pissed off my stomach every day. It couldn’t have been the spinach or cabbage slaw because those have been staples of my lunch for months. So I swapped a few things this week and we’ll see how I do. I meal prepped for the week on Sunday again. It’s like Tetris getting all the containers into my lunch bag on Monday morning. 😃

Goals for this week are to get in the miles. Definitely a long run and hopefully my side will accommodate some speed work. Another goal is to only eat out 2x for dinner. Last week was just ridiculous.

How was your week?

Ever had a potentially creepy situation on a run? What did you do?

How often do you eat out?

May Miles

And just like that, May is moving on. In one way I am not ready for the year to be halfway over (almost) but I am ready for June. A new month and a clean slate. 🙂 So without further ado, here’s May-

Miles- 53.7

Races- Bands on the Run 10K

My SmashRun tells me that I ran 12 days and rested on 19. Hmm, a little uneven. So May was not my best month but I’ve already alluded to that on numerous posts so let’s just move on. 🙂 I made it out for 3 runs last week, so I am holding consistent there at least. Wednesday was a bit sad and I only ran 2.25 miles. My stomach was a big butt head at the beginning of last week so I got a late start. I wasted a perfectly good non work day on Monday by not running. I love running on holidays but I just wasn’t up to it. Thursday, I got out for a decent 4 miles followed by a .6 mile cool down. While the pace was decent, it felt hard. That could have been partly due the temperature warm up we had late this week. While the mid 70’s felt awesome, it’s been over a month since I ran in those temps. But I was so glad to warm, I didn’t even mind that it felt hard. 🙂Then Saturday’s run was in the mid 80’s. It started as a slow run, turned into a jog and then became a walk. I had planned on doing the usual run/ walk I sometimes do with my mother but 2.5 miles in I was just walking with her. It was warm and my left leg was feeling off so I decided that walking was just fine. Truthfully, my left foot and leg have felt a little off since I tried to break in those Inspires. Hmmm, I am telling myself that it is mostly in my head and just to take it easy. I still have 2 weeks before I start training for my fall half’s, so this is the best time to figure out what is making it cranky.

I feel like I should have run more on Saturday as I ate way too much movie popcorn that night. We went and saw San Andreas. I admit that I have an odd fascination for earthquakes. One of my favorite subjects in college was Geology and I briefly considered taking it further. The movie was essentially a Syfy movie but since it had the Rock, it made it to the big screen. I thought it was pretty good. My mom and S laughed multiple times throughout it though. I have to admit it got a little surreal when we decided to walk across the park after the movie to get some frozen yogurt. Part of downtown was leveled by an earthquake 12 years ago and seeing the new buildings after the leaving the movie brought a lot of that back. The town suffered heavy damage and loss and it took a long time to rebuild. It brought reality back into some of the far fetched scenes in the movie.

I planned on getting in a few miles today but ended up taking a nap instead. I really got to stop doing that! 🙂 But I did do a bit of unplanned shopping and picked up some new shirts to run in. I’ve started running in my Lululemon shorts and they are a little more form-fitting than my other stuff. Apparently I feel the need to compensate with looser shirts. 🙂 Plus, I’ve worn the same shirt just in various colors for the past 2 years, it’s time to branch out. Just like I decided that saving the Lulu for a special day was kind of silly, they are super comfy.

So, onto June and getting back on track! I already know I am not running tomorrow but I am doing something running related. But more on that later. 🙂 Oh and in May I was nominated for the One Lovely Blog Award by MostlyHealthyLiving so that will be my next post. 🙂 Thank you! You should go check her out!

How was your May? Goals for June?

Shirts with words/ sayings- yay or nay?

What movie are you looking forward to?