Am I hooked?

This post should have been for Sunday, but with work....and life...that was not going to happen. I hate that.

Anywho~

Sunday was my long run. (I'm ecstatic that I can finally say "long run". That in itself, feels good.) It was 8 lovely miles. I ran the same route as last weekend, only this time, it was less than what was needed & had to run 1/2 mile around my neighborhood (past my house) to finish. But....I finished! The only time I walked was to have some gel stuff. My choice was Cliff gel in Mocha. It was better than the tangerine PowerGel crap I tried last weekend that made me gag after 2 bites (sips? swallows?). It worked! No stomach issues, and it carried me through the second half.

Needless to say...I may be hooked finally.

You take away the pain (the last 2 miles I thought my legs would give out), the injuries (I had massive knee pain & a bleeding toe), the neuisance abrasions (think hickies from my ipod, my bra, my garmin, etc), and the fact that I think running makes me gain weight and you've got me hooked.

Also, I think I have to retire my first pair of running shoes. They're about 3 years old, but I've only been running on them for about 1 1/2, and not many miles at that. But, I think all my walking around in them & working out in them have worn them down. I'll let you know at the end of the week if that's what I decide to do.

Shoes make all the difference!

People say that accessories make the outfit. However, I disagree. Shoes make the outfit!



I am coming out of the closet. I am a shoe whore. It's no wonder that the Coastie and I have a deal that for every new pair of shoe I buy, I have to get rid of 2. He's trying to dwindle down the number of pairs that I have. I think he may resent the fact that my shoes tend to breed like rabbits and are rapidly taking over his side of the closet. My thought is that it serves him right for taking 50% of the closet for himself. I mean, really...do you have that many clothes? Unfortunately, he does. I think he's secretly a clothes whore, but that's my opinion. Who cares if 1/2 his clothes are government issue & navy blue. Should have thought of that before you signed your life away!



I am currently sitting at my desk with my newest pair of shoes. Shiny black flats. I bought them for comfort (joke's on me) and for the pants that I own that are a tad short. (I have come to realize that I am not considered petite when it comes to pants....5'3" and I'm too tall for them). I had to put band-aids on to get them to stop hurting this morning, but nothing was going to stop me from wearing them.



But, shoes have the ability to make you feel beautiful, flirty, fun....invincible. For example, my leopard print stilettos. I wear those, and I feel edgy. I feel trendy. No one is going to make me feel bad about myself when I have those suckers on!



However, I had a realization yesterday at the gym about how great a pair of shoes can make you feel. I was in the locker room changing...guys, get your mind out of the gutter, women's locker rooms are not that great...and I started to lace up my running shoes for my easy 3-miler (it was going to rain, hence the treadmill) and I looked down and realized I was in love....with my running shoes.



My Brooks Defyances are a beautiful shade of blue. The color reminds me of the clearest blue sky you could imagine on a slightly cool spring day. Continuing to lace them up, I realized that these shoes are my favorite. I use them solely for treadmills right now, as I have their predecessors as my outdoor shoes. These shoes are the ones that make me feel invincible. I'm not a fast runner, nor a long distance runner (yet), but with these shoes on, I feel that doesn't matter...I'm a runner. These shoes can take me beyond what I thought my limits were. They take me past the pain, past the tiredness, and to a place of euphoria....a place where I feel like I could run forever. These babies are truly amazing

Shoes....make all the difference!