Long Term Committment

Most runners are obsessed with their shoes. Drop into any running message board and you will see endless threads comparing different brands and models. My pal Linda and I have email streams that go on for days about shoes - and we wear the same model.

There seem to be two camps with running shoes. Some people find a model they like and buy that model until they can't get it anymore - some of them won't even buy the newest edition. The other camp seems to jump around and trying to find the newest thing.

I am definitely in the first camp. I wear a Mizuno Wave Rider 17 and I am semi obsessed with them. My first running shoes were the Wave Rider 15 (wait this isn't true I had a pair of Brooks that were stability shoes which I shouldn't be wearing that I wore first but the Wave Riders were my first shoes that made me feel like a runner) which is a shoe model you will find so much hate for on the internet it will make you worry about people. People were ANGRY about that shoe. But since it was my first pair of properly fit shoes I adored them and eagerly upgraded to the 16. The 16 is the shoe that changed everything about running for me. They were lighter and fit me perfectly. I never had any joint pain. I was semi heartbroken when after my pregnancy it became clear I had too many miles on them. So my gift to myself after six weeks of running again was an upgrade.

The 17s are so different from the 16s it is hard to explain. They are stiffer but also so much lighter it is hard to believe. When I bought my 16s they were perfect from the beginning, no break in period at all. But it has taken me about forty miles to get my 17s just right. Now they mold to my foot and they have great grip on the road. If you don't have a shoe that you love this way get thee to a running store (I love Road Runner) and get fitted. Take your time, run in the shoes and purchase them somewhere that will let you have a few workouts with them before you committ. With luck you will find the shoes that you will buy for years to come.

This morning I did a speed workout at the gym before work. I did a progression on the treadmill for 2.5 miles, just gradually increasing the speed until it was a hard charge for the last two minutes. The best shoes fade into the run and you hardly notice them and these have become this for me.

But I admit I kind of want to stockpile a bunch of 16s.

2.5 miles this morning on progression, hopefully a HITT workout tomorrow. Maybe something easy at the gym for Thursday. Trying to work my way back to a heavier mileage before starting training.