I WENT SHOPPING!

I am such a product whore.  It's a problem, really.  Show me a shiny new toy and I'm all over it.  So of course, on my day off, I'd convinced myself that I needed new shoes and headed over to my local running store, RoadRunner Running Store.  I had started out in Nike Triax 14s and decided that I needed more cushion on longer runs since I had reached more substantial mileage.  I made the mistake of buying the Asics GEL-Nimbus 13 from Dick's, right off the rack.  They felt great on my feet but hey!  Surprise, I'm not a neutral runner.  The Nike Triax 14s that the kind folks at RoadRunner had originally put me in were given to me for a reason.  Whoops.

I had my eye on the Asics GEL-Kayano 18s because my running "coach" (aka mentor, awesome dude) had mentioned that Asics were awesome, and this model was a stability shoe.  RoadRunner had this model and I tried them on -- LOVE!  The only color they had was white, and I'm really hard on white shoes; at $150 a pop, I'd like them to be looking lovely for more than an hour.  So they offered to order me the color I had requested -- see below!!

Ok, these shoes are so rad.  I mean -- hello, they have HOT PINK parts on them!  And the dark silvery grey is really nice too, it'll withstand lots of dust and dirt.  Here's another glamour shot:

I took them out for a spin today; 2 miles was all I could manage after my debacle over the last couple of days (screaming, tight calves, blah blah -- sad story).  These shoes are really amazing; they provide the stability that my grandma legs need along with superb cushioning.  They are flashy and comfortable -- woo!!

I also picked up some other goodies while I was shopping, including some Asics socks and The Range Roller -- a cousin to the ever-popular The Stick.  I asked the dudes at the store which they preferred, and they said The Range Roller was better because of the little extra bumpy parts (the black rings stick out a bit farther).  And they had one in pink!!

After my run today I immediately took The Range Roller to my tired calves and quads.  It was really awesome -- I've tried The Stick as well, and I think I prefer this model.  The little extra bumps really "get in there" and make it an effective form of therapy.  It hurt like crap, but it needed to be done.  I hadn't been stretching properly and paying attention to my muscle fatigue, so I think that's what got me into this 2-miles-is-all-I-can-manage boat in the first place.  Safety first!

And just for giggles, here's a photo of my current shoe rotation.  I have another pair of the Nike Triax 14s in white, but they look old and sad so here's the pink version.  I added the laces with the stars.  Of course!  L to R: Nike Triax 14, Asics GEL-Kayano 18, Asics GEL-Nimbus 13 (reserved for short runs).

Happy running!