6 miles....almost.

I have had a few problems with the last couple of pairs of running shoes I've bought- one pair rubbed my arch and gave me problems, and another pair gave me blisters when I ran more than 6 miles. I haven't been fitted for running shoes since about 2008, and between then and now, I've lost a bunch of weight and really increased my weekly mileage, so I decided to start from scratch and get analyzed.

I found out that I've been running in a stability shoe to correct pronation, when I actually don't pronate at all. From what I've read, I think this is pretty common after weight loss, since bodies will change how they distribute the weight when there is less to carry, so I should have probably done that earlier, but I'm glad I know this now! I tried a few pairs and was amazed at how much more comfortable they were, but I'm always nervous in the running store because I feel like I might pick the wrong one. After many laps around the fitting area, I decided on Mizuno Wave Sayonara, not just because they are cute (which they are) but also because they seem to mold right to the shape of my foot. Most shoes I've worn in the past feel a tiny bit loose on the sides, which is typically where I get blisters, so I thought this might help.

I had a super crazy week at work, so I didn't get to try them out until four days later. I decided to run 6 miles at Liberty Park- since it's a loop, I could run it a couple times to get my distance, plus it has a water fountain and if the new shoes killed my feet, I had a way out. I was really excited, since I hadn't run in awhile and have been doing shorter distances after my eye surgery, and thought it was going to be an awesome run.

So, it wasn't.

Every step felt like a mile, and I could barely get through 5 miles before throwing in the towel. My feet felt awesome, so that definitely wasn't the problem, but I felt sluggish and heavy the entire time. It was really tough and frustrating.

Runs like this make the good runs so worthwhile. The day before I had my eye surgery, I had gone to the gym to run 3.5 on a day that it was about 100 degrees outside. I wasn't really looking forward to it, but as soon as I stepped onto the treadmill, everything clicked. My playlist was perfect, I kept my speed, and I felt great the entire time. I actually went 4.5 and didn't even realize it. Those days are the best, but some runs aren't going to be like that. I get that, and am grateful for the ones that are easy and fun.