To Minimal or To Not Minimal?

That is the question I have asked myself several times in the past year or so.

The craze of minimalist running has hit the market hard. Of course, not everyone has jumped on board...but a lot of people have and let me tell ya, the people who are on that wagon, LOVE IT.

Battling through pain and injuries and shoe issues the past 6 months or so really pushed any thought of running in this type of shoe into the very back of my mind. And of course, being a newer runner, I err on the side of caution when the idea of switching things up crosses my mind. I'm still learning what works, what doesn't and how my body responds to change.

It would have been a very bad idea to try something new with what I had been dealing with earlier this year. But I'm healthy now (cross your fingers and toes please) and I've been toying with the idea. I think now that I have a solid base of running and am more in tune with my body....I can take the plunge. But honestly, who the heck could I trust to give me good information, a good shoe and some insight as a runner and not just a "salesperson"?

Enter Nathan of Tortoise & Hare Sports

Owners, Nathan and Rebecca

I had been anticipating the opening of his store for a few months and he finally got it up and running, and let me tell ya, he didn't disappoint.

I dragged Wade over there the other weekend to get some insight and an honest opinion from someone I trust and I think I got more than an just opinion....I got an education. Nathan is soft spoken, calm and immediately put me at ease while I asked question after question. He never made me feel stupid, or made me feel like he was just answering a question to hear himself talk as I have experienced in the past with running shoe shopping.

His store is modern, simple and minimalist...just like his outlook on running and shoes. He has a single treadmill and uses his iPad and a very hightech software program to analyze form, gait, and a bunch of other stuff I can't speak intelligently about. (big surprise) The store doesn't have a lot of frills or extra product floating around. He was clearly thoughtful in his selection of shoes, clothing and accessories....and I like that.

Brands I noticed and liked: Brooks (duh), Oiselle, Picky Bars, Lole (I HAVE to own the Run-up shorts someday), Garmin and many others new and old to me.

The product wall are looking much "beefier" these days.

He gave me 3 pairs to try and naturally I went for the Brooks PureCadence. Lightweight, yet offers support for someone like me who needs it.

From the Brooks Website:

"Lean construction fuses with a responsive fit in the PureCadence. For Guidance to Support runners, this shoe delivers more support through smart, streamlined features such as a wider Nav Band that’s locked in to the medial strike pod. A reinforced heel counter secures the foot and the internal PDRB helps prevent overpronation. The PureCadence gives runners who need more stability the chance to experience the feel of a natural foot strike with a lightweight, breathable shoe.

Just like our core line, we hold PureProject to the industry’s highest weartest and durability standards. Because of their lightweight construction and fewer materials, runners should generally expect shoes from the PureProject line to last approximately 250-300 miles".

I will be taking it slow and starting out with mini runs of about 1 mile and slowing building up...I'll post after my first run in them which will likely be tomorrow morning! I'm also looking forward to attending my first Good Form Running Class this weekend (Saturday) that will be taught by Olympian and Good Form Running guru, Grant Robison.

Any Phoenix friends are welcome to join me!

As you might have seen, my shiny new shoes arrived last week and I have to admit that I'm a lil nervous to try these. But very excited.


Here's to me not tripping, falling, or hurting myself.

Whoops.

In an attempt to soften the blow of my damage, I indulged Wade in his first LuluMan running tank. I think it worked, he wasn't even mad. 

God I'm brilliant.

A 5k & Fishin'

Happy Tuesday! Hope everyone enjoyed the Holiday Weekend....I only worked a teeny bit.

Sooooo...the 5k. Let's back up to my post about running a 5k and back up to Wednesday where I got the scoop on how this actual race works. I was at my board meeting for the Arizona Road Racers (we host the race) and during a conversation a few of the guys made it clear that this race was "not a race to PR". Apparently, the start is quite unique and quite odd. It's a wave start based on the previous years average age group pace...slowest group starting first and releasing age groups in waves every 30 seconds.

2 words. Cluster. Fuc*.

My age group (25-29) wasn't too far back, so I only spent 75% of the race stuck behind random 11 years olds (stop, start, stop, start) and 58 year old women (hi, we jog 4 people wide and don't move to let people through) so ya, I spent lots of time running around people, and being annoyed. But that's OK...after my warning on Wednesday night, I was fully prepared to not PR. Luckily I still did, but barely....and it wasn't a time I was really excited about. Unfortunately, one of our timing mats had an issue, so I'm not really sure what my time was. All good though. I have another in 2 weeks.

And no...I didn't take any pics...between getting there SUPER early to help with registration and making a mad dash to the bathrooms to start on time, I forgot. Bad blogger.

We made a mad dash home, showered and packed up the truck and our critters to head up North to the cabin for the rest of the weekend. The weather was finally perfect (warm and sunny and cold at night) and we spent the rest of the weekend cooking, lounging, painting, walking and fishing. It was perfect.

End of story. 

Shoe Love - Part 2

Of the running kind.

I think I'm in love.

I may not be fast, but I look cute being slow. More on these bad boys later.