New Equipment

Did you know the right equipment really makes all the difference?

After my first 5k, my hips and knees hurt horribly!  I had been running for almost 4 months before the race and hadn't had a whole lot of trouble.  But for the majority of those 4 months, I had been running on a treadmill which has more "give" than pavement.  When I started running outside the week before the race (and the day of the race), my knees and hips were screaming!

I talked with a seasoned runner and he encouraged me to buy a good quality pair of shoes.  The pair I had been running in were my track shoes that I used in high school when I threw discus and shot put and (sometimes) ran the 400 yard relay.  It was high time for them to be replaced.

My friend told me about a great store for runners.  I went there and they fitted me for a pair of good shoes.  It was neat because they watched me walk/jog and paid attention to how my feet moved so they could recommend the best pair of shoes for me.  I tried on quite a few pairs before finding "the one"--the pair that didn't feel like I was wearing shoes, was comfortable, and fit just right!  (By the way, did you know that your running shoes should be about 1/2 a size larger than your street shoes so that when you run your toes don't hit the end and cause pain? I didn't!)

I have been wearing my new shoes for about a month now and running outside with them quite frequently.  The best part?  No pain!

On another note, I've been wanting an exercise ball for a long time.  It really helps my back when I lay on it and stretch out.  I've also heard that sitting on the ball while watching tv (or reading blogs on my laptop!) is a good way to build up core strength.  So when I saw this ball at Aldi for just $5.99, I snatched it up!  I've used it quite a bit and I'm loving it!

New Shoes :)

Remember this dress? My aunt surprised me with it when I was in Ohio over spring break. Well, you can't wear flip flops (my usual spring/summer footwear) with this kind of dress!











I had to get some other things yesterday, so I decided to go shopping after school.










It doesn't hurt to look, so I thought I'd just go to Target and see if they had any cute shoes. I found these!








They were on sale for a really good price. And they look good with my dress. And I can wear them with lots of my other clothes!!!








"Cinderella is living proof that a pair of shoes can change your life."
I always thought that quote was cute :)