February 29, 2012

Delivery for Miss. Tippenhauer

Today has been a busy day for me, but fun, nevertheless.  My day started off by going to an elementary school.  An assignment I am working on requires us to analyze a student's reading .  It is really challenging, but it's really important to know how to do it because I know I will have to do it in the future! And...I may or may not find it really fun, which is a bonus ;)

After I left the school this afternoon I stopped at Peninsula Runners to try on new running shoes.  I have had my last pair of shoes since June and they have a lot of kilometres on them.  It was time for a new pair, especially since my knees were starting to bother me (as soon as this happens, I know it is time for a new pair).

So now I am going to write my first even running post! I knew it would happen sooner or later but wasn't sure when.  Today seems to be a great day to start, since I have something to talk about.  New shoes.  As I'm sure those of you who have read my blog before have realized that I absolutely love running.  I have been a runner since I was about 16 years old.  I was always pretty active with sports growing up, playing volleyball, basketball, softball and karate but I was never a runner.  My mom was the reason I started running and she didn't even realize it.  She was training for a half marathon at the time and I became very interested in it.  I started running little by little and before I knew it I had signed up for a half marathon training program.  I trained for about 3 months before my first half marathon in March of 2004/5? and the rest is history....

I have been running ever since, on and off of course... because it is nearly impossible to keep up an intensive training schedule during your off season.  That's because you have to keep up running around 22 km for your long runs (for half marathon training). During training this doesn't seem THAT far (even though it really is...).  The last half marathon I ran was in October 2011 in Victoria.  I kept up my half marathon training until the following May because I was training for another half marathon at that time, however, I was just starting a new job and didn't really have the time run the actual race.  Now that I think back to this, I think this was just an excuse.  I know I was more than ready to run the race and would probably have made a PB (personal best) but maybe I was just too nervous.  I definitely get nervous when it comes to racing...not so much about racing against other people but more so about racing against and beating myself.  You have one day to prove all of your hard work has paid off.  After you put in so much work, the last person you want to let down is yourself.  This is can a lot of pressure, for me anyways.

Back to the shoes...I have been wearing Mizuno and Asics shoes since I started running...and it wasn't until TODAY that I switched the brand and style of shoe.


In comes the Soucony Progrid Mirage 2. And no, I am definitely not one of those girls who hides their shoe size...because...well...I really don't care ;) They are just feet!


I'm not one to be totally drawn to really nice looking running shoes...but these ones are quite nice, which is always a bonus ;)  These shoes are completely different from every shoe I have worn in the past.
They are a neutral, minimalist shoe, which means they don't have a lot of cushioning or arch support and they fit snuggly to your foot, which I love.




You will notice on the Saucony shoe that the sole between the forefoot and heal is a lot lower than my older shoe, which you can see below.  Also, on the heel, there isn't as much cushioning.

No, that is not poop. It's mud :)
The Asics gel 1150's have more room for the forefoot and toes, which is one thing that I really loved about them.


Besides the obvious difference (one looks new the other...well...not so much) you can now see what I mean about the forefoot area being smaller on the saucony.


And here you can see that there is a lot more cushioning on the Asics shoe, especially in the heel and the arch.  It's funny that I've been wearing a mild stability shoe even though I don't really need it.  I don't have an overly high arch and I don't overpronate, which is what a stability shoe is intended for.


It is going to be interesting to see how the neutral shoe works for me.  This shoe is intended as a training shoe but I am going to use it for all purpose running aka road, trail and treadmill running.  We'll see how that goes.  It is light weight, as I have already mentioned, which makes it feel more like you are running the way you would barefoot.  This is actually a transition shoe for those who are looking to more into barefoot running.  I'm not trying to do this, but I have been interested in trying a more light weight shoe for a while.  I went on a short 6 km run today in the trails (which is why they are already dirty :( ) to test them out.  They felt a little different, which I expected, but it was a good different.  I'm excited to try them on the pavement and the treadmill (bleh) to see how they work out.  I have high hopes for these babies!  I will keep you all posted!

I also bought a pair of running socks.  These are extremely soft and comfortable, which most running socks are.  


I got a black pair, but I just thought you could really see what they look like in pink.  You probably notice the heel flap.  This is a really nice feature because they will never slip down your foot, which means you won't get a blister! SCORE!

Okay, so enough of my blabbing about running and shoes...now onto the next best thing that happened to me today! I went to pick up a package! I wasn't sure who it was from because I am expecting a few different packages...but I was hoping that it was one from my friend, fellow foodie, Britta!

IT WAS!!!!!!

I actually picked it up on the way to my run and didn't open it until I got home!! Talk about will power.


I ripped open the box as soon as I made my way through the door.  I didn't even take off my running clothes.  TOO EXCITED! I opened it to find this lovely card, which was totally unexpected. SO SWEET!


She included these Ginger Chews, which I have been dying to try.  And O.M.G. They are SOOOOO GOOOOOOOOOOOOD! Seriously amazing....They are spicy, not to sweet, chewy and just plain delicious. The best part? I don't think Francis will like them...which means, I get them allllll to myself! Which could be quite dangerous actually.


She also included this adorable magnet....


and last, but definitely not least, milk and white chocolate chips.  I saw these on her blog last week and I asked if she wouldn't mind sending them to me because I have never seen them here.  She was sweet enough to do so and I couldn't be happier.  I can't wait to make something with these this weekend! Stay tuned...

Thanks again, Britta for such wonderful treats! Okay, now it's time for me to finish watching American Idol and have a few more ginger chews ;) These will be gone in no time...





1 comment:

  1. So glad you loved it all! Can't wait to see what you make with them!!

    ReplyDelete