My Great Shoe Conundrum

Despite mentioning the other day that I was finally switching over to a new pair of running shoes, I still need a new pair.

They (I'm not sure who "they" are, maybe shoe experts?) say to make your running shoes last longer, they should only be worn for running. No walking around doing errands, no weight lifting, etc. Since it seems to take me so long to break in new shoes, I tend to strictly adhere to this rule.

Nowadays, I pretty much live in my tennis shoes. Of course, there's the running, then there is my time working at the gym, where I am usually darting from one place to another (yes, darting). And, of course, there's CrossFit. I have an old (about 8 months) pair of running shoes that I have retired from strictly running, and have been using those at the gym and at Crossfit. Unfortunately, I am starting to get some minor shin pain, and I know these shoes are probably the culprit.

I love you so much lime green shoes, but I think it's time we broke up and went our separate ways.

Now the question becomes what kind of shoes should I get?

The CrossFit-ers I know generally all use minimalist shoes. Of course, for doing Olympic lifts and weight training, I believe in the power of minimalist shoes and the benefits they can bring to performance.

At our Crossfit box, we do a fair amount of running and when I'm running, I definitely like support and would never completely transition to a minimalist shoe (if it ain't broke, don't fix it!), but I think I'm ready to take the plunge. I'm hoping this new pair of shoes can be my go-to shoes for my work at the gym and Crossfit.

So, the front runners (pun intended! hah!) are the Brooks PureCadence, or the Nike Free Run. I think both of these shoes will do the trick, and I've tried them both on separately. I guess the next step is to try them on at the same time to see which feels best. Any opinions out there as to a favorite?

Yesterday I had an appointment over in Magnolia. I got there a little early and ate my lunch at Magnolia park. I never realized what a great view Magnolia has!

I even found a swing set there! How fun is it just to swing away? I haven't done that in forever and it made me feel like I was 5 years old all over again. Unfortunately, my appointment ran late and I missed CrossFit. This morning, however, I got in a lovely 4 miler with the sunrise. I was able to keep all the miles under 8 minutes fairly easily, so I was happy about that!

I'm trying to decide what I want to do workout wise this weekend. As I said, I am taking it easy this week running-wise and just doing what I feel like. I have to work both days this weekend, but not until 2pm on Saturday, which leaves me time for Crossfit AND a run! Now, the question is how many miles I want to do. Decisions, decisions!