Things I'm Loving

Happy Saturday everyone! I thought I'd share some of the things that I have been loving lately. Enjoy!

Brooks Adrenaline 13

About a month ago I went to get a new pair of running shoes with the intention of trying out a new style. Long story short I ended up buying another pair of Adrenaline's and love them as much as my last pair. I've only been wearing them for my long runs and they keep getting better each time.

Trader Joe's
Since I have been spending more time in Columbia I thought I would take advantage of the better grocery stores there. I went to TJ's last week and bought so much produce and other yummy foods for less than I normally spend when buying less at the store near my house. Win!

NYC Running Mama

This girl is seriously amazing. I always check her Twitter and Instagram feeds when I need some motivation since she is always doing really impressive workouts. Her love of running and working hard is contagious and you can't help but cheer her on towards her goal of completing her first Ironman and running a sub 3:10 marathon.

That it's getting dark out later

I actually really do like winter but I hate getting out of class and it's completely dark out already. I am happier when there is more sunshine plus longer days equals more time for running.

Homeland
I have heard so many good things about this show that I had to check it out for myself. After learning a bit more about it I suggested to the boyfriend that we watch it. We have already finished the first season and I am itching to start season 2.

Believe I Am

I got my Believe I Am journal for Christmas and have been using it to help me train for the Nike Women's Half Marathon. I get such a feeling of satisfaction from writing in all of my workouts after completing them. There is something so intimate about putting pen to paper and spilling your feelings in your own journal that no one else sees.

My internship
This semester I am interning at Corrigan Sports for school credit and it is turning out to be really great. We are currently working on planning the upcoming Oakland Full & Half Marathon in March. I love not only being part of such an awesome team but helping put on such incredible and popular events.

Garmin 310XT

I got this for Christmas from the boyfriend and love it more and more each time I wear it. I constantly find myself wondering why I didn't upgrade earlier. This watch is incredible and is definitely helping my training.

Oiselle
Ever since I tried my first pair of Oiselle shorts back in the fall I have been completely obsessed with all things Oiselle. I drool over the pretty clothes that everyone seems to have now and am inspired by the amazing community of runners they have created. Seriously, I can't get enough.

Cooking
Back in the fall I decided to start cooking my meals. Before I was eating the simplest of meals and foods and relied a lot of microwaveable dinners. With the help of Pinterest I have since tried more recipes than I can count. Some were very simple and others very elaborate. Cooking my own meals gives me a greater sense of appreciation for the foods in which I'm eating.

Brooks Shoe Love

When I first started running I knew nothing about wearing the proper shoes. I read somewhere shortly after that explained why it is important to go to a running store for an assessment before buying sneakers. I already knew I overpronated but I didn't realize it would be such an issue when it came to running. Originally I wanted a pair of Nike's. I thought they were the "cool" shoe and what "real" runners wore. When I went in to my local running store they completely dismissed my idea. They did all of their fancy tests and quickly decided on the Brooks Adrenaline. I tried on a pair of Asics as well but the Adrenaline's provided me with the most support and were more comfortable.

I took those shoes home and went out for a run in them that day. I remember thinking it felt like I was running on clouds. I loved these shoes. Like any good runner I tracked my mileage on my shoes to make sure I didn't put too many miles on them. About 7 months later I decided to get another pair of Adrenaline's in a fancy purple & teal combo. I didn't really need new shoes but I liked how they looked so I went ahead and got them anyway. I wore both pairs pretty regularly, not really choosing one over the other.

Last summer I tried on a pair of the Brooks Pure Cadence and instantly wanted a pair. I was caught up in the popularity of the Pure Project line and wanted a pair of my own. I was hesitant to wear them though because they were more of a minimalist shoe than I was used to and I didn't want to get injured. I eventually made these shoes my track shoes and wear them whenever I go to the track for a workout.

Over the summer I also bought a pair of trail shoes in hopes of actually going to a trail to run. I figured if I had trail shoes then I would drag my butt to the trail. I ended up buying the Brooks Cascadia that I found on sale at a DSW. I tried them on and thought they were comfy so I got them, not knowing anything about how much stability they provide. I wore them a few times over the summer when I dabbled in trail running but they really didn't get too much use until this past fall when I made trail running a regular thing. I still don't know if they are a stability shoe or not but I really like them.

Around Christmas I realized that both of my pairs of Adrenaline's were approaching 400 miles on them. I've read that you can keep running shoes for 300-500 miles and that overpronators are on the shorter end of that spectrum because they need more support. Sure I used the Cascadia for a decent amount of my running in the fall but I hadn't done any significant mileage in anything other than the Adrenaline 11. Brooks has since come out with both an Adrenaline 12 and 13. I was nervous about what upgrades had been made to the shoe, both good and bad.

Today I decided it was time to bite the bullet and look at new running shoes. I wanted to keep my options open and not just buy another pair of Adrenaline's because that was what I already had. If there was a shoe better fit for me I wanted to try it. When I first put on the Adrenaline 13 I didn't like them. They felt very stiff, more so than a new shoe should. I then tried on the Saucony Guide and some New Balance shoe. The Saucony Guide had no support for overpronating despite being advertised as a stability shoe. The New Balance shoe had a decent amount of support but just felt off when I tried running in them.

In the end I bought the Adrenaline. I took them out for a 60 min test run after getting home and couldn't be happier with my decision. I should have known to stick with what I know and love. Now I have 5 total pairs of running shoes in my rotation and they each serve a specific purpose.

• Adrenaline 11 (both pairs): easy and recovery runs until they are completely worn out
• Cascadia: all trail running, which is where I do the majority of my runs at school
• Pure Cadence: track and tempo runs. I am thinking about using these for races too since they are lighter but might stick to shorter races. Not sure yet
• Adrenaline 13: long runs and runs where my legs are especially tired and need the extra support and cushioning.