Nike Air Span 4+

I went to the shoe store at lunch today, and not just any shoe store - I chose what is apparently the shoe store for runners in the Twin Cities. I was hoping to find an expert who would tell me there is a magical shoe out there that will prevent me from having shin splints and make me run like a pro.

Overall grade: B-. I was expecting A-plus treatment and didn't really get it, but they were more helpful than the people at the store where I chose to buy my last pair of shoes. I only tried on about 5 pairs, and the guy just wasn't giving me much feedback, even when I asked questions. The girl sitting next to me, however, was trying on shoe after shoe after shoe, and her employee was giving her tons of feedback. This pissed me off, but I was determined to leave with a pair of shoes so I kept asking annoying questions and tried to squeeze as much out of him as possible.

I did a few spins on the treadmill with each pair and finally settled between a pair of Mizunos and a pair of Nikes. The Nikes were about $50 less expensive, so I asked if the extra money I would be forking over for the Mizunos was worth it. And - this is where he finally got helpful - he told me I may get a slightly longer life out of the Mizunos, but probably not enough to make a serious difference. So being the cheapy that I am, I went with Nike.

Here's a pic - except mine are red, not blue. But now that I see they make blue, I kind of want to go back tonight and see if I can exchange them for a pair like this.



I can't believe I bought a pair of Nikes - the last pair I owned, roughly 5 years ago, were crap and I swore I'd never buy them again. I also have some issues with their production methods and employee treatment, but that's something I know I can't entirely get away from in the shoe industry. I think New Balance is the only company that still actually makes shoes in America and probably actually pays their employees a normal wage, but I haven't had good luck running with N.B.

Anyway, the coolest part is that I'm pretty sure these shoes are equipped with a pocket for the iPod chip (something that would have been nice to know when purchasing the shoe - or when asking questions about my shoe. I didn't find this out till I got back and looked up shoe info online). I'd like to try this gadget out. It would have been helpful last night, for instance, when I ran a new route around the neighborhood. I figure it was probably 2 miles, but if I had my handy little chip, I'd know exactly how far I went.

Speaking of last night's run ... freaking HOT! I was a sweaty, buggy mess when I got home and I only did, as I said, around 2 miles. I tried something new, which, I think, will really help improve my endurance in the long run. I skipped the lake and ran around our neighborhood, using city blocks as measures. One block I'd jog, the next one (or two, sometimes) I'd sprint. The final sprint was uphill - and I'm talking uphill. I felt like my heart was going to pound out of my chest when I got to the top of that baby, but it felt good. Again, only 2 miles but it was an intense 2 miles, and that's what matters.

Lordy, this is a long post. Makes up for all the slacking I've been doing lately. See what new shoes do to me? I can't stop talking about running!! Too bad today must be a rest day. I feel like I could rock the streets of St. Paul tonight.