Walking on a Cloud

PJ (and the show The Biggest Loser) has been inspiring me to go the gym and use some weights and put some miles on my legs. I went twice last week, and on Saturday when I came home I told PJ my feet hurt. He asked how long I had been wearing my shoes. I told him I got them when we lived at Kathy's house. Yikes. Even with my sporadic workouts, there were surely enough miles on them to warrant new shoes. PJ insisted. And he insisted I go to the runners shoe store. I had found it and mentioned it to him months ago and he went to get his running shoes there. He loved it. They put you in a regular pair of running shoes then put you on a treadmill where they videotape your feet while running to see if your ankles turn in, or out or are flat when the feet come down. So on a brisk yet sunny Saturday afternoon (yesterday as a matter of fact) I went out to Three Rivers Running Company. I waited for a little while (it was Busy!) and soon enough was assisted by a sweet young lady who listened to my story (am now walking, am working towards running, have a jogging stoller, not sure if I pronate or supinate, yadda yadda) and put me in a pair of "neutral" shoes and put me on the treadmill. I was not anxious to run, as the store had people in it, and I wasn't sure how long I was going to have to keep up any kind of pace) but it was pretty quick and I am sure no one was laughing at me. She played back the tape of my feet and sure enough it showed that when my feet come down, I tend to bend in a little bit, or pronate. So I would need shoes that would give me a little extra support on the inside of my foot to ensure that I would not collapse in accidentally when coming down. She brought out 5 pair of shoes. The first ones I tried on were incredibly comfortable. But something felt wrong- I didn't feel like I was wearing shoes!! The second pair were kind of comfy, but I was very aware of the shoe. Which now felt wrong compared to the first pair. The next ones the same, and the next just felt wrong. The last pair were much like the first. So I put on one of each and hopped back on the treadmill to see how they felt. By now the store had emptied out a bit, and I ran for a minute and hoped it would be obvious which shoes were "The Ones". But it wasn't. The last pair I felt more aware of the bottom of the shoe, that is to say they seemed firm and less flexible when stepping down. The first pair just felt so flexible they seemed an extension of my foot. I wasn't sure. I looked for guidance. One of the sales guys who had been helping the lady next to me (who narrowed it down to the exact. same. two. shoes!) said that if it were him, he would choose the ones that felt the best cushion. I was already leaning towards that first pair anyway, and what he said sealed the deal. (I had asked price already and they were only $5 difference!) So off I went with my new shoes and headed down to the Y. I could not wait to get them on the track! I worked out with some of the weight machines and moved over to the track. I did a few stretches, and got out there. It was amazing. Seriously! It was like butter. I went for a while (I wanted to get back home in reasonable time to let PJ have a chance to go as they are closed today for Easter) and wore them the rest of the afternoon. After he came back, we took the kids and dogs for a walk and a little while after I finally took them off. By the time I removed them, I was aware they were there, even though they were so incredibly comfortable. In the end I don't doubt that I made the right choice. The shoes themselves were a little more expensive than if I had gone to say Dick's or Sports Authority, but the fit and the feel are amazing and I would highly recommend the experience to anyone who walks a reasonable distance or works out. (I know there are running stores everywhere- in Phx and even in South Bend!) The above photo is the exact pair I brought home. Yummy!
We took the kids to church this morning (James' latest word is church!) and afterward went to the grocery. When we got home we hid the eggs and the kids found them. The kids (and hopefully PJ too) are down for a nap now and I will be going to start Ava's cake here shortly and the pizza dough a little later as we will celebrate this evening the 5th anniversary of her BIRTH!!! That's hard to wrap my head around, even when she is so tall and so big and so smart. How can she be 5? Will post party pics later- I know I have pics of James to post too.