I hereby dub this day the day of fitness, and with that I give myself full permission to ramble about all things workout-related. So if such things make you do this:
I suggest you move on to the next blog in your reader.
First order of business: My new shoes. I ordered a pair of Merrells online a few weeks ago (the Women’s Barefoot Run Bare Access Arc 2 to be specific) and I had never even tried on a pair of Merrells before so I was nervous. I ordered them in the exact size I wear in heels, sandals and regular shoes and hoped they would fit correctly even though I’ve had some issues with running shoe sizes running bigger/smaller (see what I did there?). Anyway, I got them in the mail the day before the Bay To Breakers 12k and had a mini freak out when I tried them on and thought they were too big. On a whim I decided to just wear them anyway seeing as how the only other option were shoes that literally gave me blisters any time I ran longer than 3 miles at a time.
Best. Decision. Ever.
These shoes are the best shoes I’ve ever run in and I’ve been running since sophomore year of high school (8 freaking years?!). I talked a lot about barefoot running in this post back when I was having knee issues, and I own a pair of Vibrams which are awesome, but also give me blisters after a while since you can’t wear socks with them. I finished the 12k strong and continued to wear them the rest of the day as we ventured all around San Francisco. But the true test came when I wore them for the Zombie Runner Half Marathon, and for the first time in the past 5 halfs I’ve completed, I finished without a single blister.
I didn’t think that was even possible. So basically I’m psyched out of my mind and I have a feeling this is going to greatly improve my running/marathon training. I definitely recommend these shoes if you’re looking to switch to a minimal running shoe, BUT if you’re used to wearing cushy, stacked heel running shoes, I can’t emphasize enough the need to transition slowly. If you switch to minimal shoes too quickly you are far more likely to injure your ankles because they haven’t had time to build up the strength they need. When I first started wearing my Vibrams, I alternated between my regular supportive shoes and only went a couple miles at a time in them until my calves and ankles built up strength.
Okay, moving on. #OperationShakiraBod week 2 was successfully completed!
Here are the videos I completed this week:
I went super easy on myself yesterday because I sort of spent all of Wednesday night puking and not sleeping due to an epic sinus headache (we can also blame that for my lack of a blog post), but I’m feeling much better today and plan on going for a jog (with a soft j) after I hit ‘publish.’ And during said jog, I will be backing my azz up to this song:
Happy Friday!
a good pair of running shoes makes a world of a difference! no go run your little booty off!
I'm happy to hear that you are feeling better! Sometimes a light jog can even kick you into recovery mode. Have a great weekend!
-Samantha
substanceandsoul.tumblr.com
You are awesome! and that water looks so yummy! You go girl! I've been trying to eat better and have been workingout too, not as good as you though! Keep it up!!
Hello, I'm your newest follower. Such a sweet and encouraging blog, I am glad I came across your site! :)) Love your picture header!
your egg/avocado photo makes me want to rage until i get my hands on my own.