New shoes!

About 50 minutes, 4.5 miles or thereabouts. Got tired on hills, but otherwise felt great. Love the new shoes!


Ms Laura is right about all things. I should accept this right away. It would save so much time.

We met at the Seattle Running Company today, and I got my gait analyzed. I told the guy about the pain in my shins, and he said it wasn't in fact shin splints, but was caused by my shoes. My current shoes were too strong. My Name Is Riona and I Am A Pronator.

So now I have an awesome new pair of shoes, as well as new socks - I was chided for my cotton socks - and shorts. Sock technology has advanced frighteningly. Asics offers an "Integrated Shoe and Sock System". System. I was a little intimidated by the selection. However, apparently socks are important to a runner: no cotton, because you need something that wicks (I was wearing cotton). Wash them inside out, because the fluffy terry stuff helps to stablize your foot.

The Seattle Running Company also takes your old shoes and recycles them. This is good.

But ... drumroll ... did the new shoes fix the muscle pain?

Why yes, they did! We did about 50 minutes around Capitol Hill - my god, the view of the lake at the end of 15th - and I had *no* shin pain. A little twinge going uphill (Christ, there are a lot of hills) but nothing like yesterday, when it hurt even to walk. I felt fantastic when we'd finished our run - I do think I could have gone on for another mile or so. But tomorrow is my longer around-the-lake run. I'm so relieved: it was depressing to make the decision to train and the very next day be laid low with muscle pain. It's wonderful when you can take action that actually fixes a problem.

Laura, you were right. I will never doubt you again.

In other news, the weather was just perfect. All the cherry blossoms are still in bloom, and running down these streets is a delight.