New Shoes; Intervals

Last night I made a visit to the Naperville Running Company to buy new shoes. The shoe prices there are more expensive than you can get online, but the service and knowledge is great. Worth the extra expense. At the store I had the opportunity to try on a variety of shoes. I also received great advice from the person who helped me.

If you go to a specialty running store for shoes, bring in your old pair running shoes and a clean pair of socks. The store employee was able to analyze the wear patterns of my shoes to determine the type of runner I am. Then recommend shoes that would protect me from injury. I then was able to try on lots of different brands and models, one shoe on each foot. The results was that I am now trying a pair of Asics Imperials instead of the New Balance 797s that I have worn for the last several years.

This morning Scott, Brian and I ran at the track. We ran a 1 mile warm up, 1 mile @ 6:30 mpm, 2 miles at 6:30 mpm, then finally 2x 800 meter intervals @ 6:20 mpm. However, I think I ran a little slower than the goal pace.

The new shoes made a big difference is my knee. The pain in my knee is much less than it has been after my runs in the previous two weeks. The shoes I just retired I had bought in April. It feels strange to go through 3 or 4 pairs of running shoes a year. I was still considering the shoes new until my knee started to act up again. These shoes will get me through the Chicago Marathon. I’ll have to buy new shoes in November or December this year.