New shoes

Yesterday was my longest run of the year thus far -- five miles. I felt proud of myself for pushing my body when I wanted to give up (what you do mean it's only been two miles?!), but the satisfaction was short-lived. During my cool down, I almost immediately noticed a pain that felt like blisters on both feet at the base of my toes. I figured once I took my shoes off and took a shower that it would go away, but my feet continued to ache for the rest of the evening. Even now, writing this, they're a little sore.

Now, I know that I'm not supposed to wear cotton socks when I run, and that they can definitely cause blisters from trapping moisture. I have always used them anyway and have never had issues with blisters or rubbing of any kind, which led me to believe that it was time to get a new pair of shoes. Last year, when I bought my most recent (and only) pair at Big Peach, the employee who helped me suggested that I write the date of purchase underneath the sock liner. When I peeled it up to read it today, it said January 23, 2010. I know I've easily put 150-200 miles on those shoes, which is just the recommended time to put a new pair into rotation.

So, I drove over to BPRC Kennesaw and bought a pair of Asics Gel Cumulus 12s. I'm in love with them already, and can't wait to try them out tomorrow. 3.5 miles seems like the perfect distance.