7/1/2010

Update....after much twisting of the arm (and wallet), I decided I to buy the proper gear to continue jogging and to make positive gains in my exercise goals. I had worn out my original pair of cheapo Walmart shoes and could feel the resulting pain afterwards in my left knee & both calves after working out.

Today I went to Dunhams and tried on multiple pairs of running shoes before settling on the New Balance line of running shoes, specifically the New Balance MR769 series of shoes. The first thing I noticed was they are American made shoes. That's a big selling point right off the bat. Secondly, out of 61 customer reviews, these shoes received 4 out 5 stars reviews. So far so good! One note though they are narrower and form fitting fitting shoe, and I had to go to a 1/2 size larger shoe to a size 11 1/2. As you can see in the picture above, the trim highlights are in yellow and they are very sporty looking treads. However, for me the real test was when I hit the road.

Tonight I waited until 8:40pm as the sun was sinking lower into the horizon and the temps dropped to around 70-72 degrees. These shoes fit like a glove, have great stability and were quite comfortable to wear. I was able to pickup my jogging pace considerably with little to no pain in my left knee. I also jogged 3 full miles a 3.5 mile circuit. After each mile jog I took a brief 30 second fast paced walk to regain my wind, and then took off for the next 1 mile leg of the circuit. This worked out great and I was able to shave 5 minutes off my total circuit vs my last run on Tuesday. I'm very pleased with my results and beginning to feel stronger & more comfortable in my running stride. My goal to complete a 5k circuit is beginning to look reachable now.