my new training shoes

Today was a beautiful day. Sunny and warm, high in the upper 60's. Early this afternoon, I decided to go to Cara's SuperClinic. It's a marathon training program, held at the University of Illinois at Chicago. I wasn't planning on staying for three hours because it's gorgeous day outside and I wanted to enjoy it.

So I got there, picked up my marathon training packet and I thought to myself, what do I have to lose by staying. Besides it's already been paid. So what the heck, I decided to stay for three hours of informative talking from the speakers. They presented some interesting topics. They discussed about sports nutrition and hydration, proper shoe fitting, how to avoid injury, stretching and what to expect during and after marathon, etc.

I learned something today but most of what I already knew was based on experience and research. Also, Hal Higdon was one of the speakers. He is the most respected and widely read authors in the world of running. He has run 111 marathons and coached hundreds and thousands of runners in person and online. I also got him to sign my book!

So, here's a few rules for buying athletic shoes, do not buy your training shoes by the color (When I heard this it made me laugh because I'm all about fashion). You need to focus on fit and function, not just style. I'm sure by 20 miles, I will not care what color my shoes are. HA! Just because it's expensive, it does not necessarily mean the best.

I love my training shoes. It's lightweight and it's super comfortable. It has supreme cushioning for maximum impact and pounding. I'm blessed to have neutral pronation. My old training shoes were busted, I've run too many miles in it.

Moreover, there's tons of information you can find about marathons. It's quite overwhelming when you're reading all these books and publications. I'm a firm believer that knowledge is power, indeed it is! The more you know, the more you ought to know. At the end of the day, it's you and ONLY you knows your body the best!

Happy running.