One Step At A Time

The heat waves in the tri-state area have left me searching for pools and air conditioned houses for weeks now. I did, however, brave the heat today to make a very special and necessary purchase…new running shoes! That’s right, this Jersey girl is out to conquer the world by running some of the way. Thanks to some friends on twitter and a little online searching, I have found numerous running blogs and websites for running in the NJ area. My favorite blog is here – thank you Lucy for tweeting about it one random day! They have so many wonderful entries about running, gyms, and everything else. I’m obsessed! I also found this site on races in NJ. There are so many I want to sign up for, and I’m excited to start filling out my applications. Running an actual race will be an entirely new experience for me...Actually, I never have counted my distance while running before. My running usually consists of minutes. 30 minutes on slow days, 45 minutes when I’m feeling extra energetic, but I haven’t counted the miles on those runs. I assume from treadmill running that I run about 3-4 miles in those 30-45 minutes, but that’s a guess.

I’m excited to run a 5K. I feel that is a race that I can easily finish, and I love new challenges. 3.1 miles should not be too difficult for me, and I feel all of the other runners will push me to improve my time. Others have told me that nothing is better than finishing the race and knowing you accomplished your goal. I’m excited to experience that feeling in the near future. I’m discovering that races are a great way to stick with running. You are working toward something, and most of the time the races are done for charity organizations, so you are working hard for a wonderful cause as well. I’ll stick with my 5K’s for now, and maybe, if my legs stay attached to my body, some bigger races can be in my future...NYC Marathon anyone - A girl can dream right?

As for the shoes – I’m very proud of my purchase (See above photo). After following a friend’s advice, I drove myself out to the Tinton Falls Outlets in search of the Nike Store. I tried on a few pairs of shoes, and fell in love with the Air Citius II model in blue /dark grey. They are beautiful and a real pair of running shoes. The best part of the purchase is that the Outlets are cheaper so I bought them discounted! I ran in them tonight, and because I’m so lucky, it began to pour on my new shoes and I, so I was unable to experience a complete run. I’m excited to try again tomorrow morning (early tomorrow morning to beat the heat!). The shoes feel extremely light on my feet and give great support…I hope we will have a very lovely year together until I wear them into the ground like I did my last pair.

With all of this heat, it is difficult to stay cool. Running certainly doesn’t help, but it does make me feel energized, healthy, and it's great for my mental outlook on life, and that’s what I focus on when I'm wheezing, sweating, huffing and puffing. I have attempted to cheat the heat a little bit by running early in the am, late in the pm, and drinking lots and lots of fluids, but the most important thing for me is that I get out there as often as possible and hit the pavement. I want to be a legit runner, and running a little better each day will help me accomplish that goal. And my new shoes certainly keep me motivated - a big plus!