LOOK what I got.....

I have been on a crazy odyssey over the past several months, trying to find a good running shoe. I was perfectly happy with my Asics Gel Kayano 17, but the company has this charming habit of changing their model every other year or so. The last pair that were gifted to me were perfect- the correct model and current size in pink and white (oh so girly!) BUT after completing the MORE half I realized they were too small- I needed to g o up at least ½ size in my running shoes.




That’s when I realized they Asics I loved were no longer available – anywhere! Even in my new gigantor size! I went to some chi-chi running store in Columbus Circle for a gait analysis- and as my luck would have it I had the worst salesperson ever…it took me almost 90 minutes (eternity for me, please believe) to get what I thought might be a decent sneaker…enter the Brooks Ghost

They felt very different from the Asics but also lighter. And ½ size larger. After breaking them in, the first test was the Brooklyn Half. Yes, it was a terrible race for me- but NOT from any undue foot discomfort. OK, so score. But that also meant that I have one pair of running shoes- and finding another pair was crazy.




Skip forward a few months and go to another running store on Long Island. Get another gait analysis. Try on a bunch of sneax. Get a pair of Adidas Supernovas that felt like two buses on my feet (why did I walk out the store with them? They were clodhoppers!)

Two weeks later returned them, looking for the New Balance that I had also tried on….but I didn’t remember the model. Neither did the sales clerk(so much more delightful than the first jerkaholic that didn’t help me) but she suggested I try on these super ugly sneakers. I did- and they felt weird but cool. She explained the whole Newton forefoot strike thing to me- which I am familiar with but never paid any attention to. OK, semi sold. She mentioned that they had a 30 day return policy- very generous IMO. That helped too- oh, and they were on SALE, so it would be an even exchange with the sneakers I was returning ..hmmm, ok. What really sealed the deal was the sales clerk telling me how much faster she ran in them right off the bat- SOLD! Sad, isn’t it?



So far I am happy. I haven’t raced or done any serious distance in them and they are soooo ugly and big (size 11. I feel like Ronald McDonald) and I don’t really see and faster splits, but since superstorm Sandy I haven’t done much running. They do feel great on my feet however and they are sooooo light! My next race is a 15k that I am woefully undertrained for, but I will be wearing my clown shoes on the course!