I got me some pumped up kicks!

I had to.  It was time.  My IT bands, my hammies, my ankles, everything was screaming, "GET NEW SHOES!".  I knew it was time.  It was time a long, long time ago, but I don't have the money at just the right time, or ahead of time.  Tonight it had to happen, though.  I was not walking out of that store in the shoes I wore into that store.

I ended up going from a nice Asics shoe to a cool looking Puma in black and blue.  I tried a few pair, a few different brands and models, but, have some issues that need to be addressed, and these seemed to address most, if not all, of them.  Black toe, IT band pain, numbness in the balls of the feet.  It all has to go.  The test will be Wednesday night at the hill repeats.  I am somewhat brand loyal, but when it comes to shoes that will keep my feet from going numb, I can let go of loyalty for a while.

My dream shoe, though, for the summer track workouts and probably shorter races (5K) is a fun little number from Brooks.  Dude, I want these.  I want them now.  They are so comfortable!  The toe box is just right for my toes (including the infamous 'black toe' which just lost its nail for the third time).  Seriously, this will be my shoe for summer track workouts.  You have no idea.  Between this and my fivefingers, I think I have my summer shoes picked out.

In addition to a pair of shoes, I bought myself a running journal.  I have my Garmin and I'm on dailymile.com, but I need something tactile, something paper, on which to record my running for 2012, and perhaps beyond.  I like being able to look back at my schedule without having to turn on, log in, or enter a password or three.  Call me old school, whatever, I like paper.  There.  Take that and recycle it.

So there you have it.  Road report to follow after Wednesday's (holy hell will this ever end) hill repeats.