Shoe Colors

At the running store, it's not unusual for someone to dislike a pair of shoes solely because of their color. This typically happens when the shoe's color scheme is that of a rival SEC school. I've made that observation before, when I had a chance to buy a pair of Saucony Guides that prominently featured a burnt orange color. I still got the shoes, so it wasn't a deal breaker.

With that, I introduce the newest addition to my running stuff:

These are my new Pearl Izumi IsoShift 4 stability shoes, in a very snazzy orange and black. I earned them through a contest at work. They do seem follow the same color scheme as the University of Tennessee (a rival of the Alabama Crimson Tide). However, I like to think of myself as a substance over style guy, so it's a non-issue for me.

I took these new dogs out for a spin Monday afternoon at the rec center treadmill (it rained seven-plus inches Sunday and Monday). I can report no pain and no issues after a five-miler. I wondered about a little something I felt in my right arch, and they do feel just a tad boxy, but they are comfortable and feel like good shoes.

Now I have three pairs to rotate-- Adrenalines, Guides and these.

The training has picked up in the last few weeks-- and my calf pain appears to be a thing of the past. Five on Monday, four yesterday and a seven this morning (in the Sauconys), with some :45 pickups every eight minutes. I scratched the last one since I could tell I was low on fuel. It was a gorgeous morning, and the temperature was right around 70, even at 10 am. My legs are sore from the run, and my body is sore as well, since I have reintroduced a little weight training.