Pumped Up Kicks

I am very excited to announce the purchase of a new (really expensive) pair of running shoes. I would normally feel bad spending this amount for a pair of sneakers - usually I save triple digit spending to some strappy leather heals - but it's safe to say my feet were desperate for some new kicks. These are definitely worth it.

Brooks Purecadence - The most beautiful and amazing kicks

Aren't they sexy? Because of all of my feet issues, most of which I've had all my life, buying shoes has never been easy. Now that I've started to get serious about running, it has been growing ever important that I start wearing proper running shoes that are not only comfortable for long runs, but beneficial to my feet in the long run. I've had a wide width, flat feet and a high instep ever since I can remember - shoe shopping was always a nightmare. This has caused me to over-pronate; over-pronation is not only something you can get made fun of about, but it can prove to be very damaging to your shoes. Nate discovered via the blogosphere that the best new shoe this season for me, also happened to come in purple (as if god himself was involved in this coincidence), so naturally I just had to have them. What also helped make the decision to spend what we had to on these shoes is that the sneakers I have been using were approaching 7 or 8 years - an embarrassing age for a running shoe. 

I was extremely excited to take them out for the first time. I felt like a 6-year-old version of myself preparing to take the training wheels off my bike and take it out on my own. Really, the situations aren't all that different. The truth is, this shoe is made in a very different way than any other shoe I've ever worn to run. Nate warned me that it may very well be quite painful to run - and I was half expecting to get injured. The way the shoes are designed forces me to land mid- to fore-foot, rather than on my heels, which most running shoes of the past encourage. This would cause my foot to operate in a new way during runs, using muscles they likely aren't used to exercising. 

The run was actually pretty successful. That's not to say it was by any means, easy, because THAT it definitely wasn't. But it felt good. That is, aside from the excruciating pain of running up and down steep hills for 6 kilometers. In all, I enjoyed the run, and I was quite proud of how long I lasted in it, though I don't know if I would have without the occasional amazing up-beat songs blasting on my ipod. 

The title of this post is actually named for the 'power song' of that run. I decided I will include a 'power song' with each blog post. I want to first of all, give recognition to the artists for creating great songs that are not only fun to listen to, but helpful to run to. Secondly, if there's anyone else out there who happens to be reading this and looking for good music to run with, I want to compile a list for them. I believe that the music you choose is really the most important thing to take on a run - without this song, I definitely would not have made it.