These shoes are made for running

Saturday morning Kim and I dragged ourselves out of my bed and sleepwalked up to 110th St. (UGH) for NYRR's Splash and Dash 10k. Given the pea soup like humidity, there was very little dashing occurring; most of the run took on the form of a slow plod up and down hills. Regardless, I finished comfortably without feeling like I exerted myself too much, which was the goal of this particular race. As I discovered today (yay first day of training!), the majority of my marathon training runs are mind numbingly slow, so I need to get reaccustomed to running very relaxed pace . I mean seriously, 11min miles?! Rationally it makes sense - slower miles means decreased chance of overtraining, injury, and builds critical mental capacity to get through multi-hour runs. Guess it's time for me to invest in some good books on tape. Very tempted to get a subscription to Audible so I can zone out on easy runs while listening to the New Yorker.

Second important takeaway from Saturday - I needed new shoes like nobody's business. By the first mile, my toes were screaming for a toebox that didn't feel like stabbing knives into my nails. Not fun. Running shoes should be replaced every 300 to 500 miles as over times sneakers lose stability and shock absorption capacity. I've been overdue for a new pair for a month or two now, but far too lazy/cheap to go by Paragon's in Union Square to get fitted for a new pair. For any NYRR members out there, FYI - Paragon's offers a 10% for all running related gear. Definitely helpful when you're dishing out for a new pair of shoes!
Immediately tried on the latest version of Brooks GTS Adrenaline, which have been my go-to shoe for the past 6 years. However, after numerous problems with blisters and pain with my last pair, the running specialist offered me a pair of Mizuno's to try on that were in theory better suited to my feet. Despite my initial skepticism and loyalty to my beloved Brooks, the Mizuno Wave Inspire are AH-MAZING. So much lighter, springier foam, and a snugger fit. I feel horrible for cheating on Brooks like this (yes, I am that sentimental), but it was time for a change and I definitely felt like training started off on the right foot (pun entirely intended) with a new pair of shoes. Was enjoying my run so much today that I accidentally ran more than my prescribed six mile easy run. Whoops? Hopefully they'll keep me this fresh throughout all of training!