Under the weather... and I won!

Good day runners!

Yesterday, I received awesome news that I had won the 12 days of Christmas challenge at my LRS!  I stopped in, met Ginny the owner, and got a new pair of Saucony Triumph 10s!  This is what the super kind people at Running Elements said about me on their Facebook page: Ryan did every single challenge for 12 days! We are so lucky to have him as a friend and as fitness inspiration. And we can't wait for him to come in and get his free pair of shoes!

For those of you who had not shopped at a real running shop before, my experience with Running Elements may convince you to stop going to the mall shoe stores when picking our your next pair.

- They checked how I walked.  I was asked to walk barefooted to check my gait (this means manner of walking).  I was told that my gait was very neutral, which is awesome as I'm not placing additional strain on my legs.

- They asked me about what I currently run in.  I mentioned that I don't remember the model, but I run in M9.5 Brooks.  I said that most of the other shoes I have tend to slip in the ankle.  If I had brought the pair with me, they could also analyze the wear on the sole.

- They asked me to test out the shoes.  Ginny handed me a pair of Saucony Triumph 10s (I'm still not familiar with brands and models) and told me to try them out.  She had me run up and down the sidewalk.  They felt amazing!  She also said that I run very efficiently... I'm sure I'll learn what that means as time passes as well.  I did mention, however, that I felt that these were slipping off of my heels.  At that point...

- ...they showed me how to lace my shoes for a better fit.  It was perfect!  After some research at home, I learned that this is called the runner's tie...  I learn something new everyday!  This will make all of my shoes better!  Here's a link that I found helpful: http://katierunsthis.com/2011/10/04/running-shoe-lacing-techniques/

So unfortunately, after getting new shoes and all the excitement from finishing the challenge, I'm actually stuck at home with a cold.  I caught a cold only a month ago as well so I'm quite surprised.  I hope I can kick this soon!  I've got new shoes to break in!