Workout Wednesday - New Kicks!

Since Zooey ate that hydration bottle last Friday, I needed to get in to the running store ASAP to replace it.  Having one less ten-ounce bottle is a big deal when we're breaking heat records left and right around here (I'm literally praying for it to be 103 this weekend - that's insanity).

More importantly, it was also time to get new shoes as well.

Now, I haven't been a loyal shoe brand/style girl.  Until this go round.  After trying on the Nikes, the Brooks, and the Sauconys, I went with my old staple - the Saucony Guide 5 (a Runner's World editor's choice this past spring!)  I love my Brooks Cascadia for trail running and hiking, so I seriously considered them until I did a test run and had a little heel trouble.  I liked the Nikes, too, with their additional support for my pronating feet, and I am sure I would have enjoyed running in them.

But the Sauconys just felt right.

They fit my heel better than the Brooks did, they gave me plenty of toe room (no lost toenails, please!), and I know that I am not going to get injured by wearing them.  

This is kind of totally super exciting, because not only will I know what I want regardless of where I am when in need of a shoe, I can also look to ordering all the fun, fabulous colors that Saucony has to offer (hint - I totally want the yellow ones).
Mostly the shopping for pretty colors.
Of course, I feel like this is another step in becoming one of those "real" runners I admire so strongly.  It's kind of silly, and yes, I know that I'm a real runner because I run.  But the fact that I know my body - my feet - well enough to identify that the Sauconys were the right shoe for them makes me feel like I've hit another milestone, so when I say "I'm a runner," I have a kind of "proof" beyond my mileage and my compression sleeves.
They'll go great with my new hydration bottles.

Do you have an "it" running shoe?
When did you feel like a "real" runner?