Wednesday's Weekly Wrap-up

(With my wrap-up posts I try to update each Wednesday about my week in review. I include pictures posted during the week from my Instagram @lilrunner1485 as well. Why Wednesday instead of Saturday or Sunday? Well, it just works better for me on this schedule. So, Hump Day it is!) 

Happy Hump Day! I know so many of you are working for the weekend, but cheers and virtual high fives all around to making it to the mid-week! This will be my first “week in review” post, which I will hopefully be able to do on a weekly basis each Wednesday. I know Wednesday seems like an odd day to do a week in review, but hey, whatever works right?! Let’s get this first series post started! Last week was extremely busy for me work-wise. Plus, now that he is back safe and sound, I figure that it’s ok to say that the husband was also away in New Orleans on business. We certainly aren’t the type of couple that must spend every waking minute with each other, but I most definitely missed him! I am a social person so the extra silence is always weird when I’m the only human home! Luckily, I had my fuzzy child Winston to keep me company! While Winston missed his daddy, I think he enjoyed the time he got to have his mama all to himself! Other than finding a snake egg in my backyard (SCREAM!), not too many exciting things happened. I usually am an “after work runner” so my routine was pretty much work, run, come home, shower (duh) and then Winston and I just chilled watching Pirates baseball games and my Sex and the City DVDs. Yes, I know I live a glamorous life! I was and am still finding myself to be more exhausted in the evenings than usual and I blame that on the summer heat! Running especially in these hot and humid temperatures is a total energy drain!

Speaking of running, for all my fellow summer challenge streakers, last Saturday marked the official HALF-WAY point of the RWRunStreak! If you are streaking with me, virtual high five for a job well done so far! (You can read more about the RWRunStreak here.) I admit at one point on Saturday (Day 20 of the streak), I was thinking “really I still have another 20 days in a row?” Coupled with last week being exhausting in general, my legs are FEELING the streak and I can tell I’ve been running for several plus days without any actual time off. That being said, at the same time it’s nice to look at the glass half-full and know that I’ve made it this far! Now we have less than 20 days left! Fellow streakers: keep pushing through! I know it isn’t always easy and the past few days I’ve experienced those times when I’m just not feeling it, but I keep running toward that goal! I can say that I always feel better about myself after a run, even if the run itself isn’t pleasant. I like being happy, so that’s motivation enough to keep on streaking! Today marks Day 24 of the streak and we are over half way done guys! To quote Princess Tiana, “I’m almost there!”

Aside from the streaking madness and the work flow, after the husband’s return from the Big Easy we basically chilled out all weekend. It’s not unusual for us to go to the theatre to see a movie at least once a week because we love movies. There isn’t a whole lot to do in the area we live in, so we spend a lot of time at our local theatre. We ended up actually seeing TWO movies last weekend and stuck with a comedy theme for both of them. On Friday we saw A Million Ways to Die in the West and on Saturday we saw 22 Jump Street. We particularly enjoy stupid, raunchy, tacky humor, so of course we found both movies hilarious! The movies were a nice addition to our overall low-key weekend.

Sunday was Father’s Day. While neither of us got to see our dads on that day, we did call them to wish them a happy Father’s Day. I hope all you dads out there had a good one!

So far, this week has been busy as usual. I’d say while it has basically been a normal week, Tuesday was an exciting day for me and this blog! After being encouraged to do so via Instagram, I joined the Tuesday Link-up with hosts My No-Guilt Life and Run The Great Wide Somewhere. Both of these blogs are great and I urge you to add them to your reading list! It worked out perfectly that I had just posted about new running shoes on Monday because that’s what Tuesday’s link-up topic pertained to! The link-up was a great way to further connect with other runners in the social media community and it provided me with some great new blogs to add to my reading list! I will certainly be taking part in more link-ups! Thanks again to My No-Guilt Life for inviting me to join!

LOL! I hope I don't come off like this on social media!

What’s on my schedule for the rest of the week? The West Virginia 5K Championship! The husband will be joining me for this race. Our last race was clear back in April for the Pirates 5K Home Run. It’s looking to be a HOT and HUMID time for the WV 5K! Last year was no different and the painful parts of that race are all of a sudden coming screaming back to me! The race in general, however, is very well-run (literally…oh puns, come on hire me now Disney Jungle Cruise). Hopefully we can push through the heat and have a fun time! I hope you all have a good rest of your week! Remember Friday is just around the corner! Let me know if you have any race plans this weekend or if you have any fun things planned in general!

Celebrating New Running Shoes!

Ahhhh the key to my heart: new running shoes! I know it’s been a week(ish) since I last posted, but it was a crazy busy week! On the plus side, that week brought me one of life’s greatest joys, as mentioned above, brand spankin’ new running shoes! New running shoes are just simply the best. I love the smell of new shoes. I love getting a “new look” to update my running style. I love feeling the extra bouncy cushion and support when putting my feet in my new shoes. Can you tell how much I just love getting new running shoes?!

Love my newest running shoes!

Almost all runners know the jubilation of new running kicks, and I am no different! I tend to wear a pair of shoes much longer than I should, which definitely falls under my “bad running habits” category. I don’t know why I do this. Sure, I do get attached to my current pair of running shoes. I mean these bad boys go through it all with me: the joy of a great run, the sucky awfulness of a not-so-fun-run, long runs and everything from crappy to mediocre to great races. My running shoes literally go the distance. They endure my sweaty feet (sexy!). They sometimes suffer from being splashed with my not always but quite often “post-race puke.” They usually end up with battle scars from the obvious overuse and of course grass and mud stains. What with living in West Virginia where so many gorgeous trails exist you didn’t think I’d just confine my shoes to paved streets did you?! A good, loved pair of shoes wouldn’t be complete without the addition of some good ole’ fashion dirt décor! (The only running shoes I exclude from this rule of mine are my beautiful Run Disney New Balance Cinderella shoes! They are just too gorgeous for mud!)

Even my attachment toward a pair of running shoes still doesn’t explain why I always seem to wait too long to purchase new shoes. For every new pair I get there is the short discomfort of “breaking them in,” so that could be a reason. I also always order my shoes online so maybe my laziness to actually take the five minutes to order them is another contributing factor. I mean go for a 60 minute run? No problem! Sit down for five minutes to order shoes? Oh no that apparently takes up far too much time! Once I finally breakdown and order my new shoes, I’m always excited! Having a super narrow foot, I never change brands or style. I am totally team New Balance specifically because they have the 2A narrow width option. Prior to wearing New Balance, I’d always have to tie my shoes absurdly tight and wear heal grips. That’s how narrow my silly feet are. It was a game changer when I went to a specialty running store and discovered New Balance and their narrow sizing options. If you are a runner or are wanting to try running and have never been to a specialty running store, take the time to find one and GO! General name brand sports stores may carry a selection of running shoes, but the staff typically does not specialize in running. Specific running stores can help you, like they helped me, find the right shoe for you and believe me it will make a HUGE difference in your running! The reason why I tend to purchase my shoes online now is that I currently live a little over an hour away from the closest specialty running store. Thankfully, I know what works for me shoe-wise and am able to order the right pair online. I do, however, make sure to support these local stores whenever I can. If you are a runner and live close to a specialty store I encourage you to support it!

My BEAUTIFUL Cinderella
Run Disney Shoes!

Before I purchase my new running kicks I do obsess over what color options I want. The one bad thing about the 2A width New Balance style I wear is that sometimes the super cool colors only come in sizes for all you “normal” foot width runners. Talk about a first world problem! But alas, life moves on and new shoes are better than old, worn out ones. Financially speaking, money really isn’t an option when it comes to running shoes. As a woman, I enjoy all shoes, but while I adore the lovely Carrie Bradshaw from Sex and the City, I feel sick if I spend more than a certain amount of money on regular dress/casual shoes. I will sadly never own a coveted pair of Jimmy Choos or Manolo Blahniks. For me it’s all about the cute, cheap knock-off versions. However, when it comes to my running shoes, I don’t think twice about spending well over a hundred dollars per pair. I consider running as an investment to my fitness so having the proper footwear no matter the cost is money well spent if you ask me! Aside from race fees running as a whole is a relatively inexpensive sport, so if my main investment is in a great fitting pair of shoes I don’t mind to drop the extra cash.

Mine and the husband's new running shoes!

What are your favorite running shoes? Are you loyal to a certain brand or do you like to change it up? Do you get excited for new running shoes? Are you like me and spend way more for running shoes than your “every day” shoes?

I have more exciting things planned for Random Ramblings of a Running Princess, including a “weekly post,” which hopefully I can launch this week. If not, assume I’m out running instead and here’s a virtual high five for patience!

(All thoughts in this post are my own. I received no compensation from New Balance for this post.)