Big Discovery, New Shoes, and Some Interesting Products!

On Wednesday morning, a fellow Stroller Warrior posted an invite to a CrossFit Workout the following morning. Lo and behold, this event was taking place in my "backyard!" I live about 7 minutes from MCAS (Marine Corps Air Station) New River. Apparently, for the last 10 months, MCAS has provided the space and equipment necessary for any CF workout you could imagine! Who knew? What a big discovery. The best part is this: they have an enclosed play area for kiddos, or if they don't want to play there, you can have them right beside you in the stroller as you workout. HUGE BONUS! 

So with the Weasel in tow, we headed to MCAS, located the warehouse that enclosed the gym and met up with some ladies to grab a quick workout. There were two active duty Marines on hand to instruct us and provide us with the WOD. We did a 1k row to warm up and then got right to the WOD: 15 minute AMRAP - 6 toes to bar, 8 hand release pushups, 12 squats (repeat 3 times), 400m run. That Thursday morning, there were approximately 15 ladies kicking butt at this huge gym...it was AWESOME!

Sorry for the awful pics, but I only had my iPhone.

After the workout, I decided to drive down to Wilmington to visit TrySports in search of some new shoes. I'm a mid to forefoot striker, and I was desperately in need of new ones:

The fella at the store watched me run, listened to my concerns, and then gathered up several pairs for me to test on their treadmills. I have been a loyal Saucony wearer for YEARS, so I fully intended on selecting yet another pair. After testing Sauconys, Brooks, Newtons, and Asics, I was shocked to find myself veering away from my "old standby" and selected the Asics! 

Since we were in Wilmington, home of many hippies, Weasel and I decided to hit up the Tidal Creep Co-Op where we ate some lunch and did a little shopping:

I grabbed several of these packets in search of some new great sources of protein and other healthful boosts:

I'll have a review later, but I'm stoked to try them out. And I even got some to send to Jess over in Afghanistan! After we got home, we hung out for a bit and then after a total nap fail, I packed Weasel in the car, headed back to MCAS and did a 3 mile loop to test out my new kicks. I'm happy to report that they feel great and I already notice a difference in the way my feet and legs feel with full cushion and support! Talk about a great day!!

Great Customer Service!

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I recently had some problems with my Saucony ProGrid Cohesion shoes. I purchased these shoes in October 2011, and by late November, this happened:

Yup, that's my finger poking through all four places where the leather meets the mesh:( I was totally bummed out because I LOVE Saucony! So I decided to figure out my options. I wasn't able to return them to the store where I purchased them because it recently went out of business (and had an awesome sale where I picked up another pair of Saucony's at a great price!). I contacted the customer service department using Saucony's website. (I explained that the holes may have formed due to my recently adopted mid-foot strike.) I received a very informative email with explicit directions on how to go about returning the merchandise. I shipped the shoes to the company on Saturday, and by Wednesday, I received a phone call from a representative letting me know that a new pair of shoes would be here next week! 

After several bad customer service interactions, I almost came to view it as the norm. Thank goodness for professional companies like Saucony who take care of their customers. I knew there was a reason (besides their AWESOME shoes) that I've been buying their shoes for the last 7 years. So to the customer service department, THANK YOU! And for anyone wondering about what type of shoe to purchase next, I strongly urge you to consider this great company!

New Shoes Make You Fast, Right?!

After reading Born to Run, I have found a new running style. I still revert to my old style, but I have started running more on the balls of my feet (encouraged by running in Vibram Five Fingers), especially when pushing the stroller. This has led to a drastically different wear pattern on my old shoes, so after about 400 miles, I've invested in a new pair. 

I wear a size 11 in women's shoes. This makes it both difficult and easy to select a running shoe. I'm loyal to Saucony and have been for the last 7 or so years. When I enter a shoe store, I immediately select a few pairs and ask for whatever they carry in an 11. This usually yields 2 pairs. I put one on each foot, take a short jog and pick within a matter of minutes. 

Hopefully if the weather cooperates today, I'll get to test them out with a group run. If not, they will make their debut on the treadmill in my living room. Regardless, I'll post a review tomorrow.