New shoes, new shoes, new shoes!!!!!!!

Got home Thursday night and was excited to see a box perched against my door. I knew what that meant: My Brooks Adrenalines GT9s had arrived!

 

I opened the box, made sure they were the style and size I ordered, put them on and walked around a little bit, then woke up Friday morning and took them for a test run.

 

Did 8 easy miles in and around the Town Lake area, going up Veterans and Lake Austin Blvd, meandering through the neighborhood and down Exposition and then a five mile loop around the lake (just to get the shoes dirty).

 

In a word: sweet. My feet felt at home. My legs thanked me for bringing their old friends along.

 

And just in time, since I have a half marathon coming up Sunday. Alas, for the first time in my short running career, I won't go into a race trying to set a PR.

 

Since running the 3M Half Marathon last month, I've basically done nothing training wise. Some of that is weather-related, some knee-related, and some shoe-related, so while I may be fast, I don't think I'm nearly as strong enough to run faster than the 1:31:39 I ran at 3M -- especially since Sunday's course is on a very hilly course.

 

I think what I'll do is this: Run comfortably hard for the first 6 to 7 miles (7:00 to 7:15 pace), and then try to run out or hold on the last few miles.