Meet New Shoes!

If there ever was the perfect time to make a big purchase, it's the after-Christmas sales, especially for a wealthy woman like me. Buying anything on sale makes me happy, especially when it's something I really need. (You could go on forever arguing whether we really need much of anything.)

I figured that if I had proper shoes for winter running, I would no longer have any excuse not to go jogging all year round. Yesterday it was -5 celsius, nothing per se, but too cold for running in summer shoes which have a hole in them.

Besides, the padding has crumbled ages ago, and my feet are very unforgiving when it comes to cushioning the impact. Hence, I got me dese pretty uns:

Icebug Pytho L BUGrip

Carbon rubber soles - and carbide spikes which retract on hard ground and protrude on soft ground! Thermoplastic urethane for keeping the cold out and keeping dry! Nylon mesh lining for transferring sweat away from feet! Heel pad and forefoot inserts for cushioning and responsive toe-off! Midfoot supports for stability! Nylon shanks to provide torsional rigidity! Beautiful and reflective of light to give visibility during dark hours!

Like, !!!!!11111111

A Running Shoe's Anatomy.

A good running shoe should:

* have both heel and toe padding
* be one size too big to accommodate additional socks
* have laces that don't come undone
* have good ventilation in the summer, good insulation in the winter
* have a good grip in the winter
* not get wet in rain or slush.

I've got only two pairs of running shoes, one at least three years old. If you run a lot over the year, it's recommended to buy a new pair every year because the padding loses its effect. I haven't, because I'm such a scrooge. Maybe next spring.

They're both for summer use. I've been running a lot here in Hollola during my Christmas holiday, because it's the only kind of sports that can give me my endorphin fix.

I don't usually run in the winter, since I don't have proper shoes. Summer shoes get wet if there's no snow and it's raining, or worse, slush on the ground. Without snow there's often ice too, and summer shoes are simply too slippery. They're slightly slippery on snow too, but I don't mind it too much. I'm thankful for the snow and it looks pretty too.

I hadn't had a jog in weeks before I came here. Once I got running again I had a huge epiphany about what a wonderful thing it is. It's as close to heaven as you can get. I tend to forget that fact in the winter when I'm too busy with aerobics and circuit training.

Aerobics and especially circuit training are good, but nothing compares to running. If I had to define my happiest moment, it would be running along a country road, watching the fields slowly pass me by in the sunshine, listening to music or the steady rhythm of my feet hitting the ground repeatedly.

It's a perfect time to allow yourself to think. Let your mind wander off wherever it wants to go. Besides, I read that exercise increases blood flow in the brain and improves your ability to think clearly and effectively.

So really, I should get me a pair of winter running shoes. Shoes where my toes didn't freeze up or get wet, shoes which have a good grip. Last winter I gave it some serious thought, but I decided against it. They're so damn expensive and I wasn't sure if I would use them often enough to pay themselves back.

But this time, I got a sizeable sum in tax refund, and for the moment I'm wealthier than usual. All that money, it's just begging to be used! Keep the economy running, eh!