FREEDOM

Finally, after what feels like the longest exam period ever, I had my last exam today, and am all finished with Uni for another year. Huzzah!  It has been a frustrating week running wise, as my tight exam schedule, last postgraduate assignment and really sore calves have resulted in my running less than usual.

I went to the physio in the hope of gaining some advice on better stretching techniques, but it turned out that the culprit was most likely that my poor old running shoes were at the end of their life.  I don't know about the other runners of the world, but for me, my running shoes are my friends, and having a good pair in good condition is super important.  So it is a bit sad when they are past their best, and I was worried, because, being a vaguely impoverished student, I wasn't sure that I could afford some new ones right away, but I also couldn't keep running on the old ones because they were hurting me so much.

Amazing parents to the rescue!  Mum and Dad had offered a while back to gift me some shoes for my birthday, so I was able to get some new running shoes today...and they are beautiful!  Thank you M & D, you have saved my sole!

I have been procrastinating over getting trail shoes, not sure what to buy, which brand to go with...but all that angst was ill founded, because once I had stomped across a foot-print-shoe-fitting-pad, run on a treadmill equipped with cameras and analyzed all the data, tried on the appropriate shoes, and run, stomped and waddled some more, there was only one pair that were comfortable and that I loved. 

 Check these babies out!  Mizuno Wave Ascend 7, with trail running sole, super comfortable interior and great aesthetics!  I also get a 30 day trial period, so if they don't work out, or hurt me, or I just don't like them, I can return them/swap them no questions asked. Win - win.

I am looking forward to taking them for a proper test drive tomorrow.  Bring on holiday training, some serious mountain work, and the sunshine.  YAY.