Gearing Up

As many of you know, I've really gotten into running since I began graduate school. I don't exercise much outdoors, but the treadmill and I have become well acquainted. The elliptical and I are old friends. Needless to say, workout gear has been essential. I've been using the same old pair of tennis shoes for about 2 years now. I got them cheap on a Spring Break trip to Florida. They're quite comfortable and light, but they've begun to leak when I step out during bad weather. They've also stretched out pretty badly, so they sometimes untie themselves during a run.

Yesterday, Mom splurged for a pair I really wanted at Dick's:

I tried on several other pairs, but these have everything I was looking for -- they're snazzy, they're lightweight, they have great arch support, they have fantastic tread, and they fit tightly for added support.

I also decided to try out some legit running shorts; I love wearing yoga pants to the gym, particularly during cold weather, but I only have 3 pairs currently. Now, I have even more pep for my fitness collection:

And now, for the pièce de résistance: by far the best athletic socks I've ever worn. Now I don't have to strategically plan how to make 5 pairs last between laundry days!

My dad jokingly says we're a "strictly Nike family," so I took that to heart (except for the Reebok shorts) when shopping yesterday. I legitimately think I could spend all day in Dick's, and the sales staff could probably convince me that I'm capable of trying 50 different sports. For now, I think I'll just stick to running :)

Speaking of which, I missed almost a full week of 5K training while I was in Mexico, so tomorrow will be a repeat of week six, making the program 13 weeks long instead of 12. One more week can only help me, especially because I finally have an official 5K in mind (more deets about that to come). I'll be participating with my dad and my sister, and I'm super stoked for my first event!

P.S. Do you have loyalty to any particular brand of athletic gear? Do you prefer to shop at any particular sporting goods store? Do you exercise mostly indoors or outdoors? I'm all about sweatin' it out in the gym, but I love sporadic outdoor activities like hiking around Maymont Park or going for long walks during snowfall.