The other day I went to look at running shoes. Ever since I started running agin, I have been dealing with blisters. I think the first one happened on Sunday and it really pissed me off. So I am looking into any and all fixes for blisters. I am not going to have my running slowed down by such silly things.

Actually, blisters are quite serious and when you get them you really do have to give yourself a break from running (or whatever is causing them) and figure out how to prevent them from happening again, if you can.

Welcome to my world. I started with socks – a long time ago. One rule I follow, and recommend to others, is NEVER EVER run or walk a long distance in cotton socks. Seriously. Cotton stays wet for a long time (maybe because it’s a natural fiber??) and when your socks are wet, you are more likely to get blisters. I run in synthetic socks. Polyester, spandex, nylon, etc. Another weird fact: I am not that much of a sweater – but guess what? My feet sweat. Ew. I simply cannot be in cotton socks if I am going to be on my feet for a while. That’s a fact. (As disgusting as it is)

So, the other day I went to look at shoes. I am beginning to wonder if I have a weird problem. I am wondering if my shoes might be too big. I have been running in 8 1/2 size running shoes. I have also recently lost some weight, and I think my feet might have changed a little bit. My normal shoe size is somewhere between a 7 and a 7 1/2. My left foot is bigger than my right. There is a lot of stuff going on with my feet – one of my good friends once referred to my feet as “special needs feet.” She was serious.

So, I went and tried on some new running shoes. I have to tell you – I might be making a big change. I might switch from Saucony to Brooks! I cannot believe it. For years I have tried on Brooks, and I have hated them almost every time. However this time, I was totally shocked. They were comfortable. I jogged around quite a bit in them, and I liked loved them. I did not bite the bullet just yet. I took a photo of the two boxes I tried so I could remember them later:

I might just have to go back this weekend and think about purchasing them.

Today I had one specific thing I was searching for, food wise. Mini-Larabars, thanks to a reader’s comment last night, reminding me of their existence. If you have been reading this blog for a while, you know how much I love Larabars. Sometimes I will eat half of one for an afternoon snack, and if I’m starving, traveling or skipping a meal I will eat a whole one. They are dense. They are amazing. They also have only natural ingredients, and I love them for that. If you have not tried them – do so. Immediately.

Before I get to the depths of my search, I will say that I ran 3.1 miles and then did a .3 mile walk as a cool down. I did not develop any more blisters, and the one on my pinky toe survived thanks to a strategically placed Band Aid.

I am not going to run tomorrow. I have only been running and jogging since Friday, when I got the clearance from one of my doctors. On Friday I jogged and walked a 5K distance in 45-ish minutes. Today I ran and walked 5K distance in 35 minutes. I was really happy with this. I need to remember to take it easy, but slowly I’ll start adding more distance and hopefully I’ll start running a little faster.

After running, I showered at the gym and started my food search. For my first stop, I went to East Side market, which is right next to my gym. I picked up a spoon by the soup station, and then searched for Larabars. They (of course) had full sized bars. But I skipped over them and picked up a yogurt (Stoneyfield) and had that for lunch. After buying and eating the yogurt, I got in the car and went to Whole Foods. Where I found the following:

Sweet! I was so excited to find the Larabars. I think the other shoppers thought I was weird. Whatever. I was also excited to see Adora disks – I have not had these in so long. I need to start adding them to my daily diet again! I love the dark chocolate kind. The Annie’s cheddar bunnies were an impulse buy (they were on sale!) and I was happy to remember that my granola is 2 dollars cheaper at Whole Foods, so I am glad I remembered to buy them at the right store.

I was really excited for my purchases today. I had a Larabar as soon as I left Whole Foods. I got three bites out of the cashew cookie bar. A perfect dessert to follow my yogurt. 🙂

Well, that’s about all I have for you right now. I am having my mom’s awesome left overs for dinner tonight. I am really looking forward to the chicken and half of a potato pancake. I will probably roast up another batch of asparagus, too. I love repeat dinners!