Toe Caps... Who'd have thought?

One thing for sure is that understanding your body as a runner and the experimenting with different type of gear is half the battle. I still remember running a 5K in high school with completely inappropriate trail running shoes which were all wrong. At that point I picked the sneaker that I thought looked the coolest, with no attention to whether it was actually the right shoe for my foot and body. I ended that race in extreme pain from shin splits, with no understanding why. 'I must not have trained hard enough. My body isn't responding! I'm frustrated!'

Little did I know it was the wrong sneaker for me. It didn't take long for me to realize that when you have the wrong fit or support, your body is working double time. Running is hard enough on the body, the key is finding a shoe that works for and not against you!

I have listed some of the gear I could not run without. I have come upon many of these simply through trial and error.

My must haves for winter running:

• Ear band, gloves (they make you look fast, it's a fact), running tights, tissues (stuff them in sleeve).
• Non-cotton socks - My feet have never been happier (and dryer)
• Toe Caps - if you know what black toe it, these are little pieces of heaven
• Brooks Adrenaline, Narrow - 1 whole size bigger than I wear in a dress shoe
• Wicking Base layer
• Wicking Mid-layer (the zipper helps when you inevitably feel over heated)

The strangest thing about winter running is that you need much less than you think. I made the mistake once of heading out for a run in 20 degree weather wearing FIVE layers: a cotton tank top, a thermal top, a base layer, a fleece lined mid layer, and a wind proof shell. I was roasting within 5 minutes. Less really is more!

Toe caps are little silicon coverings that slip over your toe to protect the nail. Black toe (it's as pleasant as it sounds) results from the nail constantly pressing against some part of your shoe - either the front if your sneakers are too short, or the bottom, if your toes have a tendency to grip or claw the bottom with each stride (which is what I was doing) Toe caps are amazing! It's the little finds like this that make me (and any runner) very happy.

That concludes Week 1 of training. Time to eat! Tonight's menu: garlic and pepper marinated pork loin (from Meat House yum!), brussel sprouts and homemade asparagus risotto. And yes, one of the best parts of running is eating! After all, they say your workout is not complete until you've refueled. I've got that part down!