Overall I really like these shoes. Ecco recommends you get used to them gradually, over a six week period. The rationale is that because the shoes force you to run a more “natural” way, you are using muscles differently. I believe it. After I run in these shoes I can feel it in my legs. Not in a painful way but definitely in “boy that worked my calves” way. After a few weeks I feel it less but my legs feel differently after a run with these shoes than with my others. You know how sometimes you feel like your shoes are make of cement? I’ve never had one of those runs with these shoes. They don’t feel significantly lighter than my other shoes but I feel like there’s more spring in my step. Here are some key thoughts if you are considering these shoes.

• They aren’t cheap. I got mine for 25% off and they still cost me $160. BUT, they are made with polyurethane instead of EVA which is what pretty much all other running shoes are made of. EVA degrades over time and that’s why your shoes only last so many miles. Consequently, you can get more miles out of the Biom. The salesperson told us 2-3x more miles, Ecco says about 1.5x. They include an extra pair of insoles because they say the insoles will wear out before the shoes do.
• If you are used to running in a really cushioned shoe, you will notice the difference right away. It’s not like running with marshmallows in your shoe. I’m used to a really cushioned shoe, with these shoes you feel foot hitting the pavement more. It’s not painful and it doesn’t make my feet sore, it’s just a different feeling. I think it makes you feel more connected and aware of your stride.
• Did I mention that the women’s ones are pink?
• They have European sizing so you may have iffy luck ordering over the internet if you haven’t tried them on before. I hear they run a little big. I got a 37 and I wear a 6 in street shoes and a 7 in running shoes.
• I know it’s all mental but I am more motivated to run when I wear these shoes. But whatever gets you out there!
• You can get them in mesh or yak leather. Yes seriously, yak leather. They figured out a way to process yak hides from the Himalayas. The reviews I’ve read from those who’ve tried the yak leather one say that it feels like wearing butter (in a good way).

I’m sure these shoes aren’t for everyone but so far, I’m a convert. I’m going to run the Nike Women’s Marathon in October and I plan to train for it in these shoes. Perhaps I’ll look forward to 20 milers now!

Whether you have new shoes or not, here’s something for your running mix to put a little spring in your step. It’s by She & Him, my current fave in my ipod.

My friend Sandy who is also a working and running mama emailed me to ask recently, how do make time for running? This is really a bigger question I think, which is, can you have it all? I’ve been a stay at home mom and a working mom and I really don’t think you can have it all. You can’t have everything you want, the way you want it, when you want it without some sacrifices (like, ahem, updating your blog). We all have the same finite amount of time available in each day. When we have more demands on that time, we need to really figure out what things are most important. For me running is one of those important things so I will make time for that before a lot of other things.

But I’m lucky, I work from home so it’s easy for me to go for a run on my lunch hour, which is what I do nearly every day. But for moms like Sandy, it’s trickier but not impossible. Here’s a few ideas on how to fit in running when your time is squeezed.

Stock Up – I know that when Friday rolls around all we can think about is relaxing. But the weekends are a great opportunity to load up on your workout time. Try doing half of your weekly mileage on Saturday and Sunday. Do two long’ish runs – between 6-8 miles each day. Then you can squeeze in just two shorter runs during the week and still have a decent mileage base.

Get up and Get Moving – I am not a morning person. I am not cheerful or all that nice when I get out of bed. But I must concede the point that when I run in the morning, it wakes me up and sets the tone for a great day. I really do feel more energized all day.  If you get up earlier and get your exercise done then you don’t have to worry about it the rest of the day and when that end of day fatigue sets in, you can just give in and go to bed early guilt free.

Buddy Up – Especially if you are going to run in the morning, find a running buddy. Check out the running clubs in your area, a lot of them have message boards to find running buddies. Or check out seemommyrun and see if there are any mom runners in your neighborhood. If not, start your own group on seemommyrun. If your office has workout/shower facilities ask around and see if there are any runners who might want to join you for a lunch time run.

Splitsville – Breaking your run into two chunks might make it easier to squeeze in. Run 15 minutes in the morning (hey, you’re going to shower anyway, right?) and 15 minutes after you get home from work. Throw your munchkin in the jogging stroller and spend some time talking about her day. If you have older kids get them to ride their bikes along with you. Or better yet, find a park or attraction that’s about a 15 minute run away, run to the park and play, then run home. You get to spend time with your little one and you get a workout.

Taking time to exercise even if it means time away from your kids, is worth the sacrifice. You are showing yourself and your kids that you and your health are important.

Here’s another French group for your running mix, but they sing in English and they are quite awesome. This song puts a spring in my step when I’m running, I really like it for the long hill to my house that I have to tackle at the end of every run.

If you are looking for a new way to cook your carrots, try this recipe! It only takes 20 minutes and the roasting brings out the natural sweetness of the carrots without any added sugar. Unfortunately, the wee one was feeling under the weather so she didn’t eat any. My husband and I however, devoured them all.

Here’s the recipe:

Ingredients

• 12 carrots
• 3 tablespoons good olive oil
• 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh dill or parsley

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

If the carrots are thick, cut them in half lengthwise; if not, leave whole. Slice the carrots diagonally in 1 1/2-inch-thick slices. (The carrots will shrink while cooking so make the slices big.) Toss them in a bowl with the olive oil, salt, and pepper. Transfer to a sheet pan in 1 layer and roast in the oven for 20 minutes, until browned and tender.

Toss the carrots with minced dill or parsley, season to taste, and serve.

Here’s something for your running mix now that those carrots have helped your vision!

3 mile workout. Start at around your normal pace. Every .5 miles increase the speed one tenth a mile in speed (e.g. 6.8 mph to 6.9 mph). The last .5 mile increase the speed every tenth of a mile and the last tenth of a mile increase about 5 notches. It’s a short but intense workout and speedwork isn’t something I do consistently when I’m running on my trail so it’s a good change of pace for me.

Here’s another thing I discovered and where being a mom comes in handy. What to do with those stinky workout clothes? You don’t want them stinking up your clean stuff in your suitcase or the stuff you don’t wash as frequently like sweaters. Solution – wet bags! These are bags used for wet diapers, baby clothes, potty training mishaps, etc. They are lined with a waterproof material so the moisture and stink is contained. They are also great for wet swimsuits. I bought mine from this etsy buyer, I love the ones I bought and the seller shipped pretty quickly, there are lots of etsy options if you just do a search.

This is from my new fave singer, Ray LaMontagne called Hold You in My Arms which after missing my little one this week was all I wanted to do when I got home. So I didn’t mind much when she woke up at 3 a.m. and needed some nighttime cuddles.

Tomorrow I leave for 5 days out of town for work. After a few years out of the workforce to focus on the mama aspect of my life, I’m a bit out of the business travel routine. But I have to admit, finding a way to fit in a workout or run was always the hardest part of business travel for me. I’m a creature of habit, I like to run pretty much the same route every day. And I hate the treadmill. Sometimes the treadmill is the only real option, as it will be for me this week so I’ve already bargained with myself, I just have to do 3 miles. If I feel like doing more, awesome, but that’s the minimum I need to do. It’s like I have a little drill sergeant in my head.

Sometimes though, business or personal travel takes you someplace where it’s more fun to run than your own home turf. My favorite place to run when I travel is in Sarasota, Florida. My good friend and fellow runner Saralyn lives there. I love running on the beach with her and talking and catching up, the miles just fly by. And it doesn’t even bug me when I find that fine white sand in my shoes weeks later at home.

If you are traveling someplace new and want to keep up your running routine, a little homework can help you plan ahead and get your motivated to try a new running route. Check with your hotel, I’ve stayed in some places where the concierge has pre-printed running maps. Runner’s World is an excellent resource to find running routes, check out this resource area for running routes all over the world. Though I generally like to run the same route every day, it’s the runs somewhere else that are firmly planted in my memory. I’ve run along the seawall in Vancouver, on a road lined with poppy fields in Tuscany, and through the English countryside on a dreary day. That beats my little park trail with the occasional dead armadillo.

For your on the road running mix, even when we’re running Tuscany, it’s still nice to get home.

The NY Times reported on some recent research by economists about the lasting effect of sports and girls and Title IX. Their conclusion is that participating in sports has a positive effect on education and employment in later life. Playing sports and being active was easier when I was a kid, cable TV didn’t really become part of our life until I was in junior high and the video games that were around then weren’t all that exciting. So we spent our free time outside, dragging ourselves home when the streetlights came on. Life is different now but we can help our kids be active by being active ourselves. Model good habits and encourage outdoor activities. For me, I’m going to push my daughter to run, throw, and catch like a girl because there’s not a single thing wrong with that!

Here’s something for your running mix to remind you of your days as a girl.

My family history stinks when it comes to heart disease, my dad was only 55 when he had a heart attack and quadruple bypass. So that’s one big reason I run. I really want to live long enough to see my grandchildren and maybe even run a race with them.

Running is just one thing you can do to keep your heart healthy, check out Go Red for Women to learn more.

This is something for your mellow mix from one of my favorite singers, it’s a little something about hearts.

Today my mother claimed that he has ennui. Which reminded me of Neville in the Gashlycrumb Tinies, poor Neville died of ennui. My mother’s source of ennui is winter. They’ve had a particularly cold and brutal winter in her neck of the woods so I don’t blame her. We moved to Austin particularly because of the mild winters and in some strange city swap, this year we seem to have been given Seattle’s winter. Our back yard is a sort of pond and I realize that the toddler’s rain coat and rain boots are now too small. While I am a somewhat hearty runner, cold and rain are my least favorite combo so the past few days I’ve chosen to hit the gym.

I think a change of pace is just the thing for a touch of ennui. My least favorite piece of equipment at the gym is the dreadmill so unless I’m training for something and HAVE TO get the miles in, I opt for the elliptical machines (actually I’d love to swim but my gym doesn’t have a pool). On the few occasions I skip a workout because of weather, I feel guilty all day so I’d rather at least do something. A routine is nice but as I told my daughter last night after she discovered she liked the broccoli nuggets I made her try, if you try new things you’ll discover you just might like them. So if winter or life has got you dragging, make a little change. Try a new class, download a yoga podcast, or take a swim. Don’t end up like poor Neville.

I feel really sorry for people who live in tropical locales where the weather is beautiful every day. What must they use as a topic of conversation when they meet someone new? And without the universal complaint that binds us all together “boy this weather sucks today!” They don’t know what they are missing.

My linkmaker isn’t cooperating today, but if you want to listen to a little musical ennui, check out Django Rheinhardt’s Fleur d’Ennui.

Whenever I see older runners, especially women, I say to myself, “I want to be like them when I’m that age.” I’d also like to be like Betty White who always answers “Robert Redford” when asked “what’s the one thing in your career you’ve never done.” But then I saw this video of Joy Johnson, an 81 year old marathoner. And now, I’d like to be just like Joy. Well if I could be a Betty/Joy hybrid, I’d be pretty content in my old age. Take a few minutes to watch this video about Joy, it will put a smile on your face and might even make you want to lace up your running shoes and start training for a marathon.

If you listen to my running mix suggestions you’ve probably picked up that I love me some French music. Today’s pick is a French singer and the daughter of a French singer. I love French things even though France to me is a lot like New Years’ Eve. You always think it should be way more romantic and awesome than it usually is so it’s kind of a letdown. But I have this very vivid memory of sitting on a park bench near the Eiffel Tower next to my husband, each of us reading a book, and tearing pieces off the most amazing baguette  and I think France is kind of cool. Seriously, any country that invented pain au chocolat can’t be all bad.

Despite evidence to the contrary (I almost took a swig of olive oil last night since I wasn’t paying attention to what I was grabbing), running might be a brainbooster. Turns out exercise might help your cognitive function so add another thing to the “pro” column for exercise.

After a couple months of casual running after my marathon, I’m starting to ramp up my training. I am going to run the Zooma half marathon at the end of March. If you live in Austin, Annapolis, Atlanta, or Denver and want to run a fun race, check out this series. I ran it last year and for the first year, they put on a pretty well organized race. The race shirt was cool – pink and a technical tee, they had a post race brunch at the hotel that served as race headquarters (side note, this year my friend and I are going to spend the night at the hotel for a fun escape), and everyone got a necklace at the finish. It’s a women’s race series but open to men as well, though the women runners tease them in their pink shirts. Ok, I made that up but they do allow men.

Now that it’s training season again, Sundays are long run days. If you are training for something, here’s something for your long run mix.