waiting for mezamashii

Remember these?

Well they're still in the box in my closet. They experienced 1 mile run (with a broken leg) on the treadmill and then were packed back up to wait for me until I was ready to find their brilliance.

I'm ready to break these bad boys in and write my review for the Mezamashii Project (sorry for the 8 month hiatus, Mizuno... I promise I intended to be running in these the whole time).


I'm convinced that a run in shoes that are not stark white is automatically qualifies as brilliant, but in my quest for the brilliant run, I'm hoping to stumble along some PRs, new distances (ahem...26.2miles, to be exact) and a lot more miles. 

good luck.

compression shamrocks.

These little beauts are currently en route to my mailbox.

After getting the email from Pro Compression and loving them instantly, I waited a few days to buy them and then they sold out. Devastated, I bookmarked the link and opened it every morning (maybe I hit refresh a few times during the day too...) for a week to no avail. When I thought all hope was lost, I clicked refresh for one last time and XS was back in stock and on their way to my house. Perseverance.

I plan to wear them not only in March, but all year round. Who wouldn't have fun in shamrock socks?

Sláinte!

mezamashii run project

I'll be finding my brilliant run in these puppies.

The fabulous folks at Mizuno are sponsoring the Mezamashii Run Project  on a quest for "the brilliant run" (mezamashii is  a Japanese word for "brilliant"), something I can totally get behind. To help thousands of runners achieve their goals, Mizuno is sending free sneaks to those selected. As a bonus, you get a code to give to a worthy runner. My selected worthy runner better be planning to start finding the brilliant run with me really soon...in our matching sneakers.

my very first pair post 5k

As a new lover of Mizuno, you can imagine my excitement when I found a little code in my inbox entitling me to a free pair of sneakers (any pair of my choosing).  Upon receiving the code I already knew what I want. A while ago I ran in the Wave Inspire 8's at the Mizuno trail fun run. Once I checked out the color selection these obnoxious lovely "opal and lime punch" numbers were calling my name.

Prior to being selected to join the Mezamashii Run Project, I snagged a fabulous deal on runningwarehouse.com and got the 2010 model of the Wave Alchemy for about $60. Not too shabby.

I went from zero to three (pairs) in less than six months. I think I've found the brand.

trail fail.

Wave Inspire 8 [source]

My favorite running store was hosting a trail run sponsored by Mizuno last week. So I did what anyone would do, enlisted runBFF to skip our team speed workout and go on a trail run and check out new Mizuno kicks. I wasn’t quite sure what was in store, but as I approached the group and noticed a shiny display table with 2 size runs of men's and women's  Wave Inspires, I realized you’d trade your shoes for a pair of sparkly new Mizunos to test-run. Not many things make me happier than new shoes, so I was instantly ecstatic.

All sporting new sneaks, the group made their way to the trail and took off (I guess it was more of a “start running” than a takeoff - speed is not my forte). The majority of the 2 mile loop I was focused on not tripping over limbs, rocks, roots, rouge squirrels or plunging down a rocky hill into the river; but when we had time to chat, runBFF and I were gushing over how great trail runs are. Mostly we focused on the lack of cars, cooler temps, change of scenery and how running specific loops near our homes make us want to jump off the rocky cliff into the river casually wondering “if we hurt ourselves do we get to keep the shoes?!” Something about running around in the trees and dirt is super fun, but all good things come to an end and we had to return the shoes.

So about the shoes. Loved them and will be buying a pair. I even got some good blister advice from the friendly Mizuno rep.

After we got our gross old sneakers back, it was clear 2 miles wasn’t worth the drive, so we ran the loop again. Chatting and frolicking, this girl got a little too relaxed around mile 3.5 and stopped looking down at the aforementioned limbs, rocks, roots, rogue squirrels and cliffs. Out of nowhere, this root lurched up, grabbed the front of my foot and took me down hard. I met the floor of the forest with a thud and was pretty sure I was rolling down a cliff to my demise. Realizing there were not any cliffs in sight, I looked up at runBFF who was standing (now that’s a girl with balance) waiting for the okay to laugh until she cried (I give her credit for waiting so long).

gross old shoes

Sitting up I was thanking my lucky stars that the group portion of the run was over, so I could sit in the dirt as long as I wanted testing my elbows, wrists and knees to make sure I wasn’t in need of any urgent medical attention. I don’t think I’ve fallen and scraped my knees (and hands, and wrists, and arms…) since I was probably 7 years old. Unfortunately I had given the shoes back already, because I totally could have bled on them for a pity pair. The battle wounds have been with me for a week and counting. The bruises on my legs are a new accessory that nicely compliments navy blue and purple components of my wardrobe.

I recently finished reading the trail running issue of Runner’s World. Some knowledgeable woman noted that if you’re going to run trails, you’re going to eat some dirt. Truth.

Trail: 1
Me: 0

it happened.

For years I have been silently mocking those who bound around local trails sporting the ridiculous accessory known as the “hydration” or “fuel” belt. I understand the practicality. Yes, you should be drinking when you’re on the trail logging some serious miles…but come on. A fanny pack style belt containing 5-7 “pods” of your beverage of choice is a bit much. The obvious (and cooler) solution is to carry a water bottle and circle back to your car/house/office when you need a refill.

I never wanted this day to come, but at 8pm on Saturday night I found myself at the store elbow deep in hydration options to fulfill the needs of any runner (big Saturday night for this girl!). Faced with the prospect of another 88+ degree day, I knew I couldn’t hack it for 10 miles carrying only a small bottle of sport drink. And there I was pawing through options, sighing dramatically and announcing my displeasure in choices to my shopping partner. I carried the handheld options around the store for a bit and complained ad nauseam about how itchy they felt and what a catastrophe it would be when (not if) I threw it while running and tripped over it myself or caused harm to a fellow runner. Two stores later and with a little coaxing from R, I took my pink (yep – you better believe if I’m wearing a reverse fanny pack it will be obnoxiously colored) Nathan Performance Gear Triangle to the checkout line.

yikes.

I guess deep down I knew I would eventually need to buy one, I just didn’t expect it to be so soon. In its defense, it was super comfortable for 10 miles, comes with a pocket (big enough to fit fuel, keys and a phone) and has a built in ID tag you can fill out in case of an emergency.

Do I feel dumb wearing it? You bet. Did I end my run dehydrated and delirious? No. I'm not looking to make my new accessory an every run item. This little gem has been relegated to temps above 85 degrees or runs in the double digits. I still contend that had I been training in the fall/winter, this would not have been necessary. Thanks summer training plan.