Not too much to say this week. I'm a little tired from traveling home and starting classes last night.

But here's the weekly buzz!

Physique 57 Specials (aka a discount-yes, a bargain-no)

September 1 - September 15, purchase 57 Days of Fitness and receive 57 days of unlimited classes. The investment in your fit and shapely physique is only $750 (that's $23.50 per class if you visit 4 times a week!).

Pair Down Deal
When you and a friend who is new to Physique 57 both take 14 classes within 4 weeks, you receive a few special gifts. One $50 Gift Certificate to Le Pain Quotidien and 10% off your next Physique 57 class package.

Yoga Challenge

Om's Yoga Challenge is back! They challenge you to attend 30 classes in 30 days in October, joining is free, the $139 monthly unlimited class package suggested. Not a bad deal! If you join the class, you get 10% off other special workshops, including Yoga Cook Eat.

http://www.omyoga.com/workshops/2008/03_Challenge.htm

Nike Clearance Picks

Here are a few cute pieces of apparel on clearance at Nike.com!

Nike Base Layer Short Sleeve T-Shirt now just 14.99

Nike Border Tennis Jacket $31 from $65

Nike Knit Acceleration Shorts $13 from $38

Great read of the week: The Perfect Fit from Trying to Heal

I totally related to this because pants NEVER fit me! I have loved wearing skirts and dresses all summer because they always fit and hide everything! But fall is here, and I now have to face putting pants on fresh out of the dryer, which often requires a lot of sucking in, wriggling and hopping! On the bright side, if the worst thing I have to face this fall is tight pants, life's not that bad!

Great info of the week: What is the Best Running Shoe? Very informative article by my fav sports store: Jack Rabbit Sports.
Don't forget to try the Shoe Dog Shoe Finder or the Runner's World Shoe Finder for some running shoe options tailored to you. But always go to the store to test them out before purchasing!

Personal Buzz

I am doing the Fitness Mind Body Spirit Games 4 Mile Race in Central Park tomorrow. And tut tut, it looks like rain, yuck!

I also need to find time for my long run this weekend. I just don't have the energy to do it after work. I don't think I want to run 12 miles in the rain tomorrow. So if it is going to happen, it is looking like early Sunday before a 12:30 brunch.

This is the test to determine if I want to sign up for the Philly full marathon in November. I have a lot on my plate with work (and looking for a new job that involves considerably less soul sucking), school (I have an econ class this semester which is no joke for liberal arts Meliss!) and wanting to have some type of social life! But we shall see, I do love the glory of training and that beautiful finish line.

TGIF Folks!

Tips for finding the perfect shoes

Finding the perfect sneaker can be a tricky, in some cases, even a daunting proposition. There are so many variables: pronation, foot shape, stride style, intended use, terrain. All of these come into play on your quest to find the shoe that will make you feel like Paula Radcliffe.

Typically, it is recommended that you replace your shoes every 300-400 miles. It really does make a difference. I should have been better about tracking my weekly mileage, so I wouldn't have been running on dead soles for so long. Next time, I will plan ahead and take the time to try out a new shoe.

The right shoe can help you avoid injury and make running or any exercise far more enjoyable, so it’s worth a little leg work. Not to mention that it’s a reasonable financial investment to buy new shoes every 3-4 months.

My first tip is to do the arch test.

Wet your feet and then step onto a piece of card board. Step off and check out the marks left behind.

If you the space between your ball and heel is filled in (almost solid across), you have low arches.

If there is a thin line between the ball and the heel, but it is not totally filled in, you have a moderate arch.

If there is little to no line connecting ball to heel, you have a high arch.

Making sure you have proper arch support is very important when looking for a shoe, the higher your arch, the more support you need.

Another thing to check is your old shoes. Look at where they are most worn down on the soles to help determine where you need the most support.

Then I would recommend checking out the Shoe Dog-Shoe Finder on Road Runner Sports. It asks you many questions in order to determine the best shoes for you, and then offers you a wide selection of matches. It kind of rocks.

I like to look at the shoe reviews in runner’s world, but that is just to get an idea of what is out there, and what other people have enjoyed.

So now that you have an idea of your arch type and possible matches, I offer you something I think is essential: go to a great shoe store.

I often declare my love for Jack Rabbit Sports, but there are any others. This is what to look for:

Knowledgeable staff—who aren’t too pushy and just want to sell you stuff

A treadmill with a video camera. You should actually test your shoes by running, not just walking around the store for 30 seconds. The video really helps the staff assistant and you analyze your stride to determine your pronation and support needs. Nike operates a Runner's Station on 15th and the Westside highway that actually lets you test drive shoes and equipment--like the Nike+ Sport band. Plus they sell water and gus. They will ALSO let you store your stuff in lockers for FREE while you run!

Any good store will have a treadmill for you to use with similar technology. The Addidas Sports Performance Store will actually analyze your foot and design a custom made shoe for you.

Try many, many pairs. And at least two or three sizes. It will feel a bit like What Not to Wear, but you need to be able to compare.

Make sure you are totally happy, don’t feel pressured to buy a pair just because you need them or you feel like you took up a lot of the customer service person’s time. It’s okay!

Make sure the store has a good return policy. They should allow you to return/exchange your shoes even if you wore them once or twice.

Happy shopping!

Tomorrow is always another day.

So I decided not to run the half yesterday. I woke up with a headache, and it was pretty cold outside, so I elected to sleep in rather than try to muddle through 13 miles.

I am glad I did because I feel the best I have in over a week today. In a few minutes I am off to volunteer for Team in Training handing out information at a Nike Runner's booth near Chelsea Piers before meeting friends for a very late brunch.

Since my dvd player broke I have been relying on vhs tapes for my workout videos. I have Crunch Fat Burning Pilates and The Ultimate Video Workout by Kathy Smith. I have to say my 1986 Ultimate Video Workout rocks the house. It is really good and really challenging, mostly of endurance. I recommend it if you can find it on ebay and can handle bad 80's workout clothes.

This morning I did Ashley Simpson's workout from this month's issue of Shape. Pretty good, I worked up a sweat! I'll post it later if you want.

In other news, I am totally excited to have a new pair of Asics GT 2010. My old ones were so worn down, running felt like driving on a flat tire. Since I knew my size, I scouted several online sites, Road Runner Sports, Zappos, and then found them for $59 at The Finish Line website. I'm not a huge fan of the pink, but all the shoes I find attractive always turn out to be poor choices for my foot shape and running stride.



Can't wait to take them for a test drive! Paulo Nutini's song, new shoes, is stuck in my head right now. I am such a dork.

Oh, I am also excited to try a striptease workout class on Tuesday. More on why later!

Off to take the dog for a quick walk before heading out for the day. Enjoy your Sunday!