New Gear

Nothing makes running fun like new gear.  Okay well maybe a trail or running partner or race.  Okay, new gear makes running fun.  I went back to The North Face and used my gift card to get a new hat and new socks.  My old hat is two years old and I wear it all the time.  It is beginning to look a bit beat up.  This better than naked hat is super light and fits well.  I have heard about smartwool and how great it is.  The guys at TNF educated me as to how polyester moves moisture but doesn't remove it like smartwool does.  It made me feel as if my dumbsocks were not good enough.  Of course after getting these things I needed to go for a run to test it, Duh!  The socks were amazing! I thought I left the house with out a hat until I looked up and realized I was wearing a hat.  It was a very humid day and my feet had no hot spots after 6 miles.  Gear CHECK!


     This was not the only gear I bought today.  Online I found a great deal on a hydration system.  I was planning on buying a Nathan Quick Draw to match the one I have, so I have two for my training and race.  I got an offer for 10$ off at MooseJaw and saw they had CamelBak FlashFlo.  I was able to get it for 30$ and change.  With the 15$ I was going to spend on the Nathan and the $15 I got for fathers day I figured this was a good upgrade.


      I also made the decision on what kind of shoes I would like.  When the budget allows it I hope to score a pair of Montrail FluidBalance or Montrail Mountain Masochist ii.

Trail Shoes

     I may be in the market for a new pair of shoes.  My trainers have 130 and 100 miles on them.  I have a pair of zero drops with 30 miles on them, but they are rarely used because I need something with more support.  I figure about 500-600 more training miles and that is 380-430 miles on my shoes on race day.  I feel like that is getting up there in miles for a race, plus I have a marathon three weeks after that.
     After dinner I went to The North Face to see what kind of shoes they have.  Tried on some shoes that felt like five pound bricks and others that my feet spilled over too much.  There was one pair that fit okay except for a small pinching feeling across the top of the toe box.  Maybe it is tight there for my foot, maybe it is my brain.  These shoes were made for trail OR road.  And it got me thinking.  Do I even need trail shoes.  I currently run on trails in my old Brooks Vapor 10.  In the past I ran on my older shoes since the trail made up for the loss of cushioning.
     So I am currently accessing if I need a pair of trail shoes to run in or just another pair of shoes to help me ease some of the miles.  When I ran some of the course it was packed dirt and sandy, with some small (baseball sized or smaller) rocky decents.  I figure this shoe would run me 65-70$ after gift card and sale price.  I am going to create a short list and see what my best options are.  Any ideas?