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Running Status & the Mizuno Wave Rider 17

The following post is sponsored by FitFluential on behalf of Mizuno. All opinions and sob stories are my own!

Not much has changed since I last updated. The running situation is incredibly depressing at the moment. I’m trying to focus on everything else I have to do and enjoy the extra “free time” in my life. Of course, that’s kind of a joke since I spend 6 hours a week in physical therapy and driving to and from. And of course I SHOULD be doing some other form of exercise to keep up my stamina, but it’s really hard to get motivated to drive 40 minutes round trip to work out in a stuffy gym.

Okay, so nevermind the whole “extra free time” idea. It’s just plain depressing. LOL!

I did run on Thanksgiving Day. I couldn’t stand not running for one. more. minute! The weather was so crisp and cold, and I have a standing tradition of running a 5K on Thanksgiving Day. (Two years is a tradition, right?) It just seems to start the whole eating frenzy off right!!

That morning, after ruining a batch of homemade cinnamon rolls, I debated going back to bed or going for a run. I put on my warmest cold-weather running gear, laced up my new Mizuno Wave Rider 17 Running Shoes and walked out the door.

As soon as I started trotting down that familiar road with the winter gray sky, the old thrill of the run was back. It. Felt. Fantastic.

I could feel a huge smile spread across my face. I think I might have actually laughed out loud. I set my Garmin because I was curious, and I averaged a 9:45 minute mile, which is pretty much my old comfortable pace, so I was thrilled with that.

I only ran 2.5 miles, though. I knew I shouldn’t push it, and did I mention, it was COLD!?

I felt invigorated, but it was bittersweet because I knew I wouldn’t be running again for a while. Still… I was hoping that I wouldn’t feel any ill effects and maybe I’d be allowed to do some short runs here and there, just to keep myself going.

I got home and stretched my foot and calf and tried to baby it so I wouldn’t do any further damage to my plantar fasciitis.

I made sure to wear comfortable shoes the rest of the day, but as I stood all afternoon at our family Thanksgiving gathering, my foot started to throb. I still have a long way to go to get my feet back to good health.

To add insult to injury (quite literally), I woke up the next morning to discover that my thighs were sore from running. From running 2.5 miles. WHAT THE HECK!? I wasn’t sore the day after my half marathon!!

It all seems so hopeless right now. I am SURE everyone is sick of my whining . . . both online and in real life! But it’s just so incredibly frustrating to sit here while everything I gained over the past two years goes straight to mush.

Meanwhile, I was sent these gorgeous Mizuno sneakers to try out!!

mizuno wave rider 17

I’ve been wanting to try Mizunos, and I never got around to going to the running store so when I was offered this campaign with FitFluential, I jumped at the chance.

I was first impressed with how lightweight they are, even though they have more stability in the sole than my usual lightweight minimal-style sneakers.

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My chiropractor told me that break between the front of the foot and the heal is key to a shoe that has stability and flexibility. (I’m sure there is a more technical term for that type of sole, but you can see what I mean, right???) Yet they’re a neutral shoe so they allow for natural foot motion.

I did wear them to run on Thanksgiving Day.

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I liked the feel of them very much. They have a nice wide toe box, and the neutral fit is comfortable for me. Yet they still have enough stability that I didn’t have pain in the side of my foot, as I did the last time I ran in more minimal shoes.

I’d love to run in them some more!! I might get a chance this weekend, at my daughter’s Girls On the Run 5K. I am not really supposed to be running, but she does more of a walk/run and my PT told me to go ahead as long as I stretch the dickens out of my foot and calf before and after.

Meanwhile I’ve worn them a few days just around town with yoga pants. They are super cute and comfortable to wear all day.

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I’ve also been wearing them to my strength training sessions, and once again, I love how Mizuno has created a lightweight, neutral shoe with good stability. These shoes are made for running, but they’re also a great all-around sneaker. I will be wearing them A LOT!

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10 Responses

  1. Hey there – my running coach is INSISTENT that the shoes we run in ONLY be used for running – so as to properly track mileage and know when replacement time is. My knees are my first signal it’s time for new shoes and I’d go through them like CRAZY if I wore them outside of pure running. I wear much cheaper shoes (or any of the hundreds of worn flat running shoes) for around town and a only slightly cheaper pair for bootcamp/gym time.

  2. Ugh I am so sorry you are having such a setback! I know that is frustrating after your awesome year and first half. Good for you running on Thanksgiving. I did this all growing up (usually 1 mile fun runs as a kid) and it remains one of my favorite times to run. But we are never home!

  3. I’m so sorry about your foot. I had PF right after I gave birth to my (now) 3 y.o. It was debilitating for close to a year. I didn’t do PT, although I probably should have. I just stretched and stretched, and strrreeetccched and wore better shoes and stretched it some more. One thing that really helped was the use of a ball that was kind of like a lacrosse ball. For the life of me I cannot remember where I got it. I’ll keep looking for that because the exercises it gave really helped. I think those exercises were the final thing that really helped it to go away. It rears its ugly head occasionally. Being tied to food intolerances as I am with myself and kids, I started to take note of what I was doing before it bothered me and I noticed that if I had overindulged in sugar or had maybe 2 glasses of wine instead of one, my foot would really hurt the next morning. I’m assuming that whatever sends one’s body into a state of inflammation would affect something like Plantar fasciitis. Anywho, those are my thoughts. I’ll keep looking for that exercise DVD!

  4. I hear you…I’m on running probation right now too…haven’t done more than two miles at a time since I dropped out of MCM, and nothing the last couple of weeks due to travel and weather. I officially deferred Dopey to 2015, which was really sad at first, but as the holidays get closer, it’s nice not having to do long runs, actually. Trying to decide what I’m going to build up for in 2015. I usually do a 5 mile Hangover on Jan 1…great way to start out the year, but I don’t know if I’ll be back up to that yet. Sad…

  5. WTG on getting out there & doing it sensibly!! I loooooooooooove mizunos!!! I have the wave inspire b/c they have a nice high arch that I need. When I ‘took a break’ from running I had to turn my running shoes into my ‘wear all day work’ shoes & I love them. I am in sad need of new ones, that’s what my Christmas money is already ear-tagged for 😉

  6. I’m on my third pair of Wave Rider’s. Honestly, I don’t forsee ever changing styles. They work well for my feet.

    I haven’t been running much since October 20, my last half. It’s too cold & dark in the morning and unfortunately that’s the best time of day for my schedule to run.

    1. Yeah, that’s my best time of day too. Although I can go when the kids get on the bus now, which is nice! It’s lighter (and warmer) then. In the summer, I’m up with the birds!

  7. I’ve run in Wave Riders before and like them. As I work on increasing my mileage just a little at a time, I’m surprised about feeling so sore after my short runs, too. Good to hear you had a good run in your new shoes!

  8. I’ve been hearing so much chatter about these Wave Riders lately that I will have to look into them next time I’m up for new shoes. Have you tried the Altras? They are Zero Drop shoes and may help with foot problem since the heel isn’t raised as much as traditional shoes. I’ve been wearing them now for over a month and they have been working out well for me!

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