A spring in my step

When I got dressed for my Thursday-night run with Pacers last night, I realized something big: Gloveless season is here again! For what I’m pretty sure is the first time since moving here in November, it was too warm to wear my nifty Mizuno running gloves. Spring!

My excitement was balanced by the realization that warmer weather means I’m back to being the sweaty mess I was for four straight years running in Florida. Truly, I’m the sweatiest person I know, male or female. If you think you can compete with me on this front, you’re wrong.

But I digress. This is a celebration of spring, and sweaty or not, it’s a lot easier to run when you’re distracted by the pillowy pink and white blooms blanketing the Washington area right now. For those of you in colder climes, I’m including some photos of my block so you can share the pretty, pink love.

I’m also including a photo of the other thing motivating me today: new shoes! And not just any new shoes: free new shoes! Once a month or so, a sales rep from a major shoe company visits our Pacers fun runs, offering the chance for every runner to test-drive a pair of new shoes. At the end of the evening, one pair of shoes is raffled off.

Last night, I test-drove a pair of New Balance 769s on Pacers’ 5.2-mile Alaska route, and fell in love. My orthotics fit into the shoes perfectly (no small feat), and the shoes are just as supportive but more cushiony than my beloved Brooks Adrenalines. If I hadn’t won the shoes, I would have been seriously sad to give them back. As my Pacers buddies, who saw me jumping around like a child who’s been given a free bag of candy upon winning, can attest, this totally made my week.

Happy running, and good luck to everyone who’s running the Cherry Blossom 10-miler!