Investing in proper running shoes

I have often heard people talk about how running shoes are so important. Having looked into it, I found that the general consensus of people who really knew what they were talking about was that they don't necessarily get better the more you spend. I have come to the conclusion that whilst this may be true, this is after a threshold amount.

I went to Up and Running yesterday and got my gait measured. For those of you, like me yesterday, who don't know what that involves, it's when they have you run on a treadmill and watch how your feet hit the ground. It's actually really interesting. The lady, let's call her Jane, showed me how my left ankle doesn't straighten and assured me that the correct cushioning could sort this. With the next pair of trainers I could see the improvement. Unfortunately she also showed me that my right foot strikes the ground at a very definite angle and suggested I see a sport's physio to sort this out. It explains why I get pain in my right hip. However, I'm a bit cheap and a bit lazy so until this really really starts to hurt I'm going to leave it as right now it just feels as sore as strained muscles. The pain may increase if I get more serious with my miles and it's good to know that I already have an idea of the problem. I know prevention is better than a cure, but I really don't think it's going to be doing any long-term damage.

Anyway, I did spend quite a bit on my trainers, but I think they are a good investment as it's your most important piece of kit. I would highly reccomend anyone looking into taking running seriously to go to one of these shops as they really know what they're talking about and the fact that you can see it all for yourself is really useful. Having now spent a large proportion of my salary on a pair of shoes, I now have all the motivation I need to get out and make them worth not eating this month.

Oriental delights!

Yesterday I went into Leeds and finally got myself to an oriental supermarket. I bought a Mooli ( a sort of radish) a huge tub of soya bean paste, massive bottle of rice vinegar, some Konbu, various types of tofu and many other things. It was great! So I made some noodle soup today, it was really tasty. I didn't take a picture as it is nothing to look at, but I cooked the konbu in some water and added some boullion. Then added my veg and some liquid smoke, lastly the noodles and bean paste. I have enough left for lunch tomorrow, nom nom!

I'm hoping at some point to have a Japanese themed dinner party. Handy choice as I have no chairs so everyone can sit on the ground around the coffee table, mental coincidence, eh? Anyway, I'm very excited about this idea. I'm thinking some sushi, tempura, some kind of edamene bean salad and then some noodles. I really want to go buy one of those massive packs of chopsticks!