The Skinny on Shorts
Before we get to today’s post… I would be remiss not to include this disclaimer. I am hoping and praying that every citizen of the Boston area is not taking this situation lightly and staying in their homes / residences, as advised. I am holding the entire area, especially law enforcement, in my heart today. Everything that has happened this week, from Boston to Texas, makes this post feel exceptionally frivolous. So for those not interested in frivolity…. please feel free to skip today’s post.
How do you guys feel about shorts? I have a love / hate relationship with them. For YEARS I simply never wore them. I exercised in long pants or capris year round, regardless of the heat. I had it in my mind that my thighs were just “too fat” to wear shorts. As part of my work with intuitive eating, I realized that, similar to “food rules” I had also created “body rules” for myself and it was time to challenge those! Mike was always encouraging me to wear shorts, especially in the dead of summer when running gets really challenging. He also happens to think I look good in them, but that’s neither here nor there.
So I decided to challenge my “no shorts” rule this year and try to find some shorts that work. My list of criteria are as follows:
- Larger leg holes. I do have very muscular legs and my thighs are a touch bigger than the average duck. I need a pair of short that doesn’t constrict my movement or feel uncomfortable
- Slightly longer inseam. I’m looking for 3 – 5 ” here. No splits or shortie shorts for me! HOLY CHUB RUB.
- Wide waist band. Absolutely crucial for a comfortable fit that doesn’t dig into my hips / create awkward bumps.
- Built in briefs. This is by far the best thing about running shorts. Built in underwear! Some people don’t like this but I LOVE IT.
Here are some of my favorites I have found so far.
Lululemon Run: Pace Skirt – TOTALLY jumping on the running skirts train. They are awesome. Not cheap though. Great quality materials and the shorts have grippy material on the leg hole so they don’t ride up. Amazeballs.
Moving Comfort Momentum Short – Solid inseam length and a really comfortable materials. Look at that wide waist band… my muffin top thanks you!
Under Armour Great Escape Shorts – These are a really different material but I totally love them. The printed patterns are SO FUN and the length / waistband totally fit the bill.
Questions for You Guys:
- What are your favorite shorts?
- What are your thoughts on shorts? Love em? Hate em?
Cyber Monday was Torture
So as you may recall… I’m still on Operation Spend Less Money. And one of my goals on my Fall 2012 To Do List was Stick to the Budget (particularly… NO SHOPPING). I LOVE to shop, so this has been pretty tough on me. Luckily, super busy days at work have left me little time to click over my danger-zones of internet shopping (Idle hands are the devil’s playthings after all).
I’m not going to say I’ve bought NOTHING (I got a sick deal on black riding boots that I’ve been wanting for a solid year)… but I’ve been really good!! Yesterday… was… torture. Black Friday has no draw for me. I find shopping enjoyable and relaxing, so I don’t personally like the idea of standing in long lines, fighting huge crowds, and potentially fighting other people (did everyone else see this video? Never have I ever wanted underwear that badly). No judgment though… I know lots of people who love Black Friday. More power to you!! I bet you have a sweet new TV at home right now. Mike bought us a new $8 toaster at Walmart though, so don’t count us out just yet.
Black Friday was easy to avoid because I just didn’t go out shopping. Cyber Monday though… whole different story. I was hit with a tidal wave of emails advertising big sales, free shipping (am I the only one who gets completely bamboozled by the offer of free shipping?), BOGO, and more.
My inner thrift shopper was crying out… LOOK HOW MUCH MONEY YOU COULD SAVE!!! But then my non-crazy side had to chime in and say “You could save even more by not buying more crap you don’t need. Leave your credit card in your wallet!”
However, I made one singular Cyber Monday purchase. I bought new running shoes. I have been debating purchasing new sneakers for a couple months now (Remember this post? Yeah never actually bought anything) and I’m way overdue for a new pair. My Asics are pretty done and my Nike’s are on their way too. I was starting to feel some discomfort in my knees and feet, which is never good. It was time to bite the bullet and buy new sneakers. The perfect dilemma for a day boasting major internet shopping deals. I’ll admit, I would LOVE to get a pair of the Mizuno Wave Rider 16s. The blog world is buzzing about these shoes. But right now they’re $103.95 on RW. With the holidays coming up, I need to watch my pennies. I do have a birthday coming in January though… hmmmm….
I digress…on the way to me right now – a brand spanking new pair of Saucony Cortanas
I’ve got purchasing running shoes down to somewhat of a science. One of my first “budgeting” posts on POTR was about how to get good bargain running shoes. I followed my own advice and went right over to Running Warehouse. Always free shipping (totally bamboozled) and these bad boys are on liquidation sale (Down to $78.66 from $145!!). This shoe had really everything I was looking for in a marathon trainer: low heel drop (4 mm), light-ish weight (9.9 oz), and plenty of cushion for long runs. I’ll do a full review once they come in 🙂
Also… how sweet are these colors? I’m not completely immune to that. Sorry I’m not sorry.
In the market
For a new pair of running shoes! I know I know, no shopping. But this isn’t exactly the same thing. I need shoes for running and they ware out over time. During my last bout of marathon training, I wrote this post about my current shoe rotation and I haven’t bought new shoes since then. My Adidas Marathon 10s are totally worn out so I only keep them for hiking, gym sessions etc. My Asics probably don’t have a ton more in them, certainly not enough to get me through the fall racing season. My Nikes are still in good shapre, but they’re not very cushy for longer distances. I prefer them for shorter, faster runs (I haven’t used them for over 10 miles yet). I think it’s time to add another shoe to the rotation, especially if I am planning on starting to train for another marathon in November. WOOHOO I GET TO BUY SOMETHING AND IT’S NOT CHEATING ON OPERATION SPEND LESS MONEY!!! Sorry, maybe that was too excited 🙂
Anyways, I was disappointed when I went to my trusty “inexpensive running shoes” source … Running Warehouse and this was all I found in the sale section: http://www.runningwarehouse.com/catpage-SALETHINGW.html womp womp.
The Asics Gel Cirrus 33 looked right up my alley but even on sale they are out of my price range (I just can’t spend $100 on running shoes… say whatever you want about how that makes me cheap but I need to figure out how to be a runner and also still pay my electric bill. Life is about compromises)
The price is just right on the Brooks Green Silence but I was dissuaded by the whole “The faster you are, the longer you can run in this shoe.” Uhhhhhh, does that mean the slower I am, the shorter I can run in this shoe? It says ideal for any distance, but that made me feel like this wasn’t the shoe for me. I like a shoe with a light upper, but full contact soul sounded like it would be more like my Nikes. I’m looking for a cushier sole for longer distances. Hmmm ok. Time to look elsewhere.
Upon further investigation of the website, I was intrigued by the Adidas adiZero F50 2. It fits the bill for a cushy sole, but it also only weighs 8.7 ounces… score! Here’s my only hesitation – the heel-toe drop is 11 mm. My Nikes have a 6 mm heel-toe drop and my Asics 9 mm. I prefer a lower heel-toe drop, but am not ready to go totally minimalist. I feel like I want to stay under 10 mm, but 1 mm is seriously not that big of a difference. Ok Adidas adiZero F50 is still in the running but the hunt continues.
Then I started looking at the Saucony Kinvara 3. Mike has the men’s Kinvara (not sure which version) and I remembered him saying he really liked them. I love the 4 mm heel-toe drop and low weight (6.7 oz). The description seemed to suggest that there was still cushioning on the sole. My only hesitation here is the price. They would be approximately $69 at the end of the day. Compared to the Adidas, which would be about $50. Both are very affordable options, but the Adidas would save me almost $20. Again, call me cheap all you want, but I’m just trying to be real here! 🙂
I need your input folks!
- Any votes on the two shoes I’ve mentioned in this post? Others I should consider?
- What do you normally spend on a pair of running shoes?
- How do you evaluate different shoes?
- Do you have a go-to shopping source?
christinazimm
Pennies on the Run 