My 3 Running Related Christmas Gifts

1. Mizuno Elixir 4- I asked for these shoes for Christmas, probably against my better judgement, because I had never tried them on. I've run in Mizuno Waverider 12's for a long time and LOVE them, but my cheap source for running shoes was out of them when Santa went to get them. The Elixir's are in the same performance/training class as the Waveriders and are suggested for normal pronators on Runner's World. These shoes aren't actually that bad but they have less support than the Waveriders and seem more like performance shoes than training shoes. On a positive note, they are super light, but as I mentioned, my Waveriders are WAY more supportive and I like that for training. I'm going to live with these Elixirs though, because I can't afford another pair of shoes. I'm thinking I'm gonna rotate my shoes with way too many miles on them for shorter runs. (I know I shouldn't do that, but I'm living with what I've got and doing what I can.)

2. Amphipod Hydraform Handheld Waterbottle- I first saw this water bottle at a local running store and when I picked it up I knew I had to have it. It's ergonomically designed to make it easy to grasp while running and holds 20 oz. of water. It also easily hold my skinny phone and fuel, by the way, which I LOVE. I already have a Nathan fuelbelt, but having something around my waste irritates me sometimes while running. (I used both the water bottle and the fuel belt during my 18 mile run last week, however, and neither bothered me, but I felt a little weighed down with water.) Another great thing about the hand held is that when I run at the gym, the water no longer goes up my nose when I don't stop and take a sip. LOVE THAT!:) Anyways, I'm trying to decide whether I'm going to run with a water bottle in LA. I'm thinking no, but if I do, I'm gonna use my water bottle, not my fuel belt.

3. How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman- Mark Bittman has been profiled in Runner's World because he's a runner and I loved his recipes there. I also read his book Food Matters and agreed with his simple and natural philosophy on eating. So far, I've made two recipes from How to Cook Everything and they've received rave reviews from the esposo.

Anyways, I love reading about what people think of running gear on other blogs, so I thought I'd give my two cents on these items.

So far, this week has gone as planned running wise and I have a 11 miler with LT miles scheduled for today. I also started my 100 pushups goal with a plan found here. HAPPY RUNNING!