The run begins and ends at the store and there are 3 or 4 routes that they alternate through. Last night's run took us past Bronson Park which was all lit up with Christmas lights, down some residential roads, up a hill to Western Michigan University's campus to an area where all of the fraternities are. I didn't have a total mileage in mind when I started, I figured I would just turn back when I felt like it or if my knee started hurting, but I ended up running behind a group of 4 women who were going at a nice consistent pace and "I'll turn around when I feel ready" turned into a nice 5 mile run. One of the women I was running with has been the 11 minute mile pacer for a couple of marathons, no wonder the group's pace was so consistent! I struck up a conversation with them and was sucked into their group and told all about the running club they belong to, the Kalamazoo Area Runners. I'm going to look into it some more today and see if it is something I would be interested in joining. I was trying to take it easy because of my knee and one of the other women was a beginning runner, so when she needed to walk I would walk too and it worked out perfectly.
Asics was a sponsor of this run and they sent one of their representatives with 3 types of shoes we could test out on the run (2 for the women and 1 for the men). I tried out the GT-2000 shoes and was pretty impressed overall, although I did feel like my heel was slipping around a little, so these shoes probably aren't the best fit for me personally. They felt like a very stable shoe and had a bit more flex to them than the shoes I normally wear. I didn't have any knee pain while running with them which was definitely a plus! It's so much fun to be able to try out new shoes (for 5 miles!) and not have to buy them or even be pressured to buy them after your run.
When we returned to Gazelle, there were prizes for the people who tried out the Asics shoes, hot chocolate, egg nog, and even beer from one of the local pubs. Since we had to go pick up the girls I didn't indulge in the beer, but I did grab an Asics cup koozie and wrist band before taking off.
Thanks Gazelle and Asics for sponsoring such an awesome run and bringing together such a welcoming running community. I've only been to two Urban Herd runs, but I love that I always feel included and everyone is cheering everyone else on as they pass them. I will definitely be attending more of their runs in the future!
Note: This post is not sponsored by Asics or Gazelle Sports, I just had a great time last night!
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