Running in the Hometown

I'm back in Alberta this week. As always, running in the drier climate, with more packed snow is frustrating.

I went for a brief run with my sister yesterday; my first since I'd landed on Monday. While I had no fear that she was faster than me, I was worried by a few things.
First, the air is drier in Alberta than in Ontario, and thinner because of elevation. That means less oxygen getting to my muscles, and a constant thirst.
Also, the snow packed on the sidewalks made running more of an effort, because I would start to slip a little as I pulled my foot from the pave... er, snow. That means more effort expended in balance as well.
Lastly, my shoes were reaching their replace-by date, as I have had them since before my race in September. I had kept them going this long because Alberta has 0% provincial sales tax (PST), so the only tax was the 5% goods and sales tax, as opposed to Ontario, where the PST is 7%. In any case, I was definitely feeling my legs and knees ache for the past few runs, and decided it was time for a new pair.
Remember: Even if you aren't using your running shoes, the foam in them will degrade over time, so storing them for years in a closet will not keep them fresh and new!

So I stopped by the local Running Room this morning and got a new pair. I found a pair of Glycerin 6! The Glycerin 6 was my first pair of running shoes, and when I bumped up to a Glycerin 7, I learned a harsh and expensive lesson about using new shoes on a treadmill first.

Today, my sister and I will be going to the new fitness centre in our hometown to try out these new shoes, and hopefully not make the mistake I made the first time 'round.

I am lucky that I came home during a week of relatively nice weather; the forecast hovers around a high of 0C. Apparently the day after I leave, the mercury drops dramatically. Lucky me!

In other news, I am signed up for the St. Patrick's Day 5k run on March 13. It sounds like a fun run to do, as there are prizes for best costume, dry-fit shirts, and I know someone else who is running that race. It's about two kilometers longer than I'm supposed to run that day, but it's all in good fun.