Well, it has been awhile since I've posted anything, but it has been busy on this front!  

First things first...SHARKS WIN biggest game of the season in the NHL.  They were losing 2-1 going into the third period at Boston. I was a little frustrated at how we (yes, WE) had been playing so I took off my newly purchased jersey.  Well, that must have worked because we scored 4 unanswered goals for a final tally of 5-2.  This was the first loss in regulation for the Bruins when they had been ahead going into the third.  I'm telling you, this is the season.  They will not let us fans down in the playoffs.  The Western Conference Final is going to be a great series if it's Sharks-Red Wings...

Nabokov's awesome save in the 2nd!  

Last week I decided I needed to figure out my knee problem.  I figured the best place to look would be the shoes.  I have 200 miles on my current Nike Vomero2 pairs, so I took a nice little trip south to Franklin, TN to Fleet Feet.  I had never had my gait analyzed and I thought it would be a good idea to have that done.  Now, I hate going to stores.  I'm the kind of person that does all of my research beforehand and only goes to the store to pick the unit and pay for it.  I hate salespeople and I hate asking questions.  However, this time I had no idea what I was looking for because I had no idea about my gait.  I figured I was a neutral striker, but Amy suggested that maybe I was doing a little over-pronation with my knee problems.  

I talked to the salesperson and told her about my knee problems.  I brought my current running shoes and wore running socks (like you should when you buy new running shoes).  She could not tell from the wear on my current shoes, but she wanted me to run a bit to determine my gait.  Well, we did all of this, including running on a treadmill with a video of my foot strikes.  Lo and behold:  minor over-pronation.  *sigh* Amy was right.  

Now, I've been a Nike person since I have been running.  I have the Nike+ ipod setup and such, but I told her I absolutely have no loyalties to Nike.  I don't care what my running shoes say as long as they aren't UT orange.  She showed me the Saucony Guide's and another pair of Nikes.  I ran in the Saucony first and felt very comfortable in them.  They are a good stability shoe with over-pronation correction.  Much sturdier and less giving than my current Vomeros.  I then tried the Nikes, and by the time I walked to the door to go job in them I already knew I hated them.  They made contact with the top of my feet when I pushed off.  Ug...

So, I ended up buying the Sauconys.  I asked if she had another pair that may be in another color.  I like to have two pair so I can rotate and such, and another color so I could tell them apart.  She looked and only had the one pair in my size.  Ug.  She then told me that she was getting the 2nd generation of the Guides in in a couple of weeks.  She said that the only changes were purely cosmetic.  Well, I bought the shoes for $90; quite a steal I though when my Nikes were $125.  The only problem was that this particular store does not take the Nashville Striders discount.  Oh well.  

I then got into my truck and thought that maybe another store that does take the discount may have another pair in my size.  I went to Athlete's House and their display model for my shoes were the same color.  I asked if they had another pair in a different color, but he said no, but he DID have the Guide 2!  I tried them on and liked them, so I bought them as well.  They are cosmetically different, but the same colors.  I then bought red shoe laces to tell them apart without having to look at them for more than a second.  One problem: Now the Guide 2 pair with the red shoe laces look like a pair that an Ole Miss fan would wear.  Stupid SEC schools (other than Vandy, of course).

My new shoes!  Guide 2 on top.

Stupid Ole Miss colors.  Why can't shoe companies make Black/Gold or Maroon/Silver shoes?

Oh, and when I got home I looked to see what other colors these models come in...yeah, they come in ORANGE.  Stupid UT.