The Sore Leg Mystery

I?m a Treadhead – I do most of my running on the treadmill. And by most I mean basically all. The scenery isn?t all that gorgeous but the ground is smooth and the weather is amazingly consistent. I?ve also never been chased by an angry dog, lucky me!

For the past little while though, running suddenly got hard. Much harder than usual. My legs have been way more tired, sluggish and sore than ever before. And I?m not a new member to the Treadhead clan. What gives?

I didn?t get it. Maybe I was somehow suddenly overexerting myself? Maybe I wasn?t stretching as much or as often as I used to? Maybe my legs suddenly decided they just hated running?

Or MAYBE (Hello Genius) it?s those cheap ass $30 runners with zero support, cushioning, or any kind of comfort whatsoever that you picked up at Costco a few months ago just because they were so darn cheap and why not have an extra pair of runners for the heck of it, just in case. Except somehow I managed to transition those ?just in case? runners into my regular, everyday runners and have been using them on every single run for the past several months. This  realization only popped into my head a couple days ago. Several months of leg pain and more difficult runs?several months of wearing cheap ass shoes?Coincidence?

Perhaps.

But there?s only one way to find out?

?by taking my brand new (gel cushioned!) Asics runners for (many a) test run!

When I first put these shoes on, it was like I had never experienced running shoes before. I knew my cheap ass runners lacked comfort but wearing these made those seem like they were made out of cardboard.

I don?t know for sure if these are going to magically make my legs feel less stiff and sore like they currently do all the time? but I have a good feeling that I?m going to just FLY on that tready tomorrow. Holla New Shoes! Here?s to much more enjoyable runs to come.

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And on a not-so-running-related note?I have a large and in charge backlog of food pictures from this past week (and a bit beyond).  

Wanna see?

It?s that APPLE time of year. Holla Gala. I love my Galas.

Bananas topped with nut butter and sweet potato mixes are good too, but they don?t need a special time of year. Well neither do apples, but? whatever.

Ring ring ring ring ring ring ring?banana bowl.

But some mornings you just gotta go for the chocolate. The Deep Chocolate Vitatop that is. Stuffed with Mighty Maple and strawberries atop a bed of plain yogurt and more strawberries? Don?t mind if I do.

New food try ? Pasta Slim.  Kinda like those Shirataki noodle things only slightly less fishy-stenched. Rinse, rinse, rinse.

Mix with marinara, mushrooms, spinach, Frank?s and chili powder. CHOMP. I also suggest cutting the noodles up beforehand, those things are long.

Or you could go the even cheaper mock-pasta route and spaghetti squash it up. Especially if you load it with broccoli, black beans, marinara sauce and feta.

Or with spinach, black beans, marinara, Frank?s and hummus!

Make any Rice Burgers lately? Why not top ?em with a slice of melted Allegro cheese and dijon mustard?

Need a work snack? Take advantage of a FREE Sample.

Don?t forget to eat your veggies, kids.

Sometimes I eat my salads with oodles of noodles.

Or oodles of chickpeas, though that doesn?t have quite the same ring?ring ring ring ring ring ring?

If I?m feeling extra fancy, sometimes I top my salads with firm tofu mashed with a sauce of peanut butter, hoisin sauce and Sriracha (Just look how fancy I can get).

Or if I?m not, then I?ll use some jarred marinara on plain chunks of tofu. Those other white shrively things are roasted kohlrabi ?fries?. I dig.

More than just sometimes, I often dress my greens in cottage cheese (and honey mustard dressing). But too much cottage cheese did some serious damage to my interiors the other day and now I?m not buying it for a while. Not nice, dairy.

If you?re extra lazy, or rushed, or you just don?t like your greens, you could always drink them. As long as it?s alongside hot and lovely coffee or warm beverage of choice, otherwise you might freeze to death. Hey, it?s Fall, it?s cold out now!

You can even drink your fruit now too! Who woulda thunk it.

And if you?re still cold from drinking up all of your fruits and vegetables (clearly you didn?t have enough coffee), then you could just make a Deep Dish Veggie Tart for dinner to warm you from the inside out. Or outside in. Or? both I guess?

Your fam might not love it? and you might want to follow the instructions and actually search down that whole wheat pastry flour it calls for rather than settling for regular whole wheat flour so that you?ll end up with a more appropriate crust-like crust?

but I liked it quite a lot. Even though it fell apart and looked like a sludge pile. A very tasty sludge pile.

Plenty more leftovers for me!

And speaking of leftovers? I have some of those homework-style leftovers to attend to before hitting the hay. Though I may have to save those for tomorrow?s meal. I?m kinda stuffed right now.

How often do you replace your runners? Do you invest in a good pair or just grab a pair of cheapies? ? Don?t! Seriously, those things will kill your legs.