It was at this point I still thought I could take a couple of days off and then knock out my long run on Sunday, so I wasn't feeling too bad.

Saturday, Alex and I went out for breakfast and then to a local running store. They tested each of our feet to see what our strides are like. He tends to put a lot of pressure on his heels and has a VERY high arch. I was pleasantly surprised to find I don't have the overpronation problem I thought I did, and I'm actually fairly even in my foot pressure.

My shoes had no doubt lost their support, though, so I went with these Hoka Clifton 8's. They were a little pricey, but they are the lightest shoe I've ever felt. I admit I didn't do a lot of research before buying these. While I think they will serve their purpose for what I need, I'd watch this review before making a decision if you are looking to buy:

After that, Alex and I biked at a local trail.

It was a really fun ride, but anything with him is fun!

Sunday we went to church. Afterwards, my mom came over for lunch. Alex grilled burgers, and I made sweet potato fries and tuna chickpea salad. By this time, I felt a void. I wanted to run. I know, I know. It had only been 2 days! But I felt like I was missing out. I got dressed, got in the car, and was on the way to the trail to do the long run when reason hit me. The truth was, it would not be smart to try to run 9 miles not knowing how my legs would feel after, especially in a new pair of shoes. So I turned the car around and reassessed. Per Alex's suggestion, I settled with 3 easy miles. He even ran them with me.

Only being able to run 3 miles really discouraged me. It wasn't that I was in pain and had to stop, I just knew I didn't need to do too much right out of the gate. Still, I haven't done a run that short in weeks, and I felt like I was going to lose all the speed progress and endurance I had worked so hard for up until now. Hence the "over-dramatic" part. It would take more like 2 or 3 weeks for that to happen. But every part of me wanted to keep going and at least get a 6 or 7 in. I stayed smart, though, and we finished the afternoon by taking the dog for a walk.

I'm not sure what my plan is just yet. I'm assuming I will need to adjust my weekly miles in some way, but I'm not sure how much or for how long. The shin pain is very, very minimal today, so I do know taking the weekend off has helped. I need to find a balance that keeps my body challenged but safe at the same time. I might not know what that looks like just yet, but I am very ready to get out there and find out!!