We walked 12 miles Saturday. I love step down days when training for a long-distance event! After 16 miles last week, I really needed a shorter walk this weekend.

I started to panic about whether I will be able to wear either pair of new shoes in Big Sur. Looking at what training distances I have left, I’m not sure I’ll have walked enough miles on either pair. So, against my better judgment, I wore my NB768s when we started out yesterday. It’s funny how, when you are wearing new shoes you obsess about your feet! Every step I was wondering “is my foot landing OK?” “are my toes aching?” “why is my heel slipping?”, “are these shoes too heavy and stiff?” etc., etc…. After about 6 miles, I felt a “hot spot” on my right heel. We were 2 miles from the parking lot and my old shoes. By the time I got to the car, I knew I had a blister. ARGH!

I put on my old 902s, and boy did they feel odd after wearing the cushier and stiffer 768s. I now know they are DEFINITELY too worn out to wear for more than a mile or two at a time. Geez!

OK, I normally do NOT wear my “active” walking shoes unless I am doing a training walk or I’m in an event. I don’t want to waste the shoes on zoo or mall mileage.

Today I’m in Anaheim for a business trip unrelated to the magazine. A small group of us decided to go to Huntington Beach, and I wore the 768s. We probably walked about 2miles tops, but the shoes felt great! They didn’t bother my developing blisters, I didn’t obsess about my feet and I just walked comfortably in them.

Tomorrow I plan to try the hotel treadmill for about 4 miles. (Never really used one before.) I’m not sure if I’ll wear the 768s or the 903s. Regardless, I’m feeling a little better about wearing this heavy, stiff shoe.

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