I'd like to do a 50-mile run just to scoff at all the morons and their car stickers. 13.1 yay for you!!!

i have been really training my ass off this winter, 150+ miles each of the last 3 months. I am signed up for some big races this year - this weekend i have my first 50k ultra, next month i have my first road marathon, in June i have my first 9-hour timed ultra and next September may be my first 50-miler if everything continues to progress according to plan. I have really engaged with our local trail running group and have been running a lot with them while at the same time keeping up with the road miles. i am in my peak training month right now hitting about 50-55 miles per week and may hit 200 miles in March before tapering down in April for that road marathon.

this has been a GREAT winter for running. good job to all of you who are getting out there and getting the miles in. Springtime is a nice time to get back out there and breathe that fresh air. Kirkwood that's not a bad way to get back into the swing of things, good miles. I have really slowed down my pace in my training and it has REALLY improved my endurance and strangely my speed as well, even though i rarely do any fast runs. Running slow easy pace has really been the key to my improvement, even though it often feels ridiculous while I am doing it.

there are so many shoes to choose from and so many models the market is completely flooded. opinions on different shoes differ wildly as well, i got almost no help from reading online shoe reviews. I eventually went to the Naperville Running Company and tried on a bunch for myself. i ended up buying a pair of Hoka Cliftons and loved the cushy ride and the light weight. i paid about $130 for them at the time (over a year ago) and still am putting lots of miles on them (over 500 so far). i now have 3 pairs of Hokas and love them. The Cliftons are my favorite though. very soft ride, good support. i also have a pair of Conquests that have even more support and are very comfortable but they are quite heavy, i could never race in them. good for training runs though. both pairs have been very durable, and i run exclusively on roads.

i recommend going to a running store and trying some out to see what feels best for you. i had a great experience at NRC, they were very helpful. My personal brand of choice is Hoka, but it really is up to the user.

btw - once you go to a brick-and-mortar store and find what you like, there are some great online sites to purchase shoes on, and a lot of times on deep discount. i have saved a lot of money buying subsequent pairs on runningwarehouse.com. they have an amazing 90-day return policy too. it is smart to get that first pair sized and fitted properly at a running store though.