A little over a month ago I got these super sweet Reebok ZQuicks to test out and review. Seriously, how beautiful are they? I had never run in Reebok sneakers before but am obsessed with my Reebok Dance UrLead shoes. They are the best shoes ever for moving and grooving during a Zumba class. Josh and I have committed to running so many races this year so I couldn't wait to try their running shoes out. And then like the day after I received them I started not feeling well, and ended up not working out for three weeks. Womp womp.
Josh and I had signed up for a Valentine's Day race a while back, and even though I still wasn't feeling my best I decided to push through and run it. It sounded like a fun time and I really wanted the t-shirt. I was also excited to finally break in my ZQuicks. As soon as I put them on I could feel the traction in the sole. I felt like my shoes were gripping the ground. This is the Z-Rated technology in the shoe that was inspired by high-performance tires. I especially appreciated this because the course ended up having a mixture of ice and mud in spots, so I needed all the traction I could get!
The shoes immediately fit me and worked for me feet. There was no breaking in or adjusting period which I really appreciated because this was not an enjoyable run for me. This was without a doubt the most painful race I've ever run. Probably the only thing that didn't hurt on my body was my feet. Running when sick = not fun. (And not sexy. Props to the photographer who snapped this great shot of me trying to deal with a runny nose, wheezing lungs, and aching body all at once.)
This past weekend (a week later) when I was finally starting to feel better, I decided to attempt another 5k. As great as the shoes felt on my feet from day one, I didn't like that they were connected in my mind to such a horrible race experience. Josh and I drove to Regency and decided to run around the neighborhood. I like to point out various houses and dream about someday living there.
This run was night and day from my last experience. In a week I had gone from a horrible run to an amazing one. And I was able to pay so much more attention to my feet and how they were performing while I ran. The shoes really moved with my feet. They have a built-in bootie that hugs your foot while you run and flexes with it. I felt like I could really control where I planted my foot each time and didn't have to worry about my foot slipping or sliding. The shoes are also incredibly light which is great for increasing your speed. I'm not a fast runner, and no shoes that I put on my feet are going to make me a fast runner. But well-designed, lightweight shoes can make me faster than I used to be. I loved how these shoes didn't weigh down my feet at all.
I ended my run feeling happy and on top of the world. Life is such a gift and having the health to be able to be an active participant in it is a true blessing. Getting to wear high-performance and super cute athletic wear while you do is icing on the cake. I plan on rocking these shoes at lots of upcoming races. :D
Question of the Day: Do you run in lightweight running shoes? I used to wear super heavy, stabilizing shoes and never realized the difference lightweight ones could have on my running until I tried on a pair and realized for the first time that my foot didn't feel like it was lugging around an extra ten pounds.
0 comments