Running again!

I'm back at it and very motivated! This weekend I started training for my 1/2 marathon in February. While running this week I quickly realized that I was definately in need of new shoes. My knees and shins were aching like you wouldn't believe. I thought I would stop by Acadamy (the only local sports store) and try to find the perfect pair. I was armed with my articles from Runner's World about what type a shoe I need for my type of arch and a handy list of their "Best Shoes." While I was browsing an employee stopped to ask if she could help. She was a teenager but I thought maybe at a sporting goods store they had been given some training and she might have a clue what I was talking about if I mentioned stability shoes or cushioning, pronation. I told her I was looking for a cushioning shoe in one of these specific brands so she starts down the aisle and points to this goofy looking all white shoe and says " I just bought these and they are awesome! I just started working out and they are great!" Since she obviously didn't have a clue I didn't feel at all bad about walking away with a "thanks" over the shoulder! Without any further help from the teeny boppers I did find the perfect pair of shoes and will now commence with the running program!
Sometimes I really wish we lived in a bigger town with specialty stores- it would be awsome to be able to walk into a store instead of having to order stuff on line!