Exercise Gear Made Easy

My brain is mostly focused on running right now, call it my game face since my first race is this Saturday.  Read about My Running Partner, it is a mother-daughter/bucket list thing for me.  Thus, the goal is a 4 mile race, no walking, and finishing (hopefully with a smile even if we look disheveled). This morning is my last long run day of training prior to the race...wow sounds a little foreboding, but my kiddo wants to color right now even though I used all the right words, such as go for a walk, park, playground, outside, but to no avail.  So I am waiting, but still thinking about running.  I thought, I would put my morning obsession to work and tell you a little about  my preferred gear.

One thing I love about running is that I can do it with minimal special gear.  I already own exercise clothing, so shoes is mostly what I need.  Recently I purchased a new pair of running shoes and I adore them, so I wanted to tell the world, aka my readers, about them.  I went with open mind to the store and was thrilled when New Balance was the type that seemed to fit best.  Thrilled you ask?  Well, it is the only tennis/exercise shoe made in the U.S.  I figure less shipping means a more green product and at this point in time I do like to support locally produced goods for the sake of the economy.  I learned about this company when I heard a story on the radio about a family who spent a year with the goal of purchasing only American made goods.  Apparently, they even enjoyed a trip to the factory.

My new New Balance running shoes are not the typical though.  They are light weight, like air really.  Comfy too.  It is not easy to leave them behind when doing other activities, given this comfort and cute design.

Running shoes to this frugally minded Compromising Mother seem expensive, but these are not as high as some and worth every penny (no I am not paid by the company, I promise).  Here is how I figure it. They cost less than one month at most gyms and I get at least a Summer of running out of them and then they can become my casual Mom-About-Town shoes.  Good deal.

Confession time. My stroller was expensive...i.e. full price when I got it 2 years ago was 500.  I did get a 10% discount as it was an unfulfilled item on my baby registry (a little cheat here as I added it to the discount only by adding it after all my showers). I run or walk several times a week and have for most of the 2 years I have owned it. I also use it 1-3 times during the week for other fun kid events.  So I estimate my cost is less than one dollar per time I have used it.  That's just so far.  I hope to use it for several more years with an anticipated cost of less than 40 cents per use.  If I had to pay that each time I wanted to go for a run or a fun event, I would.  So short term sticker shock was worth long term savings and health for the whole family.

The Compromise:  a convertible stroller that is more expensive than  would prefer.

The Sweet Reward:  Physical health and fun for the whole family while using our local park to its full advantage and not needing the car....:)...I even pick up small loads of groceries with our stroller. (knowing I have only the basket under the stroller to fill with groceries saves money too)