Honestly, is there anything more motivating to get out there and sweat than new workout gear? It always works for me!

Let me start by saying, I feel like I’ve been having a shoe-identity crisis for the last few months.

I’ve been a loyal Saucony Kinvara runner since I trained for my first marathon. I must have gone through 10 pairs of them. Then last year, Saucony updated the shoe. I purchased a pair of the Kinvara 2 and right off the bat something felt different. I still can’t pinpoint exactly what the difference was but it wasn’t a right fit for me.

I even emailed Saucony to find out what the difference was and if there was another shoe that they would recommend based on the changes. I got this response:

“I have checked with our Product Development department.  The only changes between the Kinvara 1 and 2 is the mono mesh in the upper is more durable and breathable. Also, the cage under the mono mesh got extended into the forefoot to keep the toe box from synching up.”

That email left me even more confused. I decided while training for my last race to switch into a trail shoe.

I absolutely loved the New Balance Minimus trail shoe and it held up very well for the Croom 50k, however, I still wanted to find a new road shoe that would work for me.

After trying on a few pairs at my local running store I was talked into a Newton Light Weight Neutral Trainer. I’ve been talking about giving them a try for a while but was hesitant to make a dramatic switch until after my last race. Since I still have a little over a month before my next training program begins I felt that this would be a great time to try a new shoe.

**By the way, I finally finished the 70.3 training plan. I updated my training page to include it!

This morning I went for a 3-mile run in my new shoes. Newton is built with what they call “Action/Reaction Technology” that is designed to encourage fore-foot striking. It certainly does just that. Everything I read said to tilt slightly forward in your stride and let the shoe work for you.

Having only 3-miles on them I’m not making any promises that I am a full Newton convert, however, I think we just may have a winner

In the spirit of trying new things I also gave a running skirt from Skirt Sports a try. Running skirts are another thing I’ve been thinking about testing out for a while. I absolutely loved it. This skirt is definitely going to be a staple in my running closet.

I’d say, it was a pretty successful morning as far as trying new gear goes.

Of course, I couldn’t buy myself new toys without picking up something for the Pup.

Yep, that’s Harvey, with his new giant plastic burger.

Have you ever tried Newton running shoes? What is you’re the best workout gear you’ve tried lately?