Marathon Recovery November 2012

The day after Malibu International Marathon, I went for a walk with my labs, Dallas & Cowboy. I was sore but no injuries. My princesses lead a rough life.
The following week I took it easy, by running only a total of 4 miles. The weekend of November 17th, I got up to go running, began stretching and heard a ripping sound! It was my Saucony Triumph 9's. The shoes were ready to be replaced about 3 weeks before Malibu, but I wasn't going to swap shoes that close to the race.
After researching running shoes, I brought the subject up to my hubby. He's response, "Why are you changing the style of shoe when it works for you? I told him about wanting a shoe that lasted longer. He said, "Babe, I don't think you should switch." My running pal, Ann agreed with my hubby.
I went to the Road Runner in San Diego. I wanted to get a shoe that had an enforced seam along the bottom where the mesh attaches to the sole. Not listening to my hubby, I found the Brooks Ghost 5. It's a heavier shoes than my Saucony. I do get the customs inserts with my running shoes to avoid a foot problem I've had in the past.  The Brooks Ghost 5 is suppose to have more cushion. The laces are rounded and not flat.
My first run with the Brooks Ghost 5, I noticed the weight change right away. I ran slower to test them out. My feet didn't feel like they were quite inside the shoe. I wear a size 6 and always go up a half a size because of my past experience with runner's toe. With the Brooks, I had to go up to a size 7 because the toe area was smaller. Running around in the store and running outside isn't the same. There's always occasional cramping of  various muscles when I run but it goes away pretty quick. I began to experience muscle cramping in my right calf heading into the 3rd mile. It didn't go away and I stopped, stretched (for the first time in my running history). I found if I ran on the right insole of my foot the calf pain was a little less. Most of my training during the winter is at night after I get home. When I got home, I found my right shoe laces had come undone and the left shoe laces were beginning to come undone. Two days later, I double tied my shoes, removed the inserts to see if this helped the fit, and headed out.
My second run, with the Brooks shoes, I went slower. At mile 5,  my left thigh began to burn. I want to mention, I have trained carefully for my first marathon by training the required miles needed to complete a marathon and not sustain injury. I couldn't figure out why I was getting muscle strains. My only explanation was the Brooks shoes.
I woke up the next day with a right calf, left thigh, and left knee strains in one week of running in the Brooks shoes. The Brooks shoes were going back to the store!
These are the new Saucony Triumph 10's. They are light and also state they put more padding the heel. In these shoes, I wear a 6.5. My inserts are trimmed fit the new shoes. The Road Runner staff never asks why I'm returning my Brooks shoes. I wanted to tell them about my experience but the subject isn't brought up. The staff there has probably heard a thousand stories like mine.
The Sauconys shoe is amazing! There's no more pain and it's like old times again. I hate, Hate, HATE to admit it, but my husband and Ann were right! I'm back on track and training for the Carlsbad Marathon 2013 in January!  See y'all there!