Catching up....

Thanks for all the thoughts and prayers for us as we grieve for Alfred. We drove to Atlanta for his memorial last weekend and, although that was such a sad time, it was also good to see friends and remember so many happy times. We are helping Alfred's widow in any way we can, which right now mostly means paperwork. Having something to do is, I think, important in the healing process.
My store opened Wednesday. It was a soft-opening to work out all the kinks, but we actually broke even yesterday (day two)! Our goal is to hit break-even point in a year.*
David brought me flowers on his lunch break on opening  day, which was sweet. We'll be meeting with hospital officials, doctors, and clinics soon to determine how best we can serve them - and get that in place before our "grand opening" in four weeks.
The store is a new, hospital-specific design. I have etched glass signage and I realized yesterday that my name is on the door.That's job security, eh?
It has been SO SWEET how many medical students, residents, doctors, and pharmacists I know have stopped by to say hi at my new store! Those who couldn't visit called to congratulate.

That's my waiting room!

 Last night after work I met David at City Park for the Louisiana Philharmonic's free outdoor concert. Sorry I failed you - in the rush of the funeral last week I forgot to post a "Cheap Date" post about that.  The weather was amazing last night and we listened the orchestra while eating a dinner of french bread, cheese, wine, and cantaloupe. It was just the relaxing night I needed. 
Today I'm off to try a new route to work. There is construction on the most direct route, so I've been experimenting with alternate ways to get there.
Do you always go to work the same way? Or do you change it up? Some doctors think that's a good way to keep the brain fresh!
* Break even point is when you fill enough scripts in a day to cover your rent, salary, dispensed drug cost, and expenses. However, obviously we didn't truly break even because I have a couple million dollars in inventory sitting on my shelves. And my third party payers - your insurance - probably won't reimburse me for three months. I won't really break even for a while!

Karhu Fluid Fulcrum Ride

Last year I bought my first pair of Karhu's because they were on clearance at Sierra Trading Post. This year, as all my shoes uselessly wear out at the same time, I bought another pair. On clearance. From Sierra Trading Post. With this kind of creativity I should write for SNL.

More linoleum for your viewing pleasure

This time I got the Fluid Fulcrum Ride, a cushioned trainer. It's not my first choice  - I'd prefer to wear a racing shoe for every run. But since Karhu's are so light to begin with, their heaviest neutral shoe is just 8.9 ounces! (the men's is 10.7 ounces). I still have a pair of racing flats (which I decided I don't like because of their stiff arch area), barefoot shoes, and my Karhu Fast Fulcrum's, so I needed a more general purpose shoe. This fits the bill, and using the coupon code ALAPRIL1 from Sierra I got them for $42, including shipping. Can't beat that!
So why did I buy another pair of Karhu's, you ask? Is it because it's fun to say their name? Or because they're Finish, which vaguely reminds me that I shouldn't quit mid-marathon and go back to bed? Or maybe because they keep redesigning them and I keep scoring clearance pairs?*
None of the above! I really like the squishy soft ride, the light weight, the flexible sole, and the whole fulcrum thing. Remember I don't like things that mess with your stride - this doesn't; it just reduces unnecessary (non-stride) movements that waste energy and slow you down. By the way the website doesn't explain it that well...it's an updated site; the old one was better.
Not very many places carry Karhu's (the link to the nearest dealer in my area directed me to Boulder, Colorado), so they can be difficult to buy since you can't try them on. You can refer to my first post for fit details, but I will mention that the more current styles have a shorter toe box. The early styles had a longer toe box, which wearers complained about.
Sizing is basically identical to other running shoes - I went up a size from regular shoes, and got the same size as all my other running shoes. If you haven't tried Karhu's, I would suggest first trying to find your size on sale just to see if they fit you well - then if you love them, you can buy a pair at full price.


Does anyone else out there wear Karhu's? If not, what shoe brand are you loyal to?

* This may be the real reason.

Rock 'n Roll Mardi Gras/New Orleans coupon code

Hey, they renamed my favorite marathon. Poo. Oh well, at least it's cheap.

At the 2011 RnR Mardi Gras marathon, now "New Orleans". Best race pic ever.

Through April 27th  you can register for just $60 for the half or $65 for the full if you use the coupon code ALUMNI.
Cool. See you there next year  ;-)

The Somnio Nada: a "barefoot" shoe review

Somnio sent me a pair of the new Nadas, free-for-nothin' (as my father in law says), and here, my friends, is my review.
First of all, about the Nadas: I thought the name was cleverly Spanish. You know, nada = nothing. But actually it's a pun on "not a shoe". Ah! I like puns! These are very, very, light shoes with very, very little stability or padding. They are a minimalist, "barefoot" type shoe. They only weight 3.5 ounces, which I love!
So, the looks: Pretty cute. But they're meant to be unisex and I daresay guys would be offended by the glitter laces.

The fit: The nada runs large as running shoes go, which means you should order the size you actually wear in a regular shoe. My pair are size 8.5-9 womens/7-7.5 men's. In regular shoes, I wear a women's 8.5-9; in running shoes I wear a women's 9.5 or a men's 8.5. The Nada's toe box is wide (which you will need as you will be spreading your toes as you land) and the shoe features diagonal stitching and a seamless upper for an easily adjustable fit. 

Compared to Saucony Triumph (men's)

The function: You will definitely run like you're barefoot in this shoe because there is minimal sole and a "zero drop" (ie, the heel isn't elevated). However, the sole is actually very durable and protects the foot well.  I consider it a good thing that I had to keep reminding myself to think about the shoe when I was running: I kept forgetting about them, and isn't that what you want in a minimalist shoe?

After about 30 miles

There are two things I like about this particular barefoot-type shoe:
1. Because it actually has a normal sole, it is possible to spread your landing across the midfoot. Since I have a high arch, my plain old bare foot couldn't land in the middle, so more stress was concentrated on the forefoot.
2. The fit is much easier, simpler, and more comfortable than other barefoot shoes. By this I mean Vibrams. The Vibram toe-shoe fit is complicated (sizing varies based on style and is unrelated to any other sizing pattern) and if you're feet aren't actually shaped like pizza slices with perfectly spaced toes, you won't get a good fit. My feet are weird.

Please don't laugh at my feet. I am illustrating that with my deformed pinky toe Vibrams do not fit.

It's quite easy to adjust the laces on the Nadas to get a pretty snug fit no matter the width of your foot...or the weirdness of your toes.
The Nadas come with a kind of funny dvd of foot and leg exercises meant to prepare one for barefoot running, but I'll just tell you that you should start slow and be prepared for sore calves.
The value: Price is comparable to other minimalist shoes ($80). The shoe may appear flimsy because there is NO stitching on the upper at all, just bonding, but they're tough. I attempted to beat them up and failed.Well-constructed.
The bad: The bright red insole of the Nadas bleeds. I've worn them about ten times and all my socks turned pink. Just FYI.
The summary: I'd buy them over other minimalist shoes. They're a shoe you don't have to think about - they protect your sole and that's about all. When you're trying to run more naturally, you don't want your shoes to be a distraction (weird stitching, funny fit, shoes is falling off, toes feel like they're in a torture device...etc). The Nada's won't be. You'll think you're barefoot.
***Editor's note: I drafted this post several weeks ago but I've gotten more use out of the shoes since then. I found that if I simply ignored my gait and ran like I always do I felt the best. The furthest I've worn these shoes for is 8 miles, and I promise I actually felt great afterward. Definitely work up to that distance, though. Bottom line is, the more I wear the Nadas the more I love them, and I will definitely be buying another pair when these die. ***

Free Starbucks Coffee

Starbucks is offering free coffee or tea today to celebrate earth day! Just bring in your reusable mug or cup.

Out of the office

I took a vacation day tomorrow so we can travel to Alfred's memorial. The memorial services are Saturday, but he is being cremated and his ashes interred later when his mother can be present. Since she recently had double bypass surgery and is elderly and rather frail, she will not be able to attend the services (she is not expected to be discharged for several more days and she lives a 13 hour drive away from Alfred ).
David will be speaking at the services, as Al's closest friend, and this will be a difficult task for him. He is still very emotional (as expected) and feels the loss keenly.
It's hard for me to comfort him when there is nothing I can do to lessen the pain.
I would appreciate prayers for safe travels and peace for the family.
Happy Easter!

Best ab workout with no equipment required

Read: No exercise ball required. My tiny apartment does NOT have room for a bright purple bouncy toy. Besides, it might damage some of my priceless antiques, like my stove.
I like ab workouts that don't require anything but your six pack and maybe a yoga mat or a rug. And here's a great one I found in out local paper.



After just five repeats of the continuous crunch, I was feeling it!