Orthotics Aren't Just for Grannies

I've seen a lot of friends talking about kale and green smoothies, but I simply don't have the time or the ambition to learn to mask the taste of leafy greens in a smoothie. I don't even have time to make fail-proof smoothies loaded with fruit. Luckily, Tropical Smoothie has come to the rescue.

Yum!

First of all, anyone who says, "You can't taste the spinach!" is either a liar or isn't putting enough spinach in. Or, a third option, perhaps their tastebuds are broken. Here's the thing: you can taste the spinach (and probably the kale too, but I'm not sure what it tastes like on its own so who knows?), but it's not a bad flavor. There's an earthy, rich taste below the sweetness of the fruit in this smoothie that is definitely discernible as spinach. If you hold the smoothie on your tongue for a moment, you can really pick out the flavors.

That said, it's really a delicious choice. Not only is it healthy and low-calorie, but it also doesn't pack too much wallop in the sweetness department. It's refreshing and thirst-quenching, as a smoothie should be.

Plus, bonus points for drinking something that looks like slime!

Could be pea soup? Who knows?

I know the Naked Juice brand (or whatever it is) offers a "Green Monster" flavor, but they use wheat grass and I'm uncomfortable drinking it due to the whole Celiac thing. (Wheat grass is supposedly gluten free, but I'm not testing that theory.)

I didn't run at all this week other than the four miles I did on Tuesday. After weighing my options regarding leg pain and getting new shoes, the best way to squeeze 150 more miles out of my beloved Kayanos was to get some insoles. As Fit2Run has now opened in my area, I was able to walk on in, get my foot pressure tested, and be fitted for some orthotics that would do just that.

Pricey, but cheap than new shoes.

I could immediately tell a difference when I put them in my shoes. My feet felt more supported and the cushiony spring I've been missing in the Kayanos was back. They don't make the shoes feel too much heavier, so I'm hoping I don't notice a huge difference in that during the race tomorrow.

Apparently I have high arches; my right arch is higher than my left.

They also noticed the ridiculously awkward way I had my shoes laced - half parallel, half standard criss-cross - and showed me how to completely skip the eyelets where the laces tend to hurt the top of my foot.

Nice open space where my foot tends to feel bruised.

Archie and I spent the last day of spring break lying by the pool. KS comes in tonight, so I should probably get some grading done...and I really might...eventually.

ABK