Running Odd

This Sunday is Philly’s spring half marathon—the ODDyssey Half Marathon.  No, that’s not a typo: the race prides itself on being, well, a little odd.  Costume contests, optional side obstacles (yay moon bounce!)… one year, a man ran juggling the whole way.  Juggling.  For 13.1 miles. 

Juggling.

So I imagine you can’t just wear regular running shoes to the ODDyssey Half—you’ll need to wear more, er, unusual ones.  Maybe like these:

What the…?  The ATV19 Plus by Reebok has got to be the weirdest shoe I’ve ever seen, and that’s saying something.  It looks like some sort of alien plant-octopus hybrid that’s eating your feet, but all those tentacle thingies are actually meant to help you conquer uneven terrain.  Also available in all black and a really weird-looking black, yellow, and burgundy combo; your choice for $140 from Zappos.

Or these:

Tie dye extravaganza!  Seriously—even the laces on the 890 V3 by New Balance are tie dye.  Now that’s dedication to a design!  If you are a neutral runner and have a high arch and $110, these can be yours from Lady Foot Locker.  (Also available in a number of other, less crazy colors.)

And of course, we need at least one of these:

The bright colors make this pair of SeeYa LS especially fun: slashes of sunny yellow, bright pink, and lime green.  And five toes, of course!  The shape was designed to help runners feel like they’re going barefoot, but with the protection of a shoe.  (Doesn’t mean it doesn’t look weird, though!)  Also available in blue/purple, black/pink, and orange/gray; your choice for $100 from Vibram FiveFingers.

There are still some registration spots available for the ODDyssey Half!  If you’re a distance runner or walker, come on out and join the fun.  I’ll be there!  Also, please note this awesome shirt my sister-in-law got me for my birthday, seen here on my last long training run:

Perfect, right?  And just look at the back:

Shoe Fairy away!

Sales this weekend:
Bakers: Buy a pair of shoes for $50 or more and get 25% off a purse
Bloomingdales: 30-40% off a selection of designer shoes, and 25-40% off a selection of regular shoes
Call it Spring: Up to half off shoes
Lord & Taylor: Friends and family sale: 25% off with savings pass or promo code FRIENDS
Macy's: Save 15% on one pair, 20% off two pairs, and 30% off three or more pairs
Payless: Entire stock sandals up to half off
Saks: Up to 30% off designer shoes
Steve Madden: Save 25% off sandals with code SANDALSALE25

Presidents Day on Ice

Three day weekend!!!  (...for some of you.  I’ll be working Monday.)  It’ll be lovely this weekend: sunny, 40s—why not spend some time outside?  This might be a good time to enjoy some outdoor skating before the rinks close for the season!

Ah, a classic.  The Glacier 120 by Jackson is a good entry-level skate: suede and felt on the inside, PVC on the outside, and a PVC sole.  Find yours on Amazon for $45.

An alternative to plain white!

The Women’s 401 Figure Skates by Lake Placid have soft, insulated boots, padded lining, reinforced ankle support, and a nickel-plated, heat-treated, edge-hardened carbon steel blade (ooh, fancy!).  Plus look at the cute silver detailing.  Find them at Dick’s Sporting Goods for $50—but they run big, so order down! 

These are so vintage!  I imagine them with long skirts and muffs.  The Tall Booted Fashion Ice Skates by Reebok is water-repellent synthetic suede on the outside and fur on the inside.  Find them at Sports Authority for $113.

The 540 Softboot Hockey Skate by American is made of cushy foam and has a fiber lining and speed lacing.  (Plus that purple print is super nice!)  When you order, get a size up—they run small, even for skates.  Find them on Shoebuy for $75.

These are my favorites!  I am a terrible skater (that's not modesty; ask any of the people I've skated with) and I would hit a rink just to wear these babies.  The Jackson Ultima SoftSkate is white on the outside, warm and fuzzy on the inside... and if you don't like the blue, it's also available in purple and pink (and the logo on the tongue matches too!).  Find them on  Amazon for $55.

Looking for a place to skate?  My pick is the Blue Cross River Rink.  It has extended hours this weekend and has a killer view!  It’s only open through March 4, so you’ll need to hurry or you’ll have to wait ‘til the fall! 

Sales this weekend:
Aerosoles: Web exclusive: an extra 20% off all boots
Lord & Taylor: An extra 20% off with code PRES (an extra 10% with Lord & Taylor card and code PRESPLUS)
Macy's: An extra 10% off with code PRES
Neiman Marcus: Free Ippolita earrings with regular-price apparal/jewelry/shoe/handbag purchase of $350 or more
Nordstrom: Shoe clearance up to 40% off