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

Philadelphia Marathon

This weekend is the Philadelphia Marathon! A full weekend of runs: an 8K, a half marathon, and the official 26.2-mile grueler through Old City, University City, Fairmount Park, out to Manayunk, back in... god, I’m exhausted already, and I’m not even running. If you are, though, you’ll need proper shoes. I found a really cool find-a-shoe thing at Runner’s World where you can enter info about your feet and running style and it’ll help pick you the perfect shoe. I may not be able to be quite that specific with you, but here are some awesome running shoes anyway! The Adrenaline GTS 11 by Brooks has all kinds of fancy features listed online—I can barely decipher what they mean! Tri-density Progressive Diagonal Rollbar, DRB Accel shank-like thermoplastic device, BioMoGo midsole, Brooks DNA cushioning compound, HPR Plus rubber outsole... well, whatever that all means, it has 227 five-star reviews! Pick up your pair (five color choices!) for $100 from Zappos. The Cumulus by Asics is another one with a huge list of features: memory foam heel, Impact Guidance System (which is apparently linked componentry that enhances the foot’s natural gait from heel strike to toe-off), gender-specific forefoot cushioning and Space Trusstic System... three color options too. Find them at 6pm.com for about $75. And I’ll even include one pair of those weird toe running shoes: The KomodoSport LS by Vibram FiveFingers have speed laces, a stitch-free and seamless footbed for maximum comfort, rubber outsoles with some serious grip—and apparently they’re machine washable! Pick up yours for $110. I swear, all of these things are part shoe and part engineering marvel. I’m pretty sure there were fewer special features on Apollo 11. But hey, if that took people to the moon, these can certainly take you to the finish line!


Get up early on Sunday (race starts at 7 AM!) and go cheer on the runners. Cheer zones are set up all around the city—you can find them on the map here. If you’re running, good luck! Here’s hoping you finish with a personal best! You have my admiration. Go you!! 


Sales this weekend: 
Aerosoles: 15% off all boots
Bus Stop Boutique: Designer of the month: NICOLE! Pick up a pair of NICOLE boots or shoes & enjoy $20 OFF
Macy’s: Saturday: BOGO on select styles!
Payless: BOGO!
Steve Madden: free shipping on any order (no minimum) using code HOLIDAY
Lord & Taylor: 15% off regular-price items and 20% off sale items with code BIG