Shoes can change your life, ask Cinderella

Two years ago I started running to lose the weight I gained during pregnancy. My healthy baby boy was born in June 2011 and my goal was to run (without stopping) the 500 Festival Mini-Marathon the following May. Well, I did it and two weeks later I ran the Geist Half Marathon beating my earlier time by nearly five minutes. That fall, I completed the Indianapolis Marathon and crossed 26.2 off my bucket list. This year, I ran the Derby Festival Mini-Marathon in Louisville, with a new PR two minutes faster than Geist. Now, I'm preparing for the Indianapolis Monumental Mini-Marathon in November. Through all of these races and all the training runs, one brand of shoe has been there for me: Brooks.

When I first started looking at serious running shoes, my husband (who is a 2x IRONMAN and triathlete) wanted to be sure I had a quality shoe that helped me and didn't cause shin splints, blisters, etc. I'm thankful I had him with me! I was fitted to the Brooks Pure Cadence and for Christmas in 2011, my parents bought me the scuba blue pair. For my first marathon, I bought a pair in hot pink. Now, with both original pairs worn from runs and races, I bought my third pair: Pure Cadence 2.

I LOVE THIS SHOE. Obviously, I'm not afraid of brightly colored shoes, but more importantly - these really fit my foot and make running comfortable. I have a narrow foot with a high arch. When I first started running, I had a tendency to heel strike and I'm guilty of supination. These shoes have seriously helped me to run more neutral to the ground and not hit heel first. Literally, they changed the way I ran. As a result, I'm able to run farther and faster. Who doesn't like that?

Here in Indianapolis, I swear by Runners Forum and Blue Mile. Both have amazing staff and will help you find the best shoe for your foot and level of activity.