So I’m blogging twice in one day.  I had a busy day yesterday trying new things and I want to tell you about them.  Looks like you win!

Last night I went to an event hosted at Big Peach Running Company and sponsored by New Balance. It was a really fun event with a lot of great giveaways.  They had New Balance towels, playing cards, bottle openers, and scratch off giveaway cards.  I won $5 off my next New Balance purchase.  I’m pretty proud of that.  As well, they offered a 15% discount on any shoes bought in the store that night.  In addition, there was a raffle for a free entry to the ING Georgia Marathon and a free pair of New Balance running shoes!  That’s what this poor economy needs, not big corporate bonuses, more free corporate giveaways to customers!  The event was to celebrate Fat Tuesday, having a King Cake shipped straight from New Orleans, Mardi Gras beads (without having to earn them…other than running), burritos with chips and salsa, and of course Abita beer.  They also had Gatorades and water if you’re into hydrating.  It was a real fun event, a great way to socialize with fellow runners, and recieve some cool, free stuff.  What else would you do on a Tuesday night?  Probably watch American Idol.   Lame.

The best part of this event was being able to try out the brand new New Balance 769s. The New Balance rep, Marcy, had a plethora of shoe sizes and was very knowledgeable about the shoes.  Makes sense, she works for New Balance. After fitting in the perfect pair of running shoes per customers’ requests, all participants went on a 2-6 mile run to try them out.  The shoes were brand new and perfectly white, so sorry brah, no trail running.  I did 4 miles because my training schedule called for it…plus I didn’t want to show off in front of everyone.  Yup.  I’m that awesome.  At any rate, it was great being able to try the New Balance 769s over such a long distance.  I feel like you really need a couple of miles to be able to legitimately determine how a shoe fits to your running style.  The New Balance 769s provide a moderate level of stability which gives a smoother run for those who don’t tend to overpronate.  I liked the transition from heal to toe along with the snug fit in my heal.  There also seemed to be more cushioning in the heal than I am accustomed to.  We all could use a little more cushioning in our heals.  However, the most innovative thing that I saw (there’s probably a lot more innovative things in the guts of the shoe) was the anti-untie shoe laces.  We’ve all had our shoe laces untie at the worst times, like in the middle of a race surrounded by 10,000 people, and this technology answers that need.  The laces had a “bubbling” technique that allows them to hug each other tightly at the knot.  No more triple tying!

This event was a very cool way to learn more about running shoes, socialize with fellow runners, and get your run in.  Did I mention all the free stuff too?  I guess the best things in life are free:  running, socializing, and of course…beer.