1.16.2010

YakTrax

Last summer, I sprained my ankle as I was walking out of the door to my kitchen. I was running regularly at the time and it was a huge bummer. That's part of the reason I was swimming so much during the fall semester. I needed some way to exercise that was ankle-safe.

Then the buses went on strike and I walked 30 minutes to school and then 30 more back home. The walk was annoying, at times, but it actually helped my ankle heal and get stronger.

So this semester I'm running again. It's really like 80% walking at this point, as I gradually phase in more and more running. But it feels good!

The reason I'm telling you this is to show you my YakTrax.





















No, that's not a small animal trap. It's a pair of folded up YakTrax, which are like rubber and metal attachments that runners up north put on their shoes. They give you traction. It's kind of a miracle...on ice...(oops, that's something else).





























They fit like so. I was kind of nervous about how they would do at first. Since my routine right now is mostly walking, I got to try them out without as much risk before I started to run. They still aren't that helpful in the slush, but on a well plowed road, they do really well.

























They came with a bonus pair of hand warmers. I plan on saving them until I either go ice skating outside or run a 5k in the winter (next winter, of course).

5 comments:

  1. Okay, that first picture of "it" scare the piss out of me. I thought it was some sort of contraption for... the business.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I love my yaktrax... one hint: on those rare bits of dry pavement, they can be a bit tricky, but those are few and far between. ;)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Yeah, I read on the side of the box to be careful about non-icy or snowy surfaces. I don't want to damage them, but there's been enough snow that I haven't had to worry about it yet.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hooray, Yaktrax! My father runs daily, even in the winter, and he occasionally complains about the snow and ice. So for Christmas, I accompanied my mom on a citywide search for Yaktrax (okay, they weren't THAT hard to find, we do live in Chicago). We were very excited to find that there were "FREE HOTIES" inside the box (we thought Dad would appreciate that, too). Imagine my surprise when my father approached me shortly thereafter with his idea for Mom's Christmas present: "She's always complaining about the slippery sidewalks and parking lots, so I thought I'd get her some of those Yaktrax thingies." Christmas day was fun! :)

    ReplyDelete