Making Adjustments
The last time I ran outside on the roads was on Thanksgiving, 3 weeks ago. The road conditions have been either too nasty or the weather has been too cold or inclement. Oh yeh, and my chest cold kept reminding me that it might not be such a swift idea breathing that cool air into my chest and lungs til this thing has passed. So to compensate to keep my fitness levels somewhat in tact, I have been going to the gym and using the eliptical or dreadmill (treadmill). In fact I have been pretty good at putting in the time, 13 times, in fact, since Thanksgiving for over 40 miles. I'm prepared to do this until my chest cold is completely gone and the temperatures get above 40.

Getting more mileage out of your running shoes
Over the summer I was at a barbecue and I met a couple (of runners). The guy was telling me how he ran 5 miles in Central Park everyday. He also related that he uses Dr. Scholl's Massage Gel Insolses and that they made for a very comfortable "ride." So I figured I give them a try and sure enough my runs felt more comfortable. The extra cushioning really makes a difference. I usually retire my shoes at about 300 miles. Being 200-215 pounds, I'm pretty certain that by about 300 miles my shoes have gotten pretty well played out. Since I have put the insoles in, I am now up to 425 miles. You still need to monitor your body reactions and when you feel it in the legs, its time to get some new shoes. But do check out Dr. Scholl's Gel Insoles.