Walk Not Run and Skechers Breast Cancer Awareness

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Skechers. As always all opinions and thoughts are my own!

Seriously THANK YOU to every person on social media who gave me shout outs, commented on my last blog post, and who helped cheer me on before the Chicago Marathon. Reading all those messages from people who believe in me was what powered me through my the race after being sick up until the night before. More on that later but spoiler alert: it was GREAT!

After the marathon, even though I was really pumped and exciting about running more, I took a walk break. 

Yep, I traded my running shoes in for walking shoes this week. 

Staying active and healthy is clearly important to me. I truly believe it makes me a happier and healthier person inside and out.  Especially since my body was fighting an illness all week before the race, and I wanted to stay as healthy as possible afterwards so I could have fun on my trip, I decided to take it extra easy this week. That means no runs, no interval circuits,no spin classes, no Crossfit classes-even though I was itching to get strong again. 

Sleeping in, indulging in many beers & doughnuts, and NOT following a training plan felt great. It doesn't mean I was sitting on a couch all day though. 

 

Exploring Chicago for the first time on bike and foot, made me appreciate that being active doesn't always need to mean running. Something like walking which may seem like an informal workout can get the blood flowing just as much as something more intense. I'm sure I was logging many miles and steps hopping around the city and walking around downtown Chicago. 

I love seeing pink in October for Breast Cancer Awareness month. It's an important disease to me as a woman, particularly because I know so many other women affected by it.  When Skechers Performance Division asked me to spread the word about their special awareness collection of products that supports the American Cancer Society, I knew it was something I wanted to help out with. 

However instead of immediately choosing to try out the Skechers performance running shoes, I chose to be sent the GOWalk2 Awareness shoes (MRP $64) made specifically for walking. I thought they would be perfect for my walk break in Chicago, and I was right!

The GOWalk2 Awareness shoes feature a pretty heather grey and pink color scheme along with a subtle pink ribbon symbol like all of the the other awareness footwear products.

I was surprised how much I liked the design since I don't normally wear Skechers shoes. I still sometimes think they are the fashion shoe company that appealed to me when I was 13 and definitely did not expect the walking shoes to be cute-looking. 

While they weren't the trendy leather boots all the ladies were sporting around Chicago, these were SO comfortable. It's in part to the V-Stride technology that complements a natural walking gait, the multi-directional traction motif,and how the Resalyte™ Midsole  and GOimpulse sensors offered flexibility and impact absorption for a really responsive walking experience. 

Basically, my feet didn't hurt the whole trip when I wore them despite tons of walking around because they were so cushioned and comfortable. I feel so refreshed now after spending much of the last week smiling. 

I wish I was back in Chicago walking around right now. 

Thanks to Skechers for sponsoring this post and helping me realize that staying active can mean taking a walk.

The moral of this post is that maybe you need to take a walk break from whatever is going on in your life today. Unplug, hit snooze, or take a deep breathe. A walk may just be the workout that you need today!

Also be sure to check out the Skechers Performance Division awareness lines and all of these ways below that you and Skechers can make a difference in the fight against cancer!

Besides their awareness footwear and apparel lines, Skechers is

1.  Skechers Performance Division is offering a donation to American Cancer Society, and all of the Skechers Performance Division Awareness apparel and footwear will feature the ACS logo and messaging.

2.  Skechers is hosting the American Cancer Society San Francisco Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk, and will be donating a percentage of proceeds from the sales of Skechers shoes on-site that day.

3.  Additionally, Skechers is launching a register round-up program in Skechers Retail stores in which customers can round up their purchase to the nearest whole dollar to benefit American Cancer Society for the entire month of October. If consumers donate $5 or more, they will also receive a 20% off discount for their next visit. This will offer anyone shopping for any item in a Skechers retailer store the opportunity to give back and support the cause.

4. Furthermore, Skechers Retail stores are offering a gift with purchase for customers who purchase a pair of limited-edition Awareness shoes. The gift with purchase will be either a breast canvas awareness canvas tote back or a pink water bottle.

Do you take walks? Have you ever worn Skechers shoes?