Review: Dr. Scholl's Active Series Replacement Insoles

I am not one for wearing fancy athletic shoes. It took me almost a whole year of Crossfit before I actually went out and bought a pair of Nano's. I am definitely not a person who would usually care about what the soles look and feel like. I had no idea what I was missing... 

The other day I received a sample of the Dr. Scholl's active series replacement insoles from Influenster and immediately ripped the old soles out of my Nano's. When I say "soles" I use the term loosely, since there wasn't much to them. I used the old ones as a pattern to trim down the new ones to fit my shoes. It was amazing how simple the process was and that even I could do it!!!!!! The soles, as you can see from the photo below, complement my Nano's. (BTW, I love pink!)

I wore them to Crossfit last night and got to experience running with them for the first time. They are SO much more comfortable than my previous soles and I can really feel a difference in the arch of my foot. They say that they help to prevent pain from shin splints, runner's knee and platar fascitis. I don't really have any of those problems, but I will say that my run was pain free and very comfortable. 

*Note: I received this sample free from Influenster for review 

Today I Learned (TIL)...To Dare Greatly

Today I Learned...

I have heard over and over again that failing is one of the keys to greatness. I didn't do as well as I wanted to today. Yeah I know, I was in the game...did more than those that didn't compete...but let's face it, no one wants to be at the bottom. I am not used to being at the bottom...I've always excelled at everything I've done.

Today I learned that if you are always on top, you're doing something very wrong. There is no point in doing things that we already know we are good at over and over again (other than for enjoyment of course). If we really want to grow, we have to do the things we suck at and we absolutely have to fail. I never understood that more than I do tonight.

If I was at the bottom of 1,000 more competitions, I would probably feel pretty crappy at first, but then I would realize that THIS is where greatness is achieved. Not at the top, but at the bottom. The true test of who we are is whether or not we are willing to show up again after we fail.

I gave some SERIOUS thought to hanging up my Innov-8's and just competing against myself from here on out. No need to feel like this ever again I told myself...but then a special someone helped me realize that the weak are the ones who accept failure and the truly strong are those who show up again and again to fight it. I am choosing to be strong and I am choosing to be at the bottom for as long as it takes.

A familiar and fitting quote:

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat."- Theodore Roosevelt