Running & Shoes

So, here's the deal. I'm running a lot and my Nike sneakers that I bought 2 years ago are just not cutting it.  I get shin splints really quickly and my feet hurt after every run.  I bought them fairly cheap and I have a feeling that's probably why my toesies don't feel the greatest.  You get what you pay for.  Well, I've heard rants & raves about Merrell shoes for running, hiking, and just every day use.  A lot of people at my part time job have them so I've been looking into their running sneaks.  They have a line of Barefoot shoes that use Vibram soles, which is a company that has a great reputation in the running world.  I found the Merrell Pace Glove in black and fell in love.  The yellow ones are nice as well but black will probably match more.  Do any of you have experience with either Merrell's running sneakers or this particular sneaker?  I'm nervous to shell out $100 for a pair of running shoes, but everyone keeps telling me that you have to pay a decent amount of money for a good shoe to be able to feel good after running.  And apparently $100 isn't even that much.  Plus, after reading online reviews I've read nothing but incredible experiences. Some people even prefer these over the Vibram Five Finger shoes.  Maybe I'll ask for these for my birthday.  See, how pretty!

For breakfast this morning, I'm having the Strawberry Vanilla Oatmeal again because it was so good yesterday, along with a banana.  Lunch will be a salad & baked potato with Old Bay & Cajun seasoning on top.  Dinner will be Raw Lasagna leftovers (we have soooooo much left, gotta eat it before it goes bad).

When I get home from work I'm going for a 4 miler today. Ugh. I love running but I really need some new shoes. Just thinking about it makes me not want to go.  Oh well.  Gotta get in shape!