Last week, I was cleared to start exercising again.

I am a runner. Back in high school, that would have been about the second thing I said when answering the question "Can you tell me a little about yourself?" (A singer would have been the first.) Now, running ranks about fortieth. I run when I can - no more marathons in the foreseeable future, but I did run up through the second trimester of pregnancy. And you bet your buttons that I was itching to get back on the road again come my six week postpartum thumbs-up. The rhythmic pounding of feet against ground is calming. After a run, I feel like I have a new mental lease on the day. Things get worked out while running - emotional things and muscle things, if you know what I mean.

Being a runner, I am picky about my shoes. Not the shoe color or the brand - I'm picky about the fit. Running shoes are something that I will splurge on, as long as they give me what I need - blister-free feet and pain-free knees. I was sold on the importance of the right shoe when I trained for and ran a marathon in the same pair of shoes, all the while blister- and pain-free. Shoes matter.

So - imagine my shock when, putting on my old running shoes, they were too small. Like, half a size too short. The width was fine, but my big toes were jammed against the toe box. Um, pregnancy? What the heck did you do to my feet?

And yes ... sure enough, all the other closed-toed shoes in my closet are TOO SMALL as well! Egads. Did this happen to any of you post-baby?

I made my way to the local running shoe specialty store (wearing those trusty flip-flops) and had them fit me to a new shoe. I'm happy with them. After a week of running, no pains.

Just that wallowing in despair knowing that, come winter, I'll have to buy myself some new shoes, lest I trudge through winter in the South wearing flip-flops alone.