What follows is a post sponsored by New Balance. Full disclosure: New Balance is a former client of mine, but this post is through Glam. This may be a sponsored post, but all of my feelings are 150% genuine – I truly love the company and its products.

In the months leading up to the Marine Corps Marathon, I ran at least 80% of my runs in stability shoes and maybe 20% of my runs in lightweight or minimal shoes. After learning about the benefits of barefoot and minimalist running, I was interested in trying out some lightweight shoes myself but wasn’t going to try to make a switch while marathon training.

(Please note: PLEASE be careful when trying out barefoot/minimalist running shoes. They take some getting used to. You can learn more about Minimus shoes and minimal running here. )

After the marathon, I started running in New Balance 1400s, a lightweight shoe. I started out wearing these lighter shoes just for speedwork, but by the end of my D.C. Half training, I was also wearing them for my long runs, too.

We were given our choice of several NB shoes for this review, and I decided to go for the Minimus 10v2 Road. Made with a Vibram sole, the shoe provides support where your feet need it the most (see the blue on the sole below.)

Its 4mm drop (difference in height between heel and forefoot) keeps your feet connected with the sole and close to the ground.

Also, they’re gorgeous. Do you see how, on the left, the tongue is not separate from the rest of the shoe? This burrito-wrapping offers extra support to your feet. The meshy material of the shoes is also incredibly breathable; I accidentally had to hop through a little creek yesterday on my run (#whencitygirlsgotojerseyandgetlostonatrail) and they were mostly dry by the time I got home 15 minutes later.

I also tried them out today when I took out my new heart rate monitor to find out my maximum heart rate (more on that later) and took ’em for a spin around my high school’s track, and I swear, I felt like I had wings on my feet.

Size-wise, it’s worth noting that these run a bit big. I’m usually a 9.5 in regular shoes and a 10.5 in other New Balance running shoes. I requested these in a 10.5, too, and they’re a little big.

I think it’s safe to say these beauts will make it into my regular running shoe rotation, especially for speedwork, short races and short runs.

Have you ever tried minimalist running shoes? Do you wear different shoes for different types of runs? (I never did until I got the freebie ones, and I don’t think you have to at all, but I have started loving lighter shoes for faster workouts.)

New Balance has the following mission: Demonstrating responsible leadership, we build global brands that athletes are proud to wear, associates are proud to create and communities are proud to host. New Balance is currently the only athletic shoe company that manufactures footwear in the U.S. with 25% of our U.S. footwear shipments produced at five New England facilities. To learn more about how New Balance Makes Excellent Happen, visit http://www.newbalance.com

Disclosure: Compensation was provided by New Balance via Glam Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of New Balance.

On Sunday night, my parents and I were wandering the West Village and stumbled upon this little hole-in-the-wall Italian place.

Just kidding. My mom made reservations a month ago. To get a reservation, you have to call exactly a month to the day you want reservations when their reservation line opens at 10am. (You can also make reservations on OpenTable or walk in.) We started discussing coming here to celebrate my finishing the NYC Marathon, so by the time we made it, we had quite a few things to celebrate.

The food was amazing, but the service was exquisite. Any time any of us got up to use the restroom, they picked up our napkins from our seats, refolded them and put them back on the table. They were so incredibly attentive, though it did sometimes feel like that attentiveness was to get us out and the next table in, but whatever.

They brought us a chickpea bruschetta to start, which was delicious and had a little kick.

For our appetizer, my mom and I split the mussels. Thank you for just putting the bread in the mussels, because that is what I was going to do anyway.

Hi Mom!

Hi Dad!

My parents do not like fancy ingredients, so they were joking about the menu before we went. “I’m going to get the oxtail,” my dad said.

“No, wait, that actually sounds good.”

I got the gnocchi with the braised oxtail and completely cleaned my plate. You know, just to make sure each bite was as well-made as the first.

My mom got the fettuccine with pancetta and radicchio. I tried a few bites, and I think they took a few years off my life with the richness.

I mean, we weren’t going to not get the Brussels sprouts. They were also made with pancetta, so even my dad liked them.

We also got a side of roasted potatoes with rosemary. (Anything cooked with rosemary will now forever remind me of my friend Mary’s HappySnax, which are the best nuts you will ever have.)

I am still dreaming about that gnocchi with oxtail.

Tell me about your favorite restaurant or your best meal ever.