Running shoes and other tales

I went running today after nearly talking myself out of it (again). After hurting my back a few weeks ago and taking a rest of a couple of weeks I am finding it quite hard to get back into running again. I have also abandoned my Vivobarefoot running shoes as I think I need more cushioning to protect my back. So I bought myself a pair of lovely, purple Altra Escalante 2 running shoes. One would think this is easy, but no! The first time I ordered the shoes directly from Altra. A day after my order I was told the shoes had not past the last quality check and so would not be shipped and the order canceled. The second order was shipped successfully but when I unpacked the box, the shoes were a US size 9 and not UK size 9 which is a considerable difference. So regretfully I sent them back, thankfully the refund was no issue. But third time lucky, I ordered a new pair in the right size from sportshoes.com and they arrived quickly. While it is quite a difference between running in barefoot shoes and then in Altra, the new shoes are very comfortable and make running very enjoyable, I also feel my back is better protected now. So, all I have to do now is to show some self-discipline and get myself out there.