Okay, I did the Duke City 1/2 Marathon on Sunday, and my back started cramping at mile 7, so I decided I must need new shoes. It could not be any number of other variables, I was sure I needed new shoes. After all, I've had these shoes for 10 months and I've been running between 50 and 60 miles per month, so it is time.
I did the school girl thing and read articles on the internet, magazines, posts, and of course checked out what other people were wearing at the race on Sunday. At triathlons it is easy to chat with folks about their gear, and I just kind of forced myself on people in the running world and they were okay about it. I don't know if this level of communication is normal for them, but none of them ran screaming or called the police.
By the time I got to the running store of choice in Albuquerque, I'd pretty well set my heart on a pair of Newtons. The clerk, a very kind lady named Pat, looked at me and said as gently as she could, "I don't think so, honey." It sounds condescending when I write it, but she was not rude or condescending at all. I explained that I REALLY wanted some Newtons. She asked me why, so I told her the whole story in bullet points:
* I've been working super hard to develop my running skills
* I've turned myself from a heel striker to a mid-foot striker
* I've been able to cut 16.6% off my 3.5 mile running time (from 60 minutes to 50 minutes, so no illusions of speed)
* They are a beautiful color of orange* All of the other triathletes have them
* They will make me have 44% greater energy return
* I will look super cool and fast when I run in them
* They are THE super "it" shoe in the running world
* I just did my first 1/2 marathon and need to celebrate the milestone with some new shoes
That last brought up a special gleam in her eye. You see, the 1/2 marathon is her favorite distance, and she has had to give up that distance (she is now 68). "How long was your long training run going in to the 1/2?", she asked.
Now I knew I was WOEFULLY under trained for the 1/2 marathon, so I lied and said what I thought was the right answer, "10 miles." Oops, that was the wrong answer. You see, the truthful answer is that the longest run I'd done was 5.25 miles, and I'd walked about a mile of that. What can I say... I was training for the Olympic distance triathlon and it was all about fitting in running, biking and swimming workouts. I just kind of jammed in the extra running when I could get it to fit in. I know, not the best plan, but hey, it worked out okay. I do know I was too embarrassed to admit the truth to the nice sales person though.
"Oh, no, my dear, I can't believe you went in so under trained. You should have been doing at least 12 or 13 for your long runs for the weeks leading up to the 1/2 marathon," she chastised. (See, if she'd known the truth she would just have sent me scurrying out of the store in shame and refused to sell me any shoes at all.)
Fortunately she is a good salesperson, so she let me try on some Newtons. They were sleek, lovely, and everything I imagined they would be. They looked like fast cheetahs on my feet. I looked at them with longing and perhaps a little love in my eyes, but I knew in my heart that they truly were out of my league. Pat was kind, and also brought out some other shoes too. Ultimately I agreed with her that the Newtons would not be the shoe for me. I think that at this point in my life it would be like a balding middle aged man with a poor comb-over and a beer paunch purchasing a low slung convertible; not a good fit. Still a nice car, but not the right car for the right person.
I still have a crush on those nifty orange Newtons, but my new Brooks Glycerin shoes are extremely nice and run very nicely. They are pretty and quite functional. Much like a minivan. They get the job done.
I told Pat that I might be back at some point to get some of those fast beauties. She smiled and said she would not put it past me. I guess I will just have to work really hard in the next six months to become worthy of their lovely glory and treasured speed. Yet another goal.
Patricia
These are the shoes I have a crush on. I am going to get them for Christmas......
I did the school girl thing and read articles on the internet, magazines, posts, and of course checked out what other people were wearing at the race on Sunday. At triathlons it is easy to chat with folks about their gear, and I just kind of forced myself on people in the running world and they were okay about it. I don't know if this level of communication is normal for them, but none of them ran screaming or called the police.
By the time I got to the running store of choice in Albuquerque, I'd pretty well set my heart on a pair of Newtons. The clerk, a very kind lady named Pat, looked at me and said as gently as she could, "I don't think so, honey." It sounds condescending when I write it, but she was not rude or condescending at all. I explained that I REALLY wanted some Newtons. She asked me why, so I told her the whole story in bullet points:
* I've been working super hard to develop my running skills
* I've turned myself from a heel striker to a mid-foot striker
* I've been able to cut 16.6% off my 3.5 mile running time (from 60 minutes to 50 minutes, so no illusions of speed)
* They are a beautiful color of orange* All of the other triathletes have them
* They will make me have 44% greater energy return
* I will look super cool and fast when I run in them
* They are THE super "it" shoe in the running world
* I just did my first 1/2 marathon and need to celebrate the milestone with some new shoes
That last brought up a special gleam in her eye. You see, the 1/2 marathon is her favorite distance, and she has had to give up that distance (she is now 68). "How long was your long training run going in to the 1/2?", she asked.
Now I knew I was WOEFULLY under trained for the 1/2 marathon, so I lied and said what I thought was the right answer, "10 miles." Oops, that was the wrong answer. You see, the truthful answer is that the longest run I'd done was 5.25 miles, and I'd walked about a mile of that. What can I say... I was training for the Olympic distance triathlon and it was all about fitting in running, biking and swimming workouts. I just kind of jammed in the extra running when I could get it to fit in. I know, not the best plan, but hey, it worked out okay. I do know I was too embarrassed to admit the truth to the nice sales person though.
"Oh, no, my dear, I can't believe you went in so under trained. You should have been doing at least 12 or 13 for your long runs for the weeks leading up to the 1/2 marathon," she chastised. (See, if she'd known the truth she would just have sent me scurrying out of the store in shame and refused to sell me any shoes at all.)
Fortunately she is a good salesperson, so she let me try on some Newtons. They were sleek, lovely, and everything I imagined they would be. They looked like fast cheetahs on my feet. I looked at them with longing and perhaps a little love in my eyes, but I knew in my heart that they truly were out of my league. Pat was kind, and also brought out some other shoes too. Ultimately I agreed with her that the Newtons would not be the shoe for me. I think that at this point in my life it would be like a balding middle aged man with a poor comb-over and a beer paunch purchasing a low slung convertible; not a good fit. Still a nice car, but not the right car for the right person.
I still have a crush on those nifty orange Newtons, but my new Brooks Glycerin shoes are extremely nice and run very nicely. They are pretty and quite functional. Much like a minivan. They get the job done.
I told Pat that I might be back at some point to get some of those fast beauties. She smiled and said she would not put it past me. I guess I will just have to work really hard in the next six months to become worthy of their lovely glory and treasured speed. Yet another goal.
Patricia
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