The One Where I Cheated on My Shoes

Way back when I first got started running, I followed the advice of...my well, everyone....and went to get fitted for some running shoes.  My initial runs were in an ancient pair as Asics that had brought me through my early runs and then a pregnancy.  Because of said pregnancy, the shoes were shot....and about 2 sizes too small.

At Running Etc., which is like running mecca in my area, I took off my flip flops, put on my socks, and took a little jog through the store.  The shoe guru watched me do all of that.  Then the shoe guru brought out boxes and boxes of not Asics.  I knew very little about shoes.  I knew that fast people wore Newtons and Sauconys and Brooks.  That was the end of what I knew.

After trying on about 10 pairs of shoes and running approximately 100 miles through the store, I settled on a pair of Brooks Adrenalines.   They are stability shoes, which are supposed to help with my foot turning in.  They were also a size and a half (let me say that again....a SIZE and a HALF) bigger.  My feet are big enough, I didn't need to go up a size and a half.  But, the shoe guru told me that my feet would swell with distance, so I needed to size up.  (Note - I very seldom get blisters and I have never, EVER lost a toenail.  Listen to the shoe gurus.)

I put a lot of miles on those beloved Brooks.  Running shoes are good for about 500 miles...sometimes a little less.  I know when my shoes are ready to go out to pasture when my knees start to hurt.  My beloved shoes were an older model, but I was comfortable in them, so I bought 4 more pairs. (Shoes, apparently, are much like cars.  A new model comes out every year.  The new model might not be the same.)

That was about a year ago.  Now we are back in present day and I needed some new shoes because I had burned through every pair in my reserve.  My beloved Brooks are now a full year old and the newest model is about to come out.  So, really, my shoes are just about 2 years old.  Because they could double as snow skis, I can't find them ANYWHERE!

So, I went to back to Mecca.  My running coach was in the store when I went to try on new shoes.  He is sponsored by Saucony.  He is super, duper, I mean, crazy fast.  So, the transitive property of running tells us that if he wears Sauconys and is fast, then I will be fast if I wear Sauconys.  I tried some on, they felt okay, and I bought 2 pairs.

What felt fine running through the store, rubbed my toes on a 3 mile run.  If it rubs at 3 miles, I will be missing my big toes after 26.2.  Running shoes aren't cheap, so I had to take them back.  Luckily, Running Etc has a generous return policy.  I took both pairs back.  I tried on 6 different brands.  I tried on man shoes since my feet are so big.  I turned my nose up at the ugly man colors.  

And then, it happened.  It was like Cinderella and the glass slipper.  I slipped on the newest model of my beloved Brooks.  It was like putting on a favorite sweatshirt.  The choice was obvious.

You may be wondering why it took so long when the answer was so clear.  Remember way back at the top of this tirade when I mentioned that shoe models change every year?  Apparently the new Brooks Adrenaline 14 was "less stable" than the Brooks Adrenaline 13.  The shoe gurus were steering me away from it and I was letting them.  

Never fear, I'm back in my beloved Brooks.  Amazingly, my knee has stopped hurting.  I am running faster.  (I mean, all things being relative.)  I'm sure it has everything to do with the shoes and nothing to do with the training and the coaching.

Now if only we can find the jet packs to get me through the marathon......