Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Must be the Shoes!


What have I become? My life has been reduced to watching for the UPS man to deliver my new insoles from Road Runner Sports (the coolest running store by the way – home of the “60 day perfect fit guarantee” – if you don’t love them, send them back! Take that Sports Authority). Anyway, the package came.

I learned long ago that marriage is a series of compromises. I overlook some things – she overlooks some things. However, now that my wife is a blossoming and aspiring runner, I can’t let her see all of my secret purchases as they come to the house (don’t want her to get any advantage on me). So naturally, I have them sent to my office. Now I hear it from my secretary “what did you order now?” I always tell her “secretaries day is coming soon, I just wanted to be prepared” “what, from road runners sports?” – They think they are so smart. I guess I am off point, back to the arrival of my package.

As runners, we are all in the never-ending search for our “Holy Running Grail” A cooler shirt, shorts that have secret compartments for Gu storage, of course better and faster shoes, and now better insoles for my better and faster shoes. It may not make much sense from the outside looking in, but if you are a runner (and if your reading this you most likely you are) you understand – don’t you? Will insoles lead me to my journey’s end?

I can remember a couple of years ago my approach wasn’t quite so scientific. I picked my running shoes by what looked cool. If they matched my other cool things, then on they went. Now as a “seasoned” distance runner, it is all about function. An ounce here, the right material there – anything to drop a couple of seconds off my time. Think about how tough the cyclist have it. They can spend thousands on equipment - for what? I guess the reason the portly guys always have the best equipment is just to feel better about themselves.

My shoe journey went from what was in the closet, to shoes made specifically for running. Then, once I learned that certain shoes were built for certain runners, I had to make even more changes. After I became comfortable with a brand and a style, then I wanted to push the envelope; I went from motion control plus, to light weight trainers (how bold). Once I went to the trainers, I had to up-size them to account for the swelling on distance runs. Once I bought the right size, then I thought it was hurting the bottom of my feet. To fix that problem, I used the insoles from my motion control shoes in my trainers. It seemed to work. But what if, I asked myself, what if there were insoles that would make my trainers the perfect running shoe? (Enter the UPS man here)…

Maybe the journey for running Shangri-La never ends, but when I put my Road Runners Sports super motion control insoles in my size 12 Asics Gel DS Trainers, I will let you know.

1 comment:

robert said...
This comment has been removed by the author.