Thursday, August 09, 2007

If the shoe fits...that still doesn't mean you can run in it

A few of you may remember that about this time last year, in the early days of this blog, I ventured out to City Sports to get new running shoes. I posted about how surprised I was by the whole "do you/don't you pronate?" conversation, and how I was then told that the only shoes that would make it possible for me to even walk down the street were so ugly that I felt compelled to sprint every time I left the house. It was an interesting strategy, as far as fitness goes.

Well, the good news is, I ran in those ugly shoes. Not very far, and not very fast. But I ran. You might even say that I'm in training. You see, I have a dream... My dream is to do Swishy's 5K challenge (provided I can do it on a treadmill, or in a place like Kansas where it is very flat...) Not just because she's promising awesome prizes (okay, maybe a little) but because I've never run this far in my whole entire life. Pitiful, huh? The truth is, I've always been a sprinter, not a distance girl. My events were the ones with the word "dash" in the title. And as I look back on that, it occurs to me that as much as my dashing ability was celebrated in my school days, it might have been nice if some grownup, at some point in time, had taken me aside and said:

"Sweetie, here's the hard truth about running: No matter how much you love it now, eventually, you'll need to branch out beyond the dash. Dashing will be of almost no help when you're older and need to fit into tight jeans. To fit into the jeans, you've gotta go the distance. Not only that, but for the majority of your twenties and thirties, you will be surrounded by well-intentioned people who will tell you, as a means of encouragement, 'Remember--life is not a sprint, it's a marathon...' They will think this is helpful. They will have no idea that essentially, they are telling you that your particular skill set is unsuitable for adult life and that you should just give up..."

That's okay though, because I'm finally catching on. Life is not a sprint...it's a 5K! I even went back to City Sports to get new sneakers. (There was a new guy there...he assured me, in direct contradiction to his colleague from last year, that I am indeed a pronator, and I need all the support I can get. To which I can only say, AMEN!)

Swishygirl, get my prize ready!!!

:)

8 comments:

L Sass said...

Woohoo! You know I'm in favor of distance running!!

I am the queen of overpronation... I have been known to bring the running store crew photos from my races to prove that I pronate more severely when running than I do when walking / standing and therefore need the 2 models of shoes available for freaky, knee knocking, flat footed runners.

But, with the right shoes, running is a far more pleasant experience, so it's worth it!

Unknown said...

Congrats Congrats!

I'm not a huge runner, and I have never invested in appropriate shoes (appropriate running shoes that is, I have plenty of VERY appropriate party shoes). It's on my to-do list, right after I purchase those gorgeous liquid-graphite patent heels.... sigh. :o)

xox

Beck said...

I'm neither a sprinter NOR a long-distance runner, so either way, I'm impressed! Congratulations!

Stacy said...

Great post! :)

Unknown said...

I admire you for doing the running thing...and while I'd rather run around the neighborhood than on a treadmill, I haven't done it in a while!

LEstes65 said...

I have no doubt that, someday, I will be cheering you across that finish line in Copley Square!!

xxxx said...

YAYYYYY! Good for you! I will DEFINITELY get your prize ready! This is very good, because it will help me get back on track (which I need desperately!)

Jess Riley said...

Awesome! I'm rooting for you.

You reminded me that my own running shoes are like a thousand years old. Maybe if I got new shoes I'd start running again...