Friday, October 30, 2009

New Shoes!


No offense New Balance, but your shoes are stiff. STIFF. Like my feet are cramping a bit stiff. But they sure are pretty. And this fact alone has lead my to wear my brand new orange and white New Balance shoes to work today. Also today, I’m sporting my brand new Chicago marathon T, purchased very generously by one JRICE as she hit up the Big C just prior to marathon weekend. Nothing like moonlighting as a marathon runner! Practically every person I see hits me with, "WOW- did you run in the Chicago marathon?" To which I smile pleasantly and respond, “No, I plan to someday!"

Anyhow- I digress. Really, what I wanted to put out there in the world today was a great big thank-you to the Harvest Half Marathon and the Tech Shop, as they are responsible for the fabulous new kicks I'm sporting. No, I have not managed to become a sponsored marathoner (I WISH!) but I am thrilled to report (and also slightly embarrassed) that back at the beginning of October when I ran in the Harvest Half Marathon, I somehow managed to cross the line first for women. While I would like to attribute this first and likely only win to my exceptional training and dedication, I can say with a reasonable amount of certainty that it was probably a huge fluke, and one I’m relatively certain won't be repeated. There are simply too many variables on race day to ever go into a race believing you're going to win it. The good news is that along with the glory of being able to say that I crossed the line first, I won a prize! YAY! New Balance shoes from the Tech Shop…which I picked up last weekend and have been wearing all week. I am hugely appreciative to have won these shoes! Although I’m not going to make the switch to actually train and run in New Balance, I am very happy to have a new pair of “wear around” shoes. Thanks Harvest Half marathon! Thanks Tech Shop! Thanks a million!

For those of you who train religiously on the pavement, paths, track or treadmill, you know just what I mean when I say that new shoes are just a lovely little treat for your feet, knees, hips and lower back. And while new shoes are a bit pricey, I’d like everyone who has been putting off the purchase of new running shoes to consider the wear and tear that running has on your body. Let’s be honest- it’s significant. Our bodies certainly were not made to withstand the punishment of marathon training. So while the $150 bucks may seem like a bit of a stretch when there are other bills to pay and more “fun” items to purchase (I can think of about a million), consider it an investment in your “joint” health. Believe me, when your 40, 50 or 60, your joints will remember the favour and will pay you back ten fold. And hopefully your running career can continue into your old age because your body is happy!

And one last little note before I get back to the task of enlightening the student world with my vast knowledge of biology (?), I should mention that I am scaling back on the running. Time to let the injuries heal and the body prepare for the next round of punishment…oops I mean training. After all, now that I’m wearing the shirt from Chicago, I should actually earn the right to say I ran in it!

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