Saturday, October 20, 2007

One small step for Marykind

I did something positive on my vacation; I went in to a running store. The woman made me run up and down the sidewalk in several pairs of shoes before she suggested a few different brands that I might like. Came out of that store poor, but well shod.

Tangential thought: one thing I'd always heard was that it was so easy to run. "No need for fancy outfits or expensive bicycles," everyone told me. "You put on a pair of good running shoes and you go." Hogwash. I don't know how you runners afford the habit. The woman next to me was buying shoes for her three daughters (two in elementary, one in middle school), and she ended up paying over a thousand dollars. For shoes these dang kids are going to outgrow in another year. WTF?

Also, besides being expensive, these shoes should probably be nicknamed Betty. They're ugly. The running store is across the street from my old high school, and these shoes are in the school colors of red and white. I feel like I'm on my way to a football rally. (Go panthers. Mash Mateo. Rah.) But I must admit they feel like a dream to wear. Maybe the ugly colors were designed to motivate me to muss them up by some good hard trail running?


Note: this post is my way of hitting the ground running, so to speak. Tomorrow I view my first potential house (i.e. a house with potential, almost kind of in my price range). I'm nervous about meeting my first Realtor and trying to pretend I'm a competent, rational adult in her right mind. By trying to focus part of my attention on exercising, I'm attempting to direct my anxiety into a healthy outlet. Gotta be worth a try.

5 comments:

C said...

Congrats on the shoe purchase! I've been considering a similar investment myself, since I think my pair of general exercise sneakers aren't the best for running.

And good luck with the first house viewing.

Mary Ann said...

Here's a thought on house hunting, for what it's worth: You're in charge, you're the buyer. So let the realtor be nervous and prove to you that he/she knows what she's talking about.

Good luck and have fun exploring!

Katharine O'Moore-Klopf said...

Rah, rah! House-hunting shoes! Maybe they'll find the perfect house for you.

marie said...

I always find it funny when people say running is a cheap sport/past time because it's been anything BUT for me.

The "technical" fabrics you have to wear to "wick away" sweat and the butt-ugly shoes that you have to get fitted for - they don't come cheap.

I won't even get into the GPS watches, heart rate monitors and race fees.

I could bought a castle by now if I hadn't started running.


*sigh*

The Merry said...

Okay. I'll be polite and forthright with the realtor. Maybe she'll be impressed by my expensive shoes ;)

Marie, there's more stuff to buy? :(
On the other hand, the photos on your blog are most impressive :)