Priorities

I bought a new pair of shoes.  Asics Gel Nimbus.  It was, I think, my 6th or 7th pair of the same shoe.  Except it wasn't the same shoe.  Asics "improved" it.  Asics does that a lot.  I immediately developed a massive blister at the back of my right heel. I searched through my sock drawer for the answer.  My sock drawer has about 12 different kinds of socks and is overflowing.  Nothing worked.  I wore band aids.  I wore band aids ON band aids.  I used Moleskin.  I bought new and better socks - forcing me to throw out some of the old ones, not such a bad thing. I bought insoles for the shoes.  All that did was give me a matching blister on the left heel.  Nope, the new and improved Gel Nimbus was a bust.

I boxed the shoes up and took them back to Academy.  No receipt.  I had my credit card statement, just in case.  Turns out I didn't need it.  The shoe department manager wanted to keep my business.  After hearing my story she decided the shoe must be defective and told me to pick out a different pair.  I picked out a different pair but I went further than that.  I picked out a different brand.  I tried on about 5 different shoes that afternoon and settled on Nike Shox Roadsters.  You've seen them before.  They have the silly looking springy things at the heels.  I always thought they were just a gimmick.  Whatever.  That afternoon they felt wonderful and I've loved them ever since.

I started thinking about how much I love these shoes and how many miles I'll put on between now and the Chevron Marathon in January.  I'll need another pair.  What if Nike "improves" them?  Oh, hell no!  For the price of two dinners out (which I'm hardly EVER doing anymore), I can buy another pair of shoes.  Done.

This morning I put the first 3 miles on pair number 2.  I ran 3 miles and I wasn't even aware of my shoes.  This is what it's supposed to be feel like.  My feet are H.A.P.P.Y.