Ten Running Commandments

These are so true! They are my new rules :)

New Shoes

Here they are! My beautiful new shoes. Hopefully they won't stay this way long. They are in for some rough times; we both are! They're Brooks Ghost 5. Debbie, my amazing step mom, took my into a store in Eugene that specializes in helping find runners the perfect shoe. I think this shoe was the third pair they tried on me. It was the oddest thing. They just felt right. Anywho, like the idiot that I am I walked away not wanting to pay the ridiculous price. A year and a couple pairs of pathetic Nike's (Don't get me wrong, Nike is great, but like most things in life if you want quality you've got to be willing to pay the price. Penny pinching me refused, my legs and feet still hate me for it). later I still couldn't forget about these shoes. Obsession? Yup. I went onto runningwarehouse.com to see if they had them. I bought a pair and prayed they were half as amazing as I remembered. When they finally came I fell in love all over again. They really are great shoes. Comfortable and supportive, without being over constricting. Love. Well as with many things, my shoes have aged with time. Hence the ordering of these beauties. I've lucked out though. Brooks has since made a newer version of the shoes, Ghost 6, so I got these for 60 smackeroos! Half of what I paid the first time around! I forgot what a motivation it is to have new gear. I think rewarding yourself for accomplishing goals is important, and while I'd rather it be a big thick chocolate shake, new gear is the way to go. Next on my list is an armband for my phone.

Gotta start somewhere!

So. Here's the thing. We all want things, don't we? It's simple really. The desire to grow and develop, to push past barriers and do more than we ever thought possible is part of what makes us human. We all find our own ways to fill this incessant need to conquer. For me it in pushing past my own limitations. I've always been unbelievably competitive... with myself. For better or for worse whatever I do isn't enough. I need to do it bigger, do it better, set a new record and repeat.

Running has become my most prevalent competition. I know it's a little nutty. I mean who cares? I will never be an elite, all-star runner. I'm certain I'll never win a race. Why even try? Because running is so much more than being the best. It's more than the calories burned. It's freedom. It my escape. Most of all it's my happiness. I know, I know what your thinking. How is that even possible. Trust me I have days when I'm blazing hot, pouring down sweat, absolutely despising my tennis shoes, my running music... anything that has to do with the word run. Despite those days, and perhaps even because of them, running has taught me that I can do more than I thought possible and be more than I could ever imagine.