Shoes ... and Pizza!

Today I made my first financial commitment to the marathon. I've found that one of the keys to having a successful and enjoyable (yes, enjoyable) experience is good equipment... primarily shoes. In my past distance walks I've worn Brooks Addictions. This evening, I tried on the Brooks Beast and really like the feel. There's a huge difference between my five year old Addictions and these cushy new Beasts. The first pair I tried on were functional but a bit short in the toe; in hindsight, I remember our coach saying that our shoes should be roomy enough in the toebox that we could play the piano with our toes. I never really felt that agile but I did get a sense of what he was saying. Another interesting aspect of these shoes was a sensation of a fulcrum just behind the ball of my foot. As my weight moved forward, it felt like I was rolling over a small mound and propelled forward into the push-off of my stride; a nice sensation. I took the advice of my salesman and went up a half size and am looking forward to my next walk.

With new shoes secured, I proceeded on to enjoy an excellent pizza out with Joel. Off and on over the last twelve years, Joel and I have made it our practice to get together once a week for pizza or Wisconsin burgers often followed by a movie Marlene, his wife, would not likely want to see. This evening, we enjoyed a tasty sausage and pepperoni pizza at our current favorite pizza house and ultimately wound up at his house watching news talk TV with Marlene. All in all, an evening well spent, in my book.