Selling shoes--the first 90 days...

I decided to give it a full 90 days of observation before I spoke of this mad adventure of selling running shoes. My initial summation is this. "Wow".  I am all over the place with what to make of it. The diversion of people--their needs, sometimes at odds with their requests, the stereotypes broken once you engage in conversation, the funny, the sad, the hopeful, the inspirational...they all walk through the door...

In spite of the chaos of working week-ends while still trying to train for marathons and have a life, I LOVE THIS JOB. I especially love this job because of the customers. It may be a customer with a complicated need to work through. My favorite customer in this category so far is the somewhat overweight customer starting the "Couch to 5K" program that hated any shoe with an arch...She ended up with a pair of New Balance Minimus shoes, which I often refer to as ballet slippers. It's one of the few shoes in the store that indeed, has no arch. Once I put those shoes on her feet she hit the treadmill and said, "Bingo, this is it".  I also love the customer that shatters a stereotypical thought, like the thin, small framed guy who just took up running. As I had him remove this socks and shoes to walk barefoot I thought to myself that I was wasting his time with the gait analysis, as I was sure he was a neutral runner...well he ended up pronating so badly he left the store with not just a stability shoe for pronation, but a full blown motion control shoe. I have to admit I love the customer who thinks he knows what he wants and I can convince him to get what he needs and still walk away happy, like the guy who wanted Newtons because all his triathlete friends wore them...So I put him in Newtons, but I made him run on the treadmill. He couldn't get those shoes off his feet fast enough. (Trust me, he didn't need to be wearing Newtons)...But my favorite customer of all is the one who has the inspirational story, like the guy who lost over 100 pounds and is on a tear to get out there and jog his first 5K. They all have that light in their eyes, quoting that same message, "You just have to get out there and do it". So simple, yet so profound.

Of course, some customers are not as pleasant or fun to work with, but nonetheless just as important. A man brought in his wife with advanced Alzheimer's to be fitted for running shoes. The only rationale I could think of was maybe she used to be a regular customer as a walker or runner and still insisted on coming to Luke's Locker, I don't know, but it was very sad. We have a few customers that are just plain mean and ugly, but luckily they are rare, as rare as they are in the running community itself, which makes sense I guess. Then there's the customer that is injured and wants you to fix them. They want you to put them in a shoe that will make them all better. I do the best I can, but usually it's not the shoe, which is a tough pill for some to swallow, especially if a race is looming. The ones I have the most trouble with though, are the children who have the overbearing parent, like the 8 year old boy whose dad was barking that now his son can go "run some PR's"...In my brief moment with him I told him to have fun running, because that is all that matters, and just hope that the thought stuck in his brain somewhere...

So in just one day here is sample:
1. A lady who just qualified for Boston at her first marathon (Chicago), and was able to register in time for Boston 2013.
2. A lady who actually referred to herself as "not a real runner" because she only ran a few miles a few times a week. (I set her straight).
3. A guy that currently wore a size 3XLshirt , but is well on his way to a 2XL...He had suffered blood clots from a surgery and was finally back to walking 4 miles a day, every day.
4. An older man that was putting off ankle surgery, but his ankle was so swollen I really had to work hard to find a shoe with a large enough "throat" for it.
5. A preschooler that wanted a shoe with shoe strings instead of velcro.
6. A woman that wanted only the pink Nike Free 3.0's and nothing else.
7. A real looker of a woman who needed black shoes because she was a waitress at a gentlemen's club, and her feet were killing her. FYI, Nike's Pegasus Shield is black and water resistant. I really felt sorry for my male co-workers for not getting to work with her, ha ha.
8. An older woman who is running her first marathon in over 10 years because her sister wanted to run a marathon, so they are running the Marine Corps marathon together in matching outfits.

Obviously, with 90 days into it I have a lot more to learn...mostly about shoe technology...I'll save that one for the next blog. So far I am trying to keep an open mind, but there are shoes that I only bring out by request and when I do I exercise considerable restraint. To be continued...

Marathon #28: Baltimore Marathon, 2010

Here's what I wrote when we (Kathy Murgas, Bill Baxley, Laura Steen-Patterson, and me) returned from Baltimore...

Ironically, the beauty of the marathon can sometimes be in its ability to draw the ugliness out of the very core of our souls, to strip away every protective layer and leave us out  there in the bright sun, bare, naked, UGLY...nowhere to hide...Somehow we find something within us to conquer it and bust through the "ugly place" and make our way, miraculously, to the finish line.
I thank God that not all marathons are like that...but this one sure as hell was...at least for me...

OK, short version: Kathy: 4:00 flat, Bill: 4:16, Laura: 4:09, and me, 4:12. Perfect weather, a bit windy, but not a factor. Course: beastly hilly. In my opinion the course is harder than Boston, but I knew it would be hilly, so no excuses. But that doesn't mean it didn't beat me to a pulp. We are all happy with our finishes and our ridiculously huge blinged out medals to boot. In total, it was a great day and a great trip overall.

Ok long version. (sigh). Hey, you knew it was coming.

It was a gorgeous morning. Not a cloud in the sky, and cool crisp air.  Lots of positive energy flowing. A happy morning. And then the race started...First 3 miles all uphill and it was work from step one. Kathy was gone right away. Bill, Laura, myself, and a hovering helicopter stayed together for the first few miles. Finally, the helicopter left, about the same time Bill pulled away. I told Laura, "I'm really glad he finally left". pause. "I meant the helicopter, not Bill." :)
And it was harsh, those first miles. I was still easily blowing sunshine out my rear at this point, telling Laura how great the downhill will be when we get to the turn around. Once we turned around though, surprise, hill, and then bam, another hill. So it went: downhill, up, down, up...down. GEESH. Was running out of sunshine already...By mile 12 my sunshine reserves were depleted and I'm  pretty sure this was my lowest point in the race. I was realizing at that moment that this was going to be one of those marathons I mentioned above. (Trust me, I know the warning signs by now).

The "beauty" of the miles that followed is hard to explain, but I can tell you that sharing them with Laura as we went back and forth was priceless. What we didn't know, and wish we had, was that Bill somehow ended up behind us (popped into a medical tent around mile 16 I believe).
We could have suffered together! Anyhow, somewhere along the ridiculous climb from mile 16 to 20 ish I started to "come around", and salvage my race. I knew then that I would make it to the finish. It wouldn't be pretty, I'd have to walk some of the hills, but I was going to make it. Huge relief.

My main remaining issue was trying not to kill any of the half marathoners along the way, since they were running nearly their entire race along with us. (They kicked them off at an hour and 45 minutes after us and merged them in with us at mile 16...do the math). For those who like noise, chaos, crowds, half marathon runners darting all about you, this is your race!  At their 11 mile mark they had a cheering crowd. "11 miles! and only 2 to go". Inspirational. Mile 24 marker...cue the crickets chirping...Seriously, the full marathoners were simply lost in the crowd of half marathoners, especially as we finished, when they accelerated into their mad-hatter sprints to the line. The marathon finishers didn't even have our own finishing chute. The marathon runners were forced to come to a complete stop as the masses (mostly half marathoners) slowly filtered into a narrow opening in a gate. You could tell who the marathoners were, because we were all moving about in tiny circles, grabbing our knees, or some were even puking over the rails. And NO MEDICAL ANYWHERE. It was the most ridiculous finish I have ever encountered, and have already emailed the race director about it.

Once I pushed and shoved my way through the hole, and grabbed a mylar blanket I encountered girls with boxes of medals and made sure I got the full medal (ceremonial. Nice touch).
From there I was in the chaotic sea of humanity, trying to decipher where to go next to find a: the beer tickets, then b: the beer. I came across people standing in line for a dixie cup of soup. Really, REALLY? Sure enough I found the beer, and my peeps! We always know where to find each other! For some reason we decided to stand around a giant plastic drum positioned between two beer trucks and have our little celebration. And we were all so happy!!
 
 Later I will make my pros and cons and submit to marathonguide.com. The pros: The course was pretty, the people of Baltimore were out cheering for us, Baltimore is a great destination city, the race logistics were great (start and finish close to each other and hotels), great starting area (Camden Yards), and finish (Ravens stadium). Organized aid stations, mile markers, traffic control. Beautiful medals. Expo was decent.

Cons: besides the obvious half issues, and finish area, nothing really! 

October Marathon of the Month: Cape Cod Marathon

Cape Cod marathon

First, a little geography lesson for those of us who have no clue where or what Cape Cod really is...you northerners can scroll down to the next paragraph...according to Wikipedia, Cape Cod, often referred to locally as simply the cape, is a barrier island in the easternmost portion of the state of Massachusetts. It's approximately 1-2 hours by car from Boston. From here the popular Martha's Vineyard and Natucket Islands can be reached via ferry. The cape is composed of 15 towns, and those towns separate out into smaller villages. The town of Falmouth resides within the "upper cape" area, and this is where the marathon is held.

The Falmouth Track Club has organized this marathon since 1978! It's always held on the last Sunday of October. Last year they added a half marathon, which runs on Saturday, giving runners the chance to participate in the "Clam Chowdah Challenge", which is running both the half and the full marathon races! There's also a 5-person relay in conjunction with the full marathon.

The marathon course is one of the most scenic courses in existence. It loops from the Village Green in Falmouth center, with long stretches of shoreline, farmland, colorful cranberry bogs, the villages of Falmouth with peaking fall foliage, and an incredible view of the Nobska lighthouse.  With the spirit of Halloween in the air, one may witness more costumes worn than usual as well.

Terrain-wise, as with most scenic marathons, this comes with a price: HILLS. Yes, the course is challenging, with most of the memorable hills in the second half. Most marathonguide.com comments with regards to the hills claim they are mostly rolling and "manageable", but none of these people appeared to be from Texas, so take heed.

The weather can be an issue, with the possibility of nor'easter storms rolling in, but the course is designed to minimize the effects of strong winds (or at least utilize as tail wind).  Last year they had storms roll in and out right before the marathon started, and near perfect weather the year before. Luckily, indoor facilities are used at the start line, as well as the finish, where reportedly the best clam chowder in the world is served.

There's a nice, small town feel to this marathon, as the marathon count is usually about 1,100 people, and last year's half was around 1,300 people, making race day logistics simple and somewhat stress-free. There's not a lot of hoopla on the course--I like that, but some people complained that it got lonely in parts. Also, some people complained that parts of the course are open to traffic, which is often the case, but maybe there was a lot of it--not sure. I think my only reservation about doing this marathon is that I'd hate to come for the marathon and have inclement weather make seeing the neighboring islands less enjoyable, or even impossible. The area certainly bills itself as a summer destination, but rates are a lot cheaper in the Fall!

This marathon has been on my list for years--someday I hope to finally do it!

Nobska lighthouse

The Fall Marathon line-up Amongst Us

This is my favorite time of the year. We've endured summer marathon training, and as Fall arrives, so too do the marathons we've been training for, and one by one we all make it to our respective starting lines, God willing.

First up is the Wineglass marathon in upstate New York this week-end. As jealous as I am, these folks have endured long runs in the summer heat the most, and deserve the near-perfect weather that awaits. They will be the first to come back with their "war stories" as well, which is always fun for the rest of us. Next week-end is the big marathon week-end, with St. George on Saturday and Twin Cities and Chicago on Sunday. These marathons are due decent weather, and fingers crossed, so far it's looking good!

On October 20th is the Des Moines Iowa marathon, and then the Marine Corps marathon the following week-end. The week-end after that we bid a farewell and good luck to all who are running in the New York City marathon. Last, but not least, those of us running in the Route 66 marathon in Tulsa will be able to to toe the line just a few days before Thanksgiving. 

So for the next couple of months the stories will be told, week by week, as each group returns, hobbling into the pack, wearing their marathon finisher's shirts. I cannot wait to hear the stories! Good luck to everyone!

September Marathon of the Month: The Kaua'i Marathon

Disclaimer: I don't have any plans to run a marathon in Hawaii, but if I did, this would probably be my choice. I'll be quoting Kathy Murgas for first-hand comments, since she and her husband Mike just did this marathon a few weeks ago. (Mike's comments can't be printed. jk!)

When I think of Hawaii I think of all the H words, like Hot, Humid, Hilly...yes, this is the land of the H's, the things that suck the life out of me, so it's hard to imagine running a marathon in Hawaii...but hey they do have a half marathon option to consider, right Mike?

I've touched on the CONS of this race, so let's continue there first. Yes, it will be hot and humid, but on the flip-side, coming from a summer of Texas training you will be acclimated, and according to Kathy the temperature was in the 70's, with a light breeze, cloudy, and occasional showers. Also, the race starts in the dark, with a nice sunrise a few miles into the race.

Terrain-wise, this course is tough, and I mean TOUGH. There is no way to sugar-coat this fact. Looking at the elevation chart, the total elevation change is 4436 feet, with the total elevation climb at 2205 feet! It's an undulating course from beginning to end, with its only flat section along the beach at the finish. Still, the beauty of the course may make up for the pain, as it's lined with native drummers, singers, and hula dancers, you run through the famous tunnel of trees, and are awarded magnificent views of this lush island and the surrounding ocean all along the way.

The only other CON would be the cost, with a registration fee ranging from $180-$225, but combined with the overall cost of traveling to Hawaii for a vacation it's just a drop in the bucket. ;)

Ok, so onwards to the PROS of the race, which are many. Every review write-up on marathonguide.com raves about the great organization: Plenty of water stops on the course, all staffed efficiently, a great marathon start with tiki torches lighting the way...The expo may be a little on the small side, but they had a lot of marathon logo items available to purchase. Runners received a short sleeved tech top, and the finisher's medal is also a bottle opener.

The finish area sounds awesome! From Kathy, "They first gave you a cold wet towel and bottle of water.  They had free massages but the wait was too long.  Then we walked across the street to a grassy area where they had basic food - bagels, chips, fruit but they also had unlimited free local beer.  Finish was at the Sheraton on the beach".

Here is the link to the marathon web-site: http://www.thekauaimarathon.com/

Lovely Murgi Medal Display

Kathy and lush Background

Is Mike actually smiling?

Along the road

Long runs with the gang at White Rock Lake on Saturdays are the way to go. The lake is buzzing with people to run with and there are plenty water coolers to pilfer. Immersed in conversation, the miles click away. Unfortunately for me, I had pulled a muscle in my quad last Saturday, forcing me to walk it in a mile to the car. There was no way to grunt it out. The muscle just wouldn't work. Subsequent runs during the week resulted in long walks home. Cammy,the massage supreme being that she is, worked on it for over an hour, removing most of the offending knot, but I was unsure if it was a go for a long run the following week-end. So on the following Saturday I missed out on the long run with the gang and did a test run in the neighborhood instead. I had success with 5 miles, so using runner's logic deduced that I was good for 17 miles the next day.

I would have to run alone because I needed to set my own pace (ridiculously slow), and I wasn't entirely sure if I would make the whole distance. Additionally, I would have to start at 5:00 AM from the house because I had to work that day. I  loaded up with my water bottle, cell phone, Garmin, electrolyte pills, mp-3 player, a gel, some sports beans, a baggie of Gatorade powder, and "Blinky", my belly light. I clearly looked like someone I would make fun of.

I stepped out into the front driveway, turned on the Garmin and had to tap Blinky a couple of times to come on. He's on his last leg, and his replacement has been sitting on the counter for months, but I can't seem to part with him just yet. Off into the darkness we go. There is a definite creep factor to running in the dark, but what I tell people is that most of my encounters are with the 4 legged kind. With the exception of the crazy newspaper delivery lady I rarely see any other people at this hour, and today is no exception. Out of the neighborhood I go, towards White Rock lake via the gratefully deserted construction area of NW highway, finally arriving at the lake, where I feel somewhat more comfortable in the dark...somewhat. This is a far cry from early Saturday mornings though, in terms of numbers of fellow runners or cyclists. The creep factor continued, as an owl hooted up above me when I rounded the east side of the lake near the old stone tables.

The sun was coming up as I turned off the lake onto the Santa Fe trail. This is where I made the decision to take off Blinky for the last time. Images from the movie "Castaway" were in my mind..."Mr. Wilson, I'm so sorry!". I hung Blinky onto the chain link fence and carried on without him. I was actually a little sad for a moment! Clearly not healthy...

My initial plan was to run an out and back on the trail, but I wasn't paying attention to the fact that I was almost out of water, so I gambled on running all the way to Lindsley park and short-cutting it to the lake another way instead.The gamble was the sometimes unreliable water fountain at the park. If it wasn't working I'd have another couple of dry miles to the next fountain--survivable, but most unpleasant. As I entered the park I was chanting, "please be working, please be working"...approached the fountain, pushed the button, and TA-DAH!! Water! Happy dancing at the fountain! I made up a bottle of Gatorade with my powder and headed off back to the lake.

When I finally arrived at the lake it was a lot more alive with people this time. At my next water stop there was a guy there with his face in the fountain, alternating between gulping down water and gasping for air. Fine, I'll take this moment to pull out my gel of choice, Roctane's "Island Nectar", which I refer to as tropical vomit. Nasty, but it works! This guy finally steps away from the fountain, but hovers about like he's not quite finished, and I feel his eyes on me. I look down and catch the fact that my clothes are completely drenched and stuck to me like wallpaper, and sweat is dripping off my elbows in a steady stream. What is he looking at? I must look pretty scary. It was my first human encounter and I wasn't liking it. I pulled out my mp-3 player and carried on. Later on I felt bad, like I should have asked him how it was going, but I was afraid he was going to whine about the weather.

I only have 5 miles to go until I get back home, so I start listening to my new CD from "A Silent Film" called "Sand and Snow". Great stuff! Not exactly Death Grips "I've Seen Footage" ...not that kind of run today for sure! Kind of mellow. I'm really enjoying the run and enjoying the fact that I am actually able to run. As I approach the Benny's Bench fountain I look up Dalgreen street and see my friend Codi coming to the fountain at the same time. We could not in a million years plan this! She's running from her house to the lake and back, and happens to be running in the same direction as me! She looks at me, laughs, and says, "Teresa you have bugs all over you". Codi takes my mind off running as she carries on about the joys of having both a newborn and a toddler at home. We ran together until she turned off at the trail-head to her neighborhood, leaving me with just 1 1/2 miles to go. I turn on my mp-3 player again, this time catching a Keene song, called "On the Road", which really summed up my morning in a way. This song truly carried me home. Here are the lyrics:

Have you been feeling that pull?
And are you hearing that call?
'Cause you've got everything that you need to make a start

I had a dream of my own
Just walking out of my home
And going I don't know where to sing beneath the stars

Your whole life lies ahead
It's just around the bend

So when the sun is coming up and you go
And there's still so many things you don't know
Don't you look back, I've no doubt that I
Will see you on the road

When the world's laying you low
Why don't you let me carry your load?
When things get bad you know you have a friend
All along the road

And I would love it sometime
If you would walk at my side
Going I don't know where to sleep beneath the stars

If in your life you need a hand
Reaching the promised land

So when the sun is coming up and you go
And there's still so many things you don't know
Don't you look back, I've no doubt that I
Will see you on the road

When the world's laying you low
Why don't you let me carry your load?
When things get bad you know you have a friend
All along the road
All along the road

Golden light lies ahead
It's just around the bend

So when the sun is coming up and you go
And there's still so many things you don't know
Don't you look back, I've no doubt that I
Will meet you on the road

When the world's laying you low
Don't you let it rattle your bones
Sometimes a dream itself can keep you safe
All along the road
All along the road

Hood to Coast is this Week-end!

The Hood to Coast Relay, also known as the mother of all relays, is this week-end. For team Texas Roadkill, this is where it all began, back in 1996...We were eating breakfast at Cafe Brazil, post-run: Trey, Jim, Doug, and I, as we listened to Trey's co-worker from Portland Oregon talk about her participation in this relay. She had us captivated...running with a team of twelve runners for approximately 24 hours as they traveled from Mt. Hood to Seaside Oregon. Each runner ran 3 different times throughout the event, roughly 8 hours apart. And this beach party at the finish, wow, I mean she had us right then and there. We said, "Let's go do this thing"! Jim signed us up (the team name came later), Doug rented the 2 vans, and I recruited the remaining team members. I pulled in people from all over Dallas. The team members knew a few fellow team-mates, but nobody knew everybody. Even I didn't know Tina, as she came in as a friend of Deanna's. I think this is what really made the first year so magical--getting to know people during an intense 24 hour ordeal! Not only that, but back then there wasn't the full blown 1000 teams like they have today. If my memory serves me correctly, they had only around 500 teams then. None of us had done a relay before, so we had no idea what to expect. When we came back to Dallas we talked about our adventures non-stop for weeks. It was such an incredible adventure!

Texas Roadkill returned to Hood to Coast every year for the next 4 years, along with several other Texas teams as Hood to Coast gained momentum, until other relays began forming across the country, mimicking Hood to Coast's format. Texas Roadkill traveled to races in New Hampshire, Napa Valley, Santa Cruz, Chicago, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Lake Tahoe, and Utah, returning two more times to Hood to Coast as well.

Over the seventeen years of team existence the team line up has continuously changed with only three of the original members remaining: Jim, Doug, and myself. Of us three only Doug has ran every single relay race since the very beginning! Go Daddy-o Doug!

I'd like to think Texas Roadkill will continue on, but for me, I think I am "getting too old for this stuff"...It literally ran its course, ha ha. Still, Hood to Coast memories will be with me forever, especially that first year when it all began.

In the photo standing from left to right: Kris Flabiano, Doug Dodge, David Lodeeson, Amy Keene, myself, Wayne Johnson, Nancy Scholberg, Gary Goodnight, and Tina Santizo.
Kneeling, left to right: Jim Proctor, Deanna Becker, and Trey Howse.

The Texas Flag shorts came along the 2nd year, but notice that Nancy actually had a pair on that first year--she was the trend setter!

Texas Roadkill 1996