new tires!

today's mileage: 3.0

on the iPod: "american saturday night" -- brad paisley

After a brief running hiatus due to feeling a bit under the weather and the opening weekend of college football, I returned triumphantly to marathon training, albeit three miles on an indoor track. More on that in a bit.

With barely more than a month left before the race, i've switched shoes, going from Brooks to New Balance. My Brooks served me well, but they were beginning to lose their cushion and my feet were feeling it. I'd been thinking about buying a new pair for a few weeks. The New Balance have a roomier toebox and the same amount of stability in terms of pronation. And they look pretty hot. See above.

There I was on my lunch break in Rush Running, on the treadmill in khaki pants and a tie, trying out running shoes. I can only imagine the guys in there thought I was a flippin' idiot. Verified. Certified. But I didn't care. I'd made up my mind that it was time for new tires and seized the moment. Carpe diem?

Anytime a runner gets new shoes, the response is to go run in them as soon as possible. Like immediately. It's an internal drive. Sitting in their big cardboard box on my desk like a Christmas present, I waited. And waited. Carpool wasn't leaving for another three hours. I got some work done, but never took my eye off them. I opened the box and smelled them. I inspected the soles. I weighed them in my hands. I took a few pictures for facebook. I texted a picture to Mrs. Pugh who had already bailed for the day. Those brand new running shoes never left my mind.

On the ride home it begins to rain. This isn't good for a guy with new running shoes. There's the whole "internal instinct" thing that needs to be addressed, but who wants to take brand new shoes out in the rain? Not good. Hell bent on getting in some miles, I resigned myself to the indoor track at the Fayetteville Athletic Club. Not my first choice of running venues. It's not even my second choice. Or tenth.

Running indoors is like eating baked potato chips. It's like reading the newspaper online. It's similar to swimming in an above-ground pool. Running indoors is not unlike planting marigolds. It takes care of that need or experience, but it's not the real thing. Running should be outdoors in the sunshine, with a wind against your back and new shoes on your feet. Great tunes in your earbuds help, too. Here's hoping for all those in Chicago.