randomly people ask me when and why I started running.
This is actually a story I remember (mostly... some of the details are vague, you'll see).
In sixth grade I wanted a pair of running shoes. Athletic shoes. I was in middle school now and all the 7th and 8th graders had athletic shoes they wore in gym class (not quite sure why I actually wanted the shoes, but that sounds plausible).
I told my mom I needed a pair of running shoes.
She saw right past that and asked me if I would use them. Of course I will! (My one hour of gym everyday.)
She said if I proved I would use the running shoes, she would buy me a pair. Sure, Mom, of course.
(If you don't know this about me, if you tell me I can't do something or put me up to a challenge, I will most likely do it.)
This was the deal:
I had to take a piece of paper where I wrote out the agreement.
I had to run everyday after school (it may have been 4 times a week, but we'll say 5 for obvious reasons). It didn't matter how far I ran, but I had to go run.
Then I had to come home and Mom had to sign off that I did in fact go for a run.
I had to do this for 3 months (it may have been 1 month. It was definitely 1 or 3. We'll go with 3, again, for obvious reasons).
Then Mom would buy me some running shoes.
Fun fact: what shoes was I running in while proving I needed running shoes? They were bad.
despite what this ad may be trying to convince you, they are NOT athletic shoes. But we could get one pair of shoes to start the school year and these were the ones I picked so I couldn't get another pair once school started.
But guess what?
I got my shoes after completing my running (and I'm sure complaining endlessly). I think I still have that first pair of tennis shoes (although they may have been thrown out when my parents moved) they are now green from mowing the grass.
So that's when and why I started running. Granted I didn't start running long distances until I did it on my own in college. (Unless you count the 2-mile in track, which I don't.)
I'm really happy Mom made me do this. Those shoes meant something. That's why I held on to them for so long. I also appreciate that Mom & Dad didn't just hand over whatever we wanted (ok, maybe sometimes they did). I can think of several stories right now, off the top of my head where they did a similar thing as this.
(Thanks Mom & Dad!)
It's funny because back then my yearly shoe became running shoes and I probably didn't need them that often (because I didn't run that many miles). And now my running shoes are so expensive I hold off and hold off to get a new pair (even though I'm over on the number of miles you should run on the shoe).
Oh how things change....
This is actually a story I remember (mostly... some of the details are vague, you'll see).
In sixth grade I wanted a pair of running shoes. Athletic shoes. I was in middle school now and all the 7th and 8th graders had athletic shoes they wore in gym class (not quite sure why I actually wanted the shoes, but that sounds plausible).
I told my mom I needed a pair of running shoes.
She saw right past that and asked me if I would use them. Of course I will! (My one hour of gym everyday.)
She said if I proved I would use the running shoes, she would buy me a pair. Sure, Mom, of course.
(If you don't know this about me, if you tell me I can't do something or put me up to a challenge, I will most likely do it.)
This was the deal:
I had to take a piece of paper where I wrote out the agreement.
I had to run everyday after school (it may have been 4 times a week, but we'll say 5 for obvious reasons). It didn't matter how far I ran, but I had to go run.
Then I had to come home and Mom had to sign off that I did in fact go for a run.
I had to do this for 3 months (it may have been 1 month. It was definitely 1 or 3. We'll go with 3, again, for obvious reasons).
Then Mom would buy me some running shoes.
Fun fact: what shoes was I running in while proving I needed running shoes? They were bad.
 |
| the shoes Jess so fondly called my Coca-Cola shoes |
But guess what?
I got my shoes after completing my running (and I'm sure complaining endlessly). I think I still have that first pair of tennis shoes (although they may have been thrown out when my parents moved) they are now green from mowing the grass.
So that's when and why I started running. Granted I didn't start running long distances until I did it on my own in college. (Unless you count the 2-mile in track, which I don't.)
I'm really happy Mom made me do this. Those shoes meant something. That's why I held on to them for so long. I also appreciate that Mom & Dad didn't just hand over whatever we wanted (ok, maybe sometimes they did). I can think of several stories right now, off the top of my head where they did a similar thing as this.
(Thanks Mom & Dad!)
It's funny because back then my yearly shoe became running shoes and I probably didn't need them that often (because I didn't run that many miles). And now my running shoes are so expensive I hold off and hold off to get a new pair (even though I'm over on the number of miles you should run on the shoe).
Oh how things change....
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