Ahh, My Shoes...

Shoes are so important to running. If you've got the wrong shoes you'll just end up hurting yourself. The correct and comfortable shoes are worth every single penny you spend for them.

Here are my current shoes, NEW BALANCE 737 (sounds like an airplane model, doesn't it?):

 I know that there are many other excellent running brads out there including NIKE, ASICS, ADIDAS, and others. But I feel most comfortable with NEW BALANCE and never waver from it. I haven't tried NEWTON shoes and I hear they are pretty good too.

Here are my two previous sets, also NEW BALANCE, that I now use only for yard work or running to the supermarket to buy something:

NB 645:

NB 718:

You're supposed to wear a running shoe for 500 miles. Given the fact that I average 12 miles a week, it means I need to buy a new pair every year -- which I do.

This calculating-the-miles business is so funny because I sometimes end up reminding myself that I ran "from here to New York City" or some other city of my fancy.

Have you read that immortal John Cheever story, "The Swimmer", the story of a guy who one day decides to go back from Manhattan to his Long Island home by just swimming his way from one swimming pool to another? I sometimes also fantasize that I'm running my way around the world at 3 or 4 or 6 miles at a time...