Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Shut Up So I Can Talk About Myself

Went to the Boulder Running Co last night for new shoes. The people who work there are all distance runners and supposedly know something about giving you the right fit. I have been running in New Balance, but had some arch trouble, so was looking to switch up my shoe.

I ended up with Asics Gel Kayano 15. Similar technically to my NBs.

Today I'm not writing so much about my new shoes, but about those annoying people who always are ready for a story about themselves and a way to dominate the conversation. They ask you one question about yourself, not because they really want to know about you, but because once you give your quick answer, it is their permission to then go off in a million different directions about themselves.

My sales guy last night was just like this. He could not shut up about his PRs, how many times he had run Boston, how he felt about Garmins (you should only run for time! don't get caught up in how far you're running), how he felt about the heel vs. the mid foot strike, how many marathons he has run and which one I should run next. And it went on and on. By the time Erika and I left the running store we felt beat up. Plus I had been holding in some gas for an hour while he ranted on and had to immediately release it in the car (much to Erika's dismay).

I love running and I generally love runners. But I love those humble runners who aren't all about one-upping. Those who love the sport and how it makes them feel, but don't have to tell the world at every opportunity how fast or far they have run that week. I'll end with this quote:

"It is always the secure who are humble" ~Gilbert Keith Chesterton

8 comments:

  1. 90% of the time, guys like that are posers anyway. Kind of blunts any good stuff he may have injected while giving you his running resume. I fear I've been like this guy before. However, spending some time among elite runners will give you a quick dose of humility.

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  2. Gosh I know this one time... kidding. I say find a new store personally, I mean they are there to help you so they need to LISTEN. I went in the other day because I thought my shoe was too tight so they asked all kinds of questions and told me how to relace, no stories about their feet.

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  3. Ha. You should have not worried about holding in that gas . . .that would have shut him up!

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  4. What a bummer of an experience! I went to Road Runner Sports in Westminster for my new shoes this week. They were great! I had gotten all of my running shoes there last year (in CA), so was glad to find a location here. I know that's a bit far from your house, but I'd definitely recommend trying it. They even have a 60-day return policy for shoes, no matter where you've worn them!

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  5. "It is always the secure who are humble" ~Gilbert Keith Chesterton

    I need to be that...

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  6. 90% of the time, guys like that are posers anyway. Kind of blunts any good stuff he may have injected while giving you his running resume. I fear I've been like this guy before. However, spending some time among elite runners will give you a quick dose of humility. super mario world


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  7. Interesting article! Thank you for sharing them! I hope you will continue to have similar posts to share with everyone!

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