Tuesday, June 14, 2011

The Break Up

In January, I ended a long term relationship.

I haven't brought it up until now. It's kinda hard to talk about.

I was in this relationship for over 15 years, but then, the "other half" of the relationship.. well, changed.

It was really great for a long time. We kinda grew up together. But over the last few years we started to go in different directions, and then... there was an incident.

It involved my best running buddy Marty. I can't go into the details, but it was ugly. It's easy to forget that sometimes people aren't really who you think they are.

My friend Scott has a band. The band's name is Yoko Moment. It's named for that moment when you are faced with a choice, a choice of loyalty - your relationship, or your friends. John chose Yoko over his mates from Liverpool. I chose to stick by my friend, Marty. It wasn't a difficult decision.

So, it's been almost 6 months, I've had time to adjust, and I'm going public - I have broken up with The Runners Forum.*

A runner's running store is like your team, it's who you identify with.** It's the hub of your running community. You know the folks who work there, you get to know the other runners who are on the "team", you wear their logo'ed shirts, and if you're really into them, you might even work there part time, just to hang out (and get a discount on shoes). Changing stores is not something that happens often, or is taken lightly. But when things just aren't right, when you don't feel comfortable there anymore, it's time to move on, and you know it.

So, I'm back on the market all you running stores out there... size 10.5, neutral, T-shirt size L. I like high-cut shorts, no-show socks, and walks on the beach.

Good running,
Doug

*Marty doesn't go there anymore, either.

**If you buy all of your running gear online, you're missing out, but that's cool, your choice. But don't you dare go into a running store, even The Runners Forum, and try on shoes, milking them for their advice, and then order the same shoes from the web to save a few dollars. That's pure douche-baggery.

Image from here.

3 comments:

  1. It sounds like the decision to break up with your hairdresser. Difficult, but sometimes necessary.

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  2. You can't cheat on your hairdresser (you always get caught) ... is it OK to cheat on your running store? What if you are out of town or at an expo?

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  3. @Nora - Yes, very similar, though I'd bet runners break up with stores less often than women break up with their hairdresser. And some people will always go to GreatClips, and some people will always buy their shoes online.

    @Patrick - That was so funny I've laughed out loud thinking about it, several times, for 2 days now. Bravo, sir. To answer your question, tho, yes you can cheat on your running store in an emergency, and the next time you are back at your store, you must confess your sin and buy something of equal or greater value. It also doesn't hurt to bring flowers and/or jewelry.

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