Monday, March 15, 2010

New shoes and a funny story

Happy Monday, everybody! I am not a big fan of daylight savings time, at least not the first week of it. It is hard to get up when it is dark outside. However, today is a beautiful, sunny day around here so I guess I should be grateful for the extra hour of daylight tonight.

Well, I did it. I bought me some "real" running shoes on Saturday. Yes, I spent $95 on shoes. That is well beyond my usual Payless budget. Okay, I have been off the Payless budget since I got diagnosed with plantar fasciitis last year, but still I have never spent $95 on a pair of tennis shoes before. So here they are:


These are my Saucony shoes

They are great! They offer me lots of support and are very comfortable. I enjoyed walking/running in these today out in the sunshine. My neighborhood has a lot of little trails around it. Today, I found one that has a mile marker so I will be able to keep track of my distance. Yay!

Now, to the funny story. I was going to a running store to purchase my shoes. I had heard from others that the salespeople will watch you run and help you pick out a shoe that fits your running style. So, on my way to the running store I was feeling really anxious. Some of the thoughts that were running, no pun intended, through my head were, "They are going to wonder what the fat lady is doing in the store", "Will they laugh at me when I start running" and"Do I really want them to see me run?". I'm sure joking about my running style with my husband before I left didn't help. We were joking about how I could do the "Phoebe run" for the salesmen. The "Phoebe run" is from an episode of Friends that is hilarious! Do any of you remember it?

Anyway, back to my story. When I got to the store I was happy to see a big "sale" sign hanging on the store. Well, apparently I was not the only one excited by the sale because it was packed. I walked in and there were tons of people.

A salesman asked if I had been helped. I told him no and that I heard this was the place to come to find some running shoes. While we were waiting for an available chair so I could try on some shoes, he asked me, "So have you ever been fit before?". I couldn't believe he was asking me if I had ever been fit/in shape before! Did I really look that out of place, that he wondered if I had ever been in shape in my life. I kind of stuttered and stammered away about how I had never really ran before but had been walking/running for the last couple of months. He just said, "Okay".

Finally a chair was available and he had me take off my shoes and walk for him. He noticed that when I walk my feet tend to turn in a little. He said that is fairly common. Is it or was he just trying to make up for his "fit" question? He went and got three different shoes that he thought would offer me good support. I tried them on and ran a little with each on. Then I decided on the Sauconys. The running part was very uncomfortable for me. I thought, "Do I want to run away from him so he can see my big behind shaking or do I want to run towards him and then I can see him watching me run?" Although it was pretty crowded I was able to tune out the others that may have been watching me, thank heavens.

The whole way driving home I was still anxious. I kept thinking about his "fit" question. I thought that was a weird question and thought he should have asked me if I had ever been a runner before. I mean after all, some people are fit although they are not runners! The whole experience was really emotional, actually. I couldn't believe I had been so anxious. I guess I know one of the reasons I have not joined a gym before. It would take a lot for me to be able to walk through the doors and exercise in front of people.

I got home and was talking to my husband about the experience. I told him how the guy had asked me if I had ever been fit before. My husband got a funny look on his face and then said, "Oh, have you ever been fitted (for a shoe) before." Yes, it took my husband to tell me that the salesperson was not inquiring about my fitness level, but really just wanted to know if I had ever been fit for a shoe before! Feel free to laugh now. My husband and I got a good laugh out of it!

My anxiety level and self-consciousness had caused me to misinterpret what the man had been trying to ask me. I wonder how often we misunderstand what others are saying to us because of our own issues with our weight? Do you think that has ever happened to you?

I hope my embarrassing story has given you a chuckle and that you can enjoy the rest of your Monday!

24 comments:

  1. I miss understand people all the time...so most of the time I'm just quiet and smile :)
    hee hee

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  2. i miss understand people all the time due to anxiety lol
    dont worry too much about it
    they are nice looking shoes

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  3. so funny :)

    congrats on the new shoes. My hubby swears by saucony.

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  4. LOL and I needed a good chuckle! That is so funny.

    I have been reading your blog for a short while and I am ejoying it.

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  5. Yes, Barbara, your story did get a chuckle out of me. Sounds like something that would happen to me! Enjoy your new running shoes.

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  6. Okay, remember I'm giggling WITH you. :)


    Love the new kicks! I've never tried Saucony before.

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  7. That is seriously funny. I'm reading through thinking....well that was rude of him....oh...he wasn't being rude...lol. I misinterpret a lot of things regarding weight/fitness. I guess we are just so self conscious that we make assumptions sometimes. I've heard saucony is a good shoe. Hope they work for you :)

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  8. Bah ha ha ha ha! I was reading, very mad at this salesman, hoping that your husband was doing to go and tell him off! So funny! Enjoy your new shoes, I love my new Ascis.

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  9. LOL...you had me so confused because I knew exactly what he was referring to and I couldn't understand your frustration. Then again, I've been "fit" before at the store already.

    Great story...great shoes! You deserve them C25Ker!

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  10. I was laughing at your confusion...who US - chip on our collective shoulders?!? LOL

    Any case, I'm glad you got some shoes and I bet you will not regret the outlay of cash. Some things are just worth it!

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  11. It is "funny" how we can misinterpret people when we're anxious! When I read what he asked you, I thought fit as in shoe, not fit as in shape! And I think you should have done the Phoebe run! That is one of my all time favorite "Friends" episodes! And I pretty much have all 10 years worth of episodes memorized!!!

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  12. bwhahah you poor thing! I also felt very self conscious! when I was "fit" but I am glad you got some shoes out of it!

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  13. BAHAHAHAHA that is TOO funny! lol Those shoes do look nice though- I've heard great things about Saucony's!

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  14. I'm so glad you shared what seemed like a horrible experience at the time. You put a smile on my face!

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  15. Great shoes! Until I began working out this year the only sneakers I owned were my good ol' black converse tennis shoes. Then I finally had to break down and buy some decent sneakers to wear to the gym.

    Thanks for sharing your story.

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  16. I had completely forgotten about the Phoebe run so I looked it up on YouTube and I've been laughing all morning! Fantastic! I wish I could be that free!

    Congrats on the new shoes. I went to school for massage therapy and several of my clients had plantar fasciitis, so I've seen first hand how painful it can be and support is sooo important!

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  17. Hahaha. I was laughing from the beginning because I knew what he meant right away. I've gone to plenty of shoe stores over the years. I'm sorry you misunderstood but it made for a good story! :0)

    I'm glad you got some nice new, good shoes. I hope they work out well for you. And I totally remember the Phoebe run from "Friends" because I absolutely LOVE that show. It was/is one of my favorites, I don't watch much TV but I still watch "Friends" reruns when I do watch TV. LOL!

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  18. here's the thing i've sort-of learned over the years...is that we're by far our own worst critics and we notice things about ourselves way more than others do. you psyched yourself out so much by feeling inferior, "fat", etc that you automatically assumed he had those thoughts too, when he was just asking you his standard 8-hour a day question. I wish we weren't so hard on ourselves. You should be proud of what you're doing and becoming, and have good faith that others are proud of you too.

    P.S. The Phoebe run would have been AWESOME!

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  19. You are too funny. Thanks for the laugh. I ran cross country in high school--hard to believe I know--and I LOVE Saucony shoes!! Good choice.

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  20. Oh, Barbara!!! I was right there with you..wondering why he would ask if you've ever been fit versus ever been a runner. Then, I laughed with you about the misinterpretation.

    Too funny!!! I would've thought the same thing. You know...I don't know why I'm not as nervous at the gym as I would've been years ago. I guess I just figure that at least I'm doing something about my size instead of being home doing nothing.

    So are you!! Thanks for sharing your story. I'm glad you can see the humorous side of things. Hope you're having a great week!

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  21. Too funny and a great example of the tricks our minds can play on us. I would've thought the same thing! Congrats on getting the new shoes. And I do remember the Phoebe running show - too funny!

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  22. p.s.
    Looked up the Phoebe run...and laughed. I think I'd be embarassed, or maybe I wouldn't...looks like her running takes up more energy than my turtle jog. LOL

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  23. Oh, you poor thing! :( I probably would've thought the same thing, but I would've snuck out while he was getting the shoes... hehe

    I briefly had a pair of Sauconys and LOVED them, but they're too narrow for me and made my baby toes numb.

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  24. Oh NO!!! I'm so sorry it was a painful experience! Ack! I can tell you that getting good running shoes CHANGED my life! I hope you will feel so much better. I would have been so nervous with all those people there. I was lucky, when I went I was the only person there. (But I had all the same thoughts as you!!)

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