Wednesday, November 4, 2009

An Enemy in the Midst

Last night, as I was leaving work, I got quite the surprise running related e-mail. A friend of mine informed me that he had included me on a list of runners to be a Guinea Pig for Runner’s World…yeah, that Runner’s World…upcoming shoe guide.*

So let’s be perfectly clear. I get a free pair of yet-to-be-released shoes, and I get to try them out—and keep them after the trial? I will let you poke me, prod me, shank me, cuddle me, even gently molest me for this honor.

In case you don’t know, I try to be as frugal as possible when it comes to buying shoes. I always buy Asics, and I always buy the ‘last year’s’ model. So, while Asics has just released the Kayano 16s and 2150s, I’m rocking a pair of Kayano 14s and two pairs of 2130s. Such a jump in shoe technology is like my own personal Back to the Future where Michael J. Fox gets the ‘hover-board.’

So, I scurry on over to Playmaker’s in my slightly-more-complex-Guinea-Pig-modified-hamster-ball knows as Bunny1 (what! What!) to get my free shoes. They ask me, “What kind of shoes do you run in?” and I respond, “Always Asics.” They then say, “Would you like to try a pair of New Balance, Saucony, Brooks, or stick with Asics?”

I get a choice?!?!?!?! A choice in free running shoes!!! Now, for a little while I’ve wanted to try a pair of Brooks, but I’ve been hesitant to try a new brand given the costs; but a free pair? Alas, my loyalty to Asics is strong. But, a shot a trying a new brand for free is so tempting. I am literally a kid in a candy shop—figuratively speaking. “I’ll try the Brooks,” I causally respond.

I’m asked what kind of runner I am, to which I respond: “mostly awesome.” Ok, I didn’t respond that way, I said I’m a neutral to stability runner. But you get the idea.

Then I’m given a pair of Brooks Defyance 3s. The toe box fits well and they are lighter than my Asics. And they are free, which has to make them feel pretty great! “Would you like to be a trial runner for this pair?” “Yes, I’ll give them a try.”

And I take those babies out for a little 4M run on MSU’s newly redesigned Farm Lane, which now includes several hills. And, I liked the shoes based on my initial run.

That’s the good part.

I’ll report on the bad part tomorrow. But just to give you a sneak peak, the picture below is of my Asics getting ready to attack the pair of Brooks. An enemy in their midst?



*For the record, my friend doesn’t know about this blog.

9 comments:

Jen Feeny said...

AHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHA I LOVE the pic! Asics do not do well when other brands come on their turf! Can't wait to see how this turns out... poor Brooks... never saw it coming...

Rock on for free shoes!!! And to test for Runner's World!!!

Sun Runner said...

I must stand up for my beloved Brooks here. They're completely outnumbered! Kill, Brooks, KILL!

(My word verification word was "logran," which kind of describes how my legs felt on Monday.)

Amy said...

WTF? You mean those are real people that they quote in those little boxes at the bottom of the page? And YOU are going to be one of those real people? (wait a minute... maybe you're not real either.. this is in fact, just a blog... hmmm.. now I just confused myself).

Anyway, that's awesome!!!! I am loyal to ASICS as well... but have been tempted by Brooks... I'm very interested to see how this turns out...

Unknown said...

LMAO at the picture. Awesome! I bet you end up loving the Brooks! I've wanted to try Brooks for a while, but damn they're expensive!

Running and living said...

Awesome deal. Where do I sign up?

I am an Asics gal, but Brooks have been gaining some big point lately. I am also looking into Newtons! Very nice!

Anonymous said...

That's awesome! In RW it always seems like all the testers are from EL or some random place in Pennslyvania.

I too am Asics loyal (still rockin GT-2120s), but it seems like more dedicated runners run in Brooks. I'm curious to see for myself if it's just a trend in my head or if they're actually better.

Irish Cream said...

HAHAHAHHA! That picture is really killing me for some reason! That is just awesome.

Talk about getting the hook up! I need new friends, I think. They haven't gotten me any freebies whatsoever lately (or ever, really) . . . lame.

X-Country2 said...

What?! Lucky ducky!

The Boring Runner said...

I.need.new.friends.

Believe me, there are a few guys who I would off load for a free pair of shoes.