Finding the right fit (#sol25 Day 2/31)

It’s 63°F outside my house right now, in the high Rocky Mountains of Colorado, at the very beginning of March, which is generally one of our snowiest months. WTAF?!

I decided to take advantage of this warm weather window and go buy some new torture devices running shoes because I’d gleefully tossed my last pair in the dumpster when I left San Diego after a trip in December. Good riddance to those blister machines.

My buddy’s running store is the only place I spend money on questionable choices running shoes so off I went. Not only did I get to catch up with a friend that I’ve known for 24 years, who was my first manager in the valley, whose mom allegedly dated my dad in grade school back in Rochester, NY, and who just happens to be an expert shoe guy and fabulous human, but I also got to try on a large variety of foot prisons running shoes.

Now, I’m the type of gal who’s generally quite easygoing but when it comes to gear, I have opinions. Strong ones. I know what works for me and I know what doesn’t – often, quite quickly. I don’t always have the words to accurately describe my opinions to others but I certainly feel them on the inside. Since I knew that my friend was a consummate professional who was also well versed in Kristina-ese, I let it all out, comme ça:

This pair? Nope. Too slopey. Future blister city.

How about these? Uh uh. Too squeezy right here.

What about this pair? Oh! My heels AND my toes are happy. Top of the list.

Okay, try these. Nope, they’re also doing that ramp thing.

I grabbed these just to see… I feel like I’m balancing on a curb. No. Not with these ankles.

These? Okay. Not too bad. Second place.

Try one of each of the faves? That’s my favorite strategy! Yep, I still like the happy ones.

SOLD.

And that, my friends, is how I prefer to narrow down the perfect fit, for me, of a new pair of oh my god am I really going to pick this sport up again running shoes. I tried them out as soon as I got home. Not sure if it was the magic of a fresh pair of kicks or the warm sun on my bare limbs but I actually enjoyed my 🤢🤢🤢 run. Good thing because we’re supposed to get a foot of snow next week!

(I’d considered drawing all sorts of deep and insightful connections between finding the perfect fit for this movement hell that I only feel pulled to do in the perfect temperature shoulder seasons running and the perfect fit of words for writing, but then I figured you guys are smart and can get there all on your own. 😉)

Onwards! See ya tomorrow. 📝