I am a reluctant runner.
I started running almost exactly two years ago and as my friend asked,”Why? Was a dog chasing you?”.
Truth be told, my “running” is more like “slogging”. I am only slightly faster than the little old ladies that I am moving past on the sidewalk, but I keep at it because it makes me feel better… and I would like to be able to move my legs when I get to be their age.
When I first began taking running seriously, I visited an expensive specialty running store who fitted me with a lovely pair of shoes that cost $130 PLUS $44 inserts because I am a “super-pronator”. It’s good to know that I am super at something.
Knowing the bank-account-draining potential of purchasing another pair of shoes, I have continued to put the purchase off. Last week, however, I realized that I was probably doing damage to my feet by continuing to run in the worn out shoes.
I prayed about it, as I like to do when I have a need, and felt that I should go to another specialty store that I would otherwise NEVER visit.
When I entered the store, I felt a slight bit of anxiety, but I pressed through and asked a salesperson for help. He explained that he would have to order a pair of shoes for me because they don’t normally carry size 13 shoes for women. Yes, you read that correctly–I’m tall, okay?
As he was about to fill out the paperwork, I felt that I should ask him to look just to make sure he didn’t have anything in stock. He went to the front of the store and picked up a box and then asked me to walk so he could check my gait.
He then proceeded to laugh out loud, which of course led to some self-consciousness on my part. When I asked him why he needed to publicly shame me, he responded,”Well, I’m laughing because these shoes are your size and they have exactly the right support so you won’t need those expensive inserts.”
I smiled, and then he handed me the box. “And they’re $35. I think these shoes were just sitting here waiting for you.”
I think they were too. I believe that God is good and He cares about shoes because He cares about me (and you too!)…and He definitely answers prayer, even when it seems inconsequential.
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I love this story! Thank you so much for sharing this and your other stories of how God provides for your family. It’s so uplifting and a great reminder of His love for each of us.
You are welcome Laurie–thanks for your encouragement. 🙂
Kimberlee, What a blessing you found these sneakers. Your special Auntie is looking out for you from above, cheering you on to keep running your race! Thank you for all your hard work here.
Thanks Zoey!
Good for you! I just started jogging (slogging) as well. Sometimes I feel like I walk faster than I am jogging. And sometimes I get self conscious because other joggers leave me in their dust, but I press on because it too makes me feel better. So kudos to you for keeping up with it!
We sloggers have to stick together. 😉
LOVE this! Just another example of how God DOES care about the details of our lives.
So excited for you. I love when God does things like this:)
I wear a womens 12 and I always buy mens tennis shoes. My mom bought me a pair of bright neon colored ones for my birthday last year. One of my best birthday presents.
I have purchased men’s shoes in the past, but I was happy to have a “girly” pair this time. 🙂
Matthew 6:33 came across my facebook feed so I studied it for a while this evening feeling that God had led me to it. I looked up some different translations and sure enough, it was exactly what I needed to hear and learn tonight. Seek and put God’s kingdom first, and He will provide for you. Then, I come to check your blog and look, you put Him first and he provided for you! God is good.
Wow Lauren–God just reminded me of that verse again this week. He is so good!
Yay!! I really need to visit a higher-end shoe store just to see what kind of recommendations they would make for shoes. When I first started running, I got shin splints really bad. I’ve worked through it (or at least I had before I fell off the wagon, but that’s another topic!), but a lot of people said it could be my shoes.
Yes, I highly reccomend it. It made a difference in the way my knees and back feel, although it is uncomfortable at first to have support when you are not used to it.
Crystal, you may want to look into barefoot running. My brother is a runner and used to get horrible shin splints, knee injuries, etc. He thought it was just normal. Then he read some book about barefoot running and decided to try it. He wears Vibram 5 Fingers most of the time. He hasn’t had an injury in the last two years! I highly recommend it. I wear Merrel barefoot shoes and they are amazing too.
Thank you for sharing! We so need to rely on God for Him to show us things like that… I’m slowly learning. (Slower than your “slog,” I’m sure!)
I don’t think anything could be much slower than that–ha!
That’s awesome and God is so good. I briefly prayed a few days ago for a Kohl’s 30% discount coupon. Silly? Maybe but my husband’s birthday is coming up and I want to buy him a new watch. I rarely get a 30%er so I prayed about it. Yesterday the mail came and a Kohls sale ad was in it with the coupon on the front. I told my son to peel it off to reveal the percentage amount. I laughed out loud when it was 30%! I thanked the Lord and told my son I had prayed about it. I don’t do that often but it gave me a little encouragement and reminded me that God does care and listen…even when we just want/need a discount!
Sweet story! Thanks for sharing Mandy. 🙂
The beauty of this story is not only that God provided a way to get you what you needed, but also that you listened! He spoke, and you did exactly what He told you to do!
Thanks for the encouragement. I try!
Very Encouraging!! Thanks for sharing!!
Thank you for sharing that, Kimberlee.
Oh my gosh! I LOVE my asics! I am not very tall (5’3″ on my tallest day) and not very big (140) but I am one of those super pronators too! These sneakers got me through 12 hour shifts where I used to work. I get them at Famous Footwear for 35 to 50 dollars. What a blessing that you found these!
I am at that point in my running that I think I need to visit a running store and figure out what would work best for me. I just haven’t had the courage because I don’t want to fork over big bucks. But I want to do a 5 mile race in october and my current shoes have holes in the toes, so I KNOW I need a new pair, I am just delaying it as long as possible.
So glad you found exactly what you needed, that is so cool.
Kimberlee, I just wanted to share that I have found good deals by checking the men’s sizes. EUR sizes are the same for men and women so for me, I wear an 8.5 and my EUR size is a 40, so that makes me about a 7 in men’s shoes. But I just look for the EUR size and I have gotten some good deals. I also over pronate and I have inserts. That is a GREAT deal you got on those Asics. Good shoes are worth the money.
I feel your pain. I recently started 5k prep program and realized that I needed new sneakers (apparently you’re supposed to stop wearing them when the bottoms become smooth). I found a pair and nearly new Reeboks that fit like a glove at a church rummage sale for $5. The woman wore them once and didn’t like them. Thank God. Thank you for the reminder that miracles come in all sorts of forms.
That is awesome! I’m a runner too (started less than a year ago) and had to buy a new pair recently. Like you, I went to a different store. I found the perfect pair of shoes for $25 (they were clearanced because they had been worn twice) and insoles for $7, also on clearance.
That’s awesome Jacqui!
This story gives me hope! I am a size 11 or 12 and recently spent 3x my normal budget to get walking shoes that are a good fit and better for my feet and legs. (Hoping it would motivate me to exercise more too!) Can you recommend another place to shop when these shoes wear out? A place where I can save a little bit of money? Thanks, Diana
I have heard that you can keep the number of the shoes you find that fit and then look them up online to find a good deal. Anybody else have any ideas?
So what style are those? I am looking for a similar kind of support.
They are Asics Foundation.
That’s AWESOME!!! God really does care about the little things 🙂
How awesome!! Thank you for the reminder that He cares even about the seemingly small things. I have to remember to pray about my running/walking shoes (and other purchases.)