This is an Expensive Hobby

I have talked about this topic several times with my new running buddies ... but running (particularly the act of taking up the sport) is quite an expensive hobby! I am on my third pair of shoes, have consumed countless packs of shot-blocks, "renourished" with many stacks of pancakes after a long run, bought countless pieces of wicking apparel ... and since the Chicago debacle have added the cost of a trip to Vegas (and additional race registration) to the tally. My costs continue to rise as I move into another season and have had to purchase apparrel that will get me through running in midst of a Chicago winter. And to add to all of that, the park district in in the process of shutting down our water fountains along our running routes - so today I had to buy a hydration pak :(

I know that many will argue, but I still dont identify myself as a runner. I get the whole philosphy behind "I run, therefore I am a runner", but in my mind a runner ultimately seeks out of some source of pleasure - I run out of a sense of duty. I never ran before marathon training and originally thought I would never run again after I got that marathon under my belt. I run because I set a goal and I am working towards it. But now that I have all this money and time invested in this hobby - does that investment go down the drain if I move onto something else after Vegas? For example, since I have realized that physics suggest running may not be my ideal sport I have thought of taking up something more appropriate for my physique like rowing or swimming. But with a closet full of apparel, a fancy new hydration belt, and a pair of fresh Mizunos I might have to hit the pavement every once-in-a-while just to get my $'s worth :)

Friday Funnies
The majority of running-related conversations I have (outside of those revolving around the "Gee this sport is expensive!" topic) have to do with various fitness topics: nutrition, strength, recovery, etc. Not only do we seek to improve our form, our physiques and our times ... but we also seek to become healthier in other aspects of our lives. It seems that running eventually seeps into all areas of life whether we like it or not. Well, this doesnt appear to be what's going on with the Samford Stogies Racing Team. These guys (and girls) run races with cigars in their mouths. Quite an interesting concept :)
Just Because
This has nothing to do with running, but something that put a smile on my face. If you listen to the radio, or have attended any sporting events this year ... you know the song "Crank Dat". An annoyingly catchy song, complete with its own dance, has swept the nation. And it looks like even Barney cant ignore the hype.