I got to the store, found the shoes and asked to try them on. The sales girl brought them out to me. I tried them on and really liked the feel. I asked her what she knows about the shoes. At first, she raved about them. She asked me what my plans for the shoes were. I replied that I needed new running shoes. She said to me " you run, like really run?" I was sort of confused by that question. I told her that yes, I run--normally around 20 miles a week. I told her I normally wear Asics 2160's but wanted to try something different. She looked at me in a bit of disbelief. She then went on to tell me that she did not think these shoes were good for my body type. She said they would not hold up well for me and that I should stick to my 2160's. This comment made me feel very uncomfortable. I thanked her for her help and I was out of there!
As I was walking out of the store, I felt so embarrassed. Was this a slam at me being overweight? Did she not believe that someone like me could actually run regularly? I don't know what to make of this. I feel like she really was trying to help me. Maybe she could have went about it in a different way. I don't think she was being malicious, that this was just her natural response. It's things like this that make me feel very insecure as a runner. After losing weight, improving my running so much, and having 3 half marathons under my belt, I still feel insecure.
Have you ever been in a situation like this? How did you handle it?
A dream is a wish...
--Amy
