home sweet home

I am a firm believer in shopping in my hometown. If I'm on vacation, I will avoid chain stores if we have them in Omaha, preferring that my tax dollars support the local economy. Unless, of course, it (that top, those jeans, those shoes, etc.) is just so cute and I just have to have it right now. Which happens. Pretty often, actually, but you get the idea.

A friend at work and I were talking about running, and she told me about this little store in Omaha, Red Dirt Running, which has been open for about two years. She has a friend who runs a ton of races, and totally swears by this store. The last time Erin was home, she showed me her raggedy old running shoes and I took her to this shop. Poor Erin had been getting stability shoes (as recommended by the shoe guy at Scheels), and was really hoping to get something cuter. We walked in, and the first thing they had Erin do was stand on some pad that showed which parts of her feet were in contact with the ground, and also the pressure distribution. Then they put her in some shoes and had her run on a treadmill for about 15 seconds, never looking at her running form the entire time. She got off the treadmill, and they played the video of her from about the knees down (from the back), showing her stride, which part of her foot hit first (mid foot), etc. Apparently she has a very efficient stride. Then they made their recommendation, which was basically a neutral shoe - so she had her choice of cute ones! She tried on several pairs and bought the ones that felt the best, which just so happened to be on sale. (I never have that luck). After we left, she compared the price she paid with the same shoes on-line, and it was pretty much the same or even less than what she found. And the best part? In her words, the staff at the store was "non-judgey". They talked about the fact that she had just done Lincoln, was training for Des Moines - runner stuff.

I felt the same when I bought my new running shoes at the same store last week. Erin had such a good experience that I thought I'd give them a try as well. Maybe because I'm such a non-runner, but I kinda feel like an impostor around real athletes, despite having completed three half-marathons. No one has ever said, surely you're not a runner, but really, you don't look at me and think "endurance athlete". I've mentioned this before, but you think "Bet she likes dessert".

the napkin at Amy's and Dennis' the other week - seems appropriate here

I was treated like a runner at that store. I did the standing-on-the-pad test, which reminded me of the time I bought a new saddle for my bike. The cute 19-year-old kid at the bike shop asked me if I'd ever been fitted for a bike seat, and I said no, but it sounds awkward. (I basically had to sit on this memory foam pad for a few minutes, then he measured the distance between my sit bones to fit me properly. Not at all gynecological.) Wow, talk about off-topic. Anyway, then I did the treadmill, looked at my stride, and found out my heel strikes first. Dammit. I thought I had fixed that. And I also found out I pronate on my right foot, which I knew. I had been wearing inserts which I thought helped the pronation. Apparently I was wrong. Inserts help raise the arch, not prevent the rolling. So while Erin had been buying the stability shoes, I was the one who had needed them all along. Visions of my grandma's ground-grippers flashed through my head, but this is what I ended up with:

pretty cute! and bright!

So I had been wearing the wrong type of shoe, the wrong size, and didn't need those inserts. It really does pay to go to a dedicated running store instead of the shoe section at a sporting goods store. And because I'm wearing the proper shoes now, my right knee doesn't hurt nearly as bad and my toes don't hurt at all, despite going down a half size. Granted, that might be the difference between Asics and Adidas, but I'm hoping that the black toenails that I always thought were a badge of honor might be a thing of the past.

And just to make it a family affair, Dwight also got some new running shoes, so we have three testimonials. If you are in need of running shoes, please try this store!

I tried another new-to-me store after hearing about it from some friends. What really got me to Natural Grocers was Mary Lu telling me that kombucha was a dollar less than Whole Foods. Srsly. 

Kombucha (or as I saw it referred to as "someone jizzed in my tea") is an expensive habit at $3.65 a bottle, so if I can save a buck a time, sign me up. I had been seeing ads for Natural Grocers in the paper, in a circular by the comics on Sunday. To be honest, the ad made it look a little like a second-hand shop, kinda like the cut-out bin at a the record store. (I know, dating myself). I was so pleasantly surprised when I walked in and found a real little grocery store with all organic produce, grass-fed beef, and name-brand products - and for less than Whole Paycheck. I know it's not a local store, but it is just so less corporate than WF. And a whole lot less crowded. (I just checked locations, and it looks like Missouri is as far east as the chain is located. If you live in the western half of the US, though, you may be in luck!)

And while I'm on the Buy Local topic, our favorite little Ethiopian restaurant in town likes us back:

This was the note from our waitress the last time we were at Lalibela (4422 Cass). Chelsie always chats with us, and the cook/owner makes sure our dinner is okay. They think it's cool because we drive "all the way" from west Omaha - like it's a deal. Well, it is about a 25-minute drive, but the food is so worth it. She made a point to tell us last time that they have people come from Lincoln because they love the food! (And check out that total! They don't have a liquor license any more, otherwise there would be beer on that tab, trust me.) Mmmm... now I'm hungry for Ethiopian food....


#reddirtrunning
#lalibela
#naturalgrocers