Brooks Ghost 3

Brooks Ghost 3

I just ended a very healthy, nearly 10-year relationship.

Sometimes, breaking up is hard to do. But you look back fondly on the memories, are thankful the relationship was strong, but realize you need to move on, you need to try out new things, you need to grow and experience life. In nearly 10 years of running, I have never purchased a shoe that was not a product of the Asics brand. Asics have always been reliable, they've always been trustworthy. The Asics Nimbus 12's guided me through training and my first-ever half marathon in September. They've done me no wrong, but as my running career has begun to expand, so has my curiosity to see what else is out there in the running shoe world.

I needed a break.

Enter The Brooks Ghosts. After painstakingly scouring the Interwebz for the perfect shoe for my wonky supinated stride, I landed on the Brooks Ghosts. Brooks is a fantastic running gear company to begin with, so I knew they wouldn't let me down. These shoes are flashy. They are light. They are cushy. They were also on sale. Big time. So now, they are mine.

I took my purdy new shoes on their inaugural run on Friday. It was five straight miles of cushioned bliss. For the first time in about two months, I felt like the bounce was back in my stride. My feet felt like they were flying along the sidewalk. They also carried me along my relatively effortless 9.5-mile run yesterday. The shoe is shaped differently than my last pair, so my calves have definitely had to adjust (today, walking is a difficult task), but I think this love affair is going to be one full of passion and respect.

Will the affair be fleeting? Will I bid Brooks adieu after this one jaunt together, and return to Asics, groveling for them to take me back? Time will tell, but it's all about broadening your horizons, experiencing life. And these Brooks Ghosts have given new life to my running for now.