R.I.P. Brooks Addiction 6

I started running when I was going to graduate school. I was a walker for a long time, but I began to get some diminishing returns with that, so I started running. When I first started running (maybe 4 miles a day), I was wearing some Adidas high-top basketball shoes.

I immediately began to suffer severe knee pain. It was agony to walk up and down stairs. After consulting with some friends who were going to med school, I was advised to get actual running shoes and that I should be fitted with shoes by professionals.

After consulting with a professional, I was fitted with some spiffy Brooks Addiction 6s. It was magical the way that my knee pain disappeared once I started running in these. It was like Jesus came down from heaven and strapped clouds to my feet.

You're supposed to change out running shoes every 1000 miles. For me, that's about once a year. And now I've come to the end of my 3rd pair of Brooks Addiction 6s. I've gotten my last three pair at Fleet Feet Sports (two in Davis, one in Tucson). This time, I thought I'd be comfortable with my pronation to get the shoes online. So I ordered them today.

Let me say, first, that there's no shoes for my foot like the Brooks. I took a six-month hiatus with some Nikes, and my knee pain returned and my stupid iPod running device malfunctioned. But I've discovered that not only have they discontinued the Addiction 6, but they just discontinued the Addiction 7. The new shoe (Addiction 8, if you're wondering), is re-designed and is bigger and uglier.

My dad used to run, and he kind of stopped running after his running shoe was discontinued. I'm not ready for that (after all, I have a time to beat now), but I think after this 1000 miles, I'm turning to Under Armour. Or, I'll make another stupid trip down to stupid Tucson to get my stupid stride diagnosed.