Nike, I Heart You

If you told me a year ago, even a month ago that I would be sporting a pair of Nike running shoes on purpose, I would say, "Pshaw!" When you think running shoes, you think Asics, New Balance, Mizuno, Brooks. Having grown up in the 90's, I forever associate Nike with Air Jordans, basketball, and a fierce "Just Do It" campaign. Being the pretensious Alt/Indie girl I was, Nike was not a label I associated with. That is until this year...

I love running. I love numbers. I love graphs. I love making excel spreadsheets. When Nike and Apple became bedfellows and birthed the Nike+iPod, I was both ecstatic and dismayed. Yay! I can track my distance, my time, my pace, my calories burned, set my power ballad (which bounces back and forth from Eminem's Lose Yourself and Kanye West's Stronger [lame and cliche, I know. I am open to suggestions and even more, mp3 files]). I set personal goals and beat them! I challenged friends and beat them too! It made me excited to run. I couldn't wait to lace up, sweat it out, get home and upload. Before my eyes, I saw the visual and numeric representation of my run. And it was good. The only downside, wearing Nikes. As I said before, pshaw. I did what every other Ascic wearing runner would do, I ordered a shoe pouch. And that's what I've been doing until this month.

The Human 10k Race is Nike's ode to the Olympics. This race will take place on 8.31.08 in 25 cities around the globe. For this gigantic race around the world, Nike is sponsoring a 6 week training run program in the 5 US cities participating, NYC, LA, Chicago, Portland, and Austin. Since I live in Austin, that's the only one I care about. I'm convinced that it is by far the coolest of the five, and not just because I'm there. Ok, well a little bit. But because Austin is a runner's mecca. The training runs take place 3 times a week for 6 weeks. Its a varitable chose your own adventure. First, you decide which shoes you want to test out, Traix, Pegasus, Vomero, Victory, Zoom Elite. Second, you pick either the new Nike Sportsband or Nike+ipod. Third, you decided between a 3 or 5 mile run and anywhere from a sub 8 min/mi to a 12 min/mile. You can also opted to walk. By my calculations thats 100 (5 shoes x 2 products x 2 distances x 5 paces) different combos to try every time. Too bad there's only 18 runs. You are rewarded and sabatoged for your efforts with delicious food and beer, followed by a raffle of free Nike gear. Did I mention that all of this is free? That's free running, free product trials, free food, free beer, and even free music (depending on which run you tend)!!! What more could a new girl in town want? I get to run a run I would run anyway, meet tons of new people, and socialize for FREE? How cool is that? All I have to say is, Nike, I heart you.

The details:

Saturday 8am Starbucks at 24th and Nueces
Tuesdays 7pm Guerro's on S. Congress (live music)
Thursdays 7pm Six Tap Room w. 4th St

Get there half an hour early to register, pick out your gear, and stretch.