If you can identify the brand of running shoes I’m wearing in the below photo, you win a jackpot that currently sits at $1.2 million. More clues later in this blog.

Converse low tops aren’t considered running shoes, but that’s what I wore when I started running as a sophomore in high school. It took a while for my uncle, also a runner, to convince me I needed real running shoes.

Over the years, I’ve worn shoes made by almost every running shoe company. In high school, I wore Adidas and Puma, the dominant brands back then. There were few others to chose from, but when a new company called Nike marketed their revolutionary Waffle, I switched brands.

Ever since the Converses, I’ve stuck with shoes made for running, except once. I was on vacation and forgot to pack my running shoes. I wasn’t about to give up running for two weeks, so I ran in a pair of non-running shoes.

Think I was self conscious running in these shoes? Not so much. The shoes I actually wore weren’t quite as dressy. If you made a guess to win the $1.2 million, I’ll have to get back to you. These shoes came with a suit I bought for a wedding, and I don’t remember the brand.

Moving on to another topic, it’s been a couple weeks since Petra’s bold move at the Manito Runners Club group run, and I’ve been wondering how to respond. Today I made a decision to ask her out for coffee. I’d like to have a relationship with her, but we’ll have to do some negotiating. I have some ideas what I’d like, mostly involving greater freedom than a typical relationship. After her break-up with Byron, I’m guessing she may have similar views.