The joys and perils of new running shoes

So the other day I finally received the pair of new running shoes I had ordered online. I was overcome with enthusiasm about their arrival because I’d been unable to run for a few weeks because my previous pair of running shoes met an untimely demise. You first need to know that I rarely run in Manila anyway, because it’s fairly disgusting. There is really no good place to run—the heat and humidity is sweltering; the thick pollution hangs in the air, enshrouded by the heat; jeepneys trot along the roads belching clouds of black smoke; and most sidewalks are littered with human and animal waste, all of which makes it a bit difficult to mentally check-out since you really need to be on your toes about where you’re taking your next step—not exactly the mode of de-stressing that it is in the U.S. With this background in mind, I still try to run about once a week just cause it’s nice to get some “fresh” air.

So when I went out a few weeks ago and my shoes came to their early death, it’s not that I wasn’t aware of the potentially treacherous running conditions around me. But unfortunately, I let down my guard for just a second as I was distracted by thinking about how it was probably time to get a new pair of running shoes, when I was suddenly jolted out of my daydream because I realized I had just run through a huge puddle. I was thinking how unfortunate that was because my feet and legs just got soaked but continued along my way until I looked down and realized I had actually just run through a huge pile of diarrhea. Yes, I was covered in diarrhea from my legs to my shoes, especially my shoes. It was fairly disgusting but more hilarious than anything because it’s pretty funny to be non-chalantly running around, realize you’re legs and feet are wet but you think it’s just water and then become starkly aware that it’s not. I don’t know what was funnier, watching me suddenly realize my condition, or the sight of me dragging myself across the grass trying to wipe it off. Eventually I found a man with a hose who was kind enough to hose me down. But needless to say the shoes had to go.

By the time my new shoes arrived in the mail, I was rarin to hit the streets of Manila once again. Unfortunately, they were about one size too big but I didn’t really want to mess with sending them back and then waiting for weeks again to have the new size arrive, so I decided to just roll with it. About 45 seconds into my first run, I obviously was not used to the length of the shoes and caught my toe on a bump in the sidewalk and totally bit it. I came crashing down hard, so much so that all the traffic around me came to a standstill, likely with everyone inside their cars wondering if they needed to get out to go assist the clumsy American. However, to everyone’s relief I picked myself up and continued on my way though with a substantial gash on my hand that has somewhat inhibited my ability to type for the past few days (and also makes me slightly fearful of what parts from the streets of Manila are now circulating through my bloodstream). Anyway, all this to say that I just successfully completed a run without any significant foibles. It is surely going to be a great day.