In my last post, we established a few irrefutable facts:

• I work for Nationwide Better Health
• My charm and wit are unrivaled
• My treadmill makes a great clothes hanger, and
• I used to look like Brad Pitt on his best day

Where do we go from here?

IT’S TIME TO ANSWER SOME FAN MAIL!

There are literally thousands of readers who have jumped on the “Why am I Running 13.1 if Nobody is Chasing Me?” bandwagon over the last few days. The number of hits is showing as “00012,” which I’m told in the blogging world actually means “21,000.” I’m sure hundreds of those readers are just dying to ask me a question. Unfortunately it looks like my inbox is empty (Must be a glitch – someone needs to do something about that).

Uhhh… wait a minute… I do have a few fan questions. Looks like the topic of the day is the gear I bought when I started training for my first half marathon earlier in the year.

Our first question is from Erik, who sends in his question from just south of the Short North in downtown Columbus.

Q: “Where did you get your running shoes and how did you select them?”

A: Thanks, Erik. I went to Second Sole in Gahanna. I was initially dreading going in there. In my mind I pictured a bunch of snotty high school-aged runners who would look at me, crack a joke that I wouldn’t understand (“OMG, he’s older than Britney… and she’s so yesterday”), and fit me with a pair or orthopedic shoes for my 33-year-old geezer feet.  Instead, the staff was very helpful.

I walked into the store and told them I was motivated to become a half marathoner and put myself at their mercy. I knew I needed shoes, but rather than just handing me the most expensive shoes they had and asking me to try them on, the staff actually asked me to take off my shoes and walk around while they observed. It was kind of weird… I half expected them to turn into auto mechanics (“You see that twitch when you step forward? That means your third metatarsal grinds with your fourth proximal phalange. The only shoes you can wear cost $495, but I can give them to you for $250 if you’re willing to pay cash”). On the contrary, the staff showed me how my foot hit the ground during my natural stride and showed me what types of shoes I should be buying to minimize the likelihood of injury. They then showed me four different pairs of shoes that fit my need, helped me try all of them on, and made a recommendation for the least expensive pair. SOLD.

Our next question is from Arek, who writes from the north end of downtown.

Q: “I hear a lot of people talking about non-cotton socks. What’s your opinion?”

A: Arek, I know where you’re coming from. The buzz around town about wicking synthetic socks is almost as deafening as the buzz about the Columbus Horizon playing at the Fairgrounds Coliseum. I had been told by several of my runner friends to not wear cotton socks while I train. When I bought my shoes, I decided to test out some wicking socks. I don’t know how to do laundry (I’m not kidding) and my wife didn’t want to have to wash the same pair over and over, so I bought five pairs – one for each workout of the week.

The socks I bought are thick on the bottom for extra cushion and thinner on top for breathability. They also have a flap on the back to prevent my Achilles tendon from rubbing on the heel of my shoe. After using those socks, I can definitively tell you that I’ll never again wear cotton socks for anything athletic. Switching from cotton footies to synthetic socks was like replacing a burlap t-shirt with a satin blanket.

Our third question in this week’s fan mailbag is from Erick, who’s sending his letter from somewhere near the Arena District.

Q: “Did you get any cold weather gear?”

A: Thanks for the letter, Erick.

Yes, I did buy some cold weather gear. I bought my shoes in February and I knew it was going to be cold once I switched from the treadmill to running outdoors in the wee hours of the morning (or, for the kids out there, the “Wii” hours). While I obviously don’t need it now, I’m sure that once the weather starts to turn in September I’ll pull it out of my closet again.

Since I already owned a nice breathable jacket there was no need for me to splurge there, but I did buy a combination headband/earmuff. Unfortunately when I wore it, it became painfully obvious just how receded my hairline is (like I said, I used to look like Brad Pitt). To compensate for my vanity, I also bought a Second Sole logo sock hat that completely covers my scalp and ears. The store will likely regret selling the hat to me, as I’m certain the people using the running path at Blacklick Woods Metro Park this past February probably associated my incredibly slow running pace with Second Sole. A respected place like that putting their logo on anything I wear while I run is a bad move on their part. It’s kind of like Ralph Lauren trying to market to a younger audience by dressing Joe Dirt in Polo gear.

The last question of the day is from my lovely wife, Jennifer, who is texting me from home.

Q: “Eric, don’t forget that I have card club tonight. Can you be home by 7 to watch the kids? Also, I need you to throw a load of whites in the washing machine. The washing machine is the one on the left.”

A: Yes, dear.

That’s the fan mailbag for this week.  Please feel free to send your questions in via the comments section below.