Extra Mile, Extra Credit

After talking to hundreds of customers a week, I find that I'm more than a shoes salesman; I'm a coach. Day-in and day-out, I spend my time at DSG trying to convince customers that think they can't, to believe they can. I've always tried to preach about trusting in the process, and following the feet beneath you. It doesn't matter if it took you 30 minutes to walk a mile, YOU STILL WALKED A MILE; that's something to be proud of, no matter who you are. 

It's unbelievable the amount of middle-aged women that come in and mention they must match their shoes to their outfits in fear of judgement from the other women in the neighborhood. Sometimes, I even feel like I'm in a scene from Mean Girls. When I'm approached by a customer that fears judgment, I try to build them up. From my many interactions with customers, people are afraid of running because of their own self-consciousness. Once I begin to explain that running is a process, and once the fundamentals are understood, the barriers fall down and the miles add up.

As my cross country coach always said, "Do or Do Not, there is no try"

Just Average

First off, I would like to thank those that took the time to answer my blog post; I really appreciate it! After reading your responses, I thought of an experience I had. A few months ago, I was standing in front of a classroom, when the teacher, whom I had just met, asked me: "Why should I try when I can just be average?" When I went to answer with my usual, sarcastic remarks, I realized that this was a great question. This is an ethical dilemma many students struggle with on a daily basis, especially towards the end of their academic careers. Based on your feedback, there seems to be a consensus that going out of our way to do things for others is rewarding and gives us a sense of well-being and self-worth. Now if only I could figure out how to convince my students that!!!

Life as a Future Teacher

As promised in my welcome message, this post is less about running, and more about going the extra mile. As a senior at WCU, I realize my days on campus are slowly dwindling. As I anticipate my December graduation, I am anxiously awaiting my student teaching placement. Currently, I am working at Kennett High School in their mentoring program,"Writing Zones". This program helps students develop their writing and research skills. Not only does this program benefit high school students, but it also provides WCU students the experience necessary to transition smoothly into student teaching.

Last Friday, I was in a classroom full of 10th graders. Prior to class, the teacher pulled me aside and asked me to work closely with a student with an IEP. For those of you who don't know, IEP stands for Individualized Education Plan. This usually means a student needs adaptations/accommodations to help them learn.This is NOT unusual; however, it was my first experience working closely with a student that needed accommodations.

 When I was first introduced to his research topic, graphics novels in the classroom, I was overjoyed. Last fall, I spent an entire semester defending the literary value of graphic novels in the classroom. After spending the period hopelessly looking through his articles, I realized he was having trouble comprehending the material because his resources weren't useful. I went to his teacher after class and explained the problem: as he looked defeated, he threw out the articles and said, "We're gonna have to try again".

After mulling it over on my way home, I decided I had the perfect article for him: a visual representation of graphic novels in the classroom. I sent a PDF of the article to his teacher, whom I just met that day. He was very grateful, and ultimately, I knew the visual representations of graphic novels would help accommodate him. Below is a screenshot of the article:

Please take a chance to consider a time where YOU went the extra mile and share with me in the comment field! 

LIVE LIKE PRE

Steve Prefontaine was an American middle and long distance Olympic runner who broke multiple records in his short life. He was credited as the inspiration behind much of the running boom of the 1970's. After his tragic death in 1975, runners across the nation mourned the loss of this positive, humble man. I can thank my High School Track coaches for introducing me to the legend that is Steve Prefontaine's legacy. They would tell us to "Live Like Pre." For many runners like myself, Pre's motivational quotes tend to cross the mind often because they ring so true when it comes to relating to real life.

One of my favorite Pre quotes is "To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift." Now I'm sure you can imagine how this sounded coming from the mouth of a single, weird, middle-aged high school gym teacher/track coach. It was usually shouted at us as we ran by him on our warm-up lap in a strained voice. If you could mange a quick look as you ran by, you would notice the blood vessel popping out of his forehead from behind his thick, yellowed glasses. But since I've done some growing up since high school, I've come to realize that this quote goes way beyond just being a motivation to keep running. I interpret this quote as, if you give anything less than your best in your task at hand, you are essentially just selling yourself short. You must always believe in yourself and know that you have the potential to achieve anything goal you can dream up. You are capable of doing great things with this life, and you shouldn't rob the world of your talents.

I titled this blog The Extra Mile so that I could have the opportunity to share some of my own personal inspiration with you all. I encourage anyone reading this looking for a new inspirational figure to learn about to look into Steve Prefontaine. For a quick biography, click here!

What's Your Favorite Brand?

Hello everyone!

I thought it would be fun to conduct a survey to see what brands you guys like to wear! As a long-distance runner, you can imagine the amount of running shoes I've collected over the years! In fact, my mom yells at me for keeping them; any runner knows they are our trophies. Please follow this link to take my survey on running brands: Click Here!

As far as I go? I'm a Brooks running fan. Brooks have been around for many years and are quickly growing in popularity. As a shoe salesman, I often recommend Brooks to runners of all shapes and sizes. What I like about Brooks is their ability to combine the perfect amount of cushioning with maximum support. As I've mentioned before, I have a ton of running shoes, and they span multiple brands.

Here's a look into my closet (these shoes were free and do not necessarily represent personal taste):

These are the New Balance 980's; they are good for those looking for maximum cushioning. The "FreshFoam" technology offers a cushioning system throughout the mid-sole that provides maximum comfort. I highly recommend!

These are the Under Armour Speedforms; they are a great lightweight option for race day. Although I wouldn't recommend running many miles in these shoes, their superior design adequately mimics barefoot running. Barefoot running is a ground-breaking concept that almost ALL companies are beginning to explore. 

Since I've owned 2 pairs of the Mizuno Wave Prophecy 3's, I can confidently say they are the best running shoes on the market. Of course this is my own opinion, but if you've never tried Mizuno shoes before, I HIGHLY recommend them. The innovative wave plate offers maximum shock absorption to reduce the impact of running on your knees, legs, and feet. I highly recommend the Wave Prophecy 3's! Originally $210 on sale for $94; they are totally worth it!

Leave comments if you have any questions!

Cheers!

Stability Vs. Neutral

Hello all!

For those of you who don't know, I am the running specialist at our local Dick's Sporting Goods. Although the title sounds fancy, I'm really just the go-to girl for running advice. With that being said, I've got a knack for finding people the perfect running shoes. Because of my training, I possess the ability to analyze individual running gaits. What's a running gait you ask? The amount that your ankle rolls in a natural stride is called pronation. Depending on the severity of pronation, some runners require stability shoes.

This is an example of a stability shoe:

*Photo courtesy of Google*

Although an older Asics model, these GT2170s offer dynamic support. The duomax (grayed out area) is a technology used by Asics to increase shock absorption in the arch. Stability shoes are good for people who exhibit mild to moderate pronation. 

In addition to stability shoes, there are neutral cushioning shoes.

This is an example of a neutral cushioning shoe:

*Photo courtesy of Google*

I may be a little biased, but these Wave Prophecy 3 running shoes are the most comfortable shoes I've ever owned. Known for its wave plate, the Wave Prophecy 3 offers maximum cushioning and shock absorption. Neutral Cushioning shoes are good for mild pronators, supinators, and neutral runners.

If you're not sure of what type of running shoe you need, stop by the local Dicks Sporting Goods. I would love to help new and experienced runners.

Stay tuned for more running tips...

Welcome!

Hello everyone! My name is Rachel Waterhouse and I am a running enthusiast! I've competed in over 60 5Ks and am aspiring to train for my first half-marathon in the spring. I would like to use this blog as an opportunity to share encouragement and advice to new runners. I will draw from my personal experiences and integrate professional opinions. I entitled this page "The Extra Mile" because, while I will be offering running advice, I will also leave room for an array of inspirational quotes and stories of the good in humanity. I think in order to be a good runner you must have a positive mind. This page is intended to motivate others to go the extra mile, not only in running, but in life.