My Very First Pair
I've been flying with Pegasus for a lifetime
I was 8 years old. My dad took me to The Running Store. That was literally the name of the running store... The Running Store. This was a big deal for me. I had never been there. And I had never been to a store totally dedicated to the sport and the people that took part in the sport. There were very few running specialty stores back then. To say I was excited would be a massive understatement. I remember walking in and seeing painted track lanes on the floor of the store. This way you could run around “the track” when you tried on your trainers. I saw posters of great moments from the history of the sport on the walls. There were signed jerseys from pro runners and local legends hanging from the rafters. Flyers, so many flyers, from road races littered the countertops. Magazines like Runners, Runner’s World. Track & Field News were available for purchase. I was in RunNerd Heaven. Yes, I was only 8. But even an 8 year old knows when they are surrounded by people like them. People that share the same passion. And I was passionate about running and Track & Field.
Eventually an employee of the store came up to us. She could tell that I was a bit in awe of the place. Looking for some trainers? I nodded. Was I getting ready for cross country, she asked me. I said yes. (She knew I was running XC! How cool is that! Very cool is the answer.) She told me XC was awesome and that they had a whole bunch of great trainers that would work for me. She wasn’t treating me like I was a little kid. She was treating me like an athlete. That meant a lot to 8 year old me. Then she reached toward the shoe wall. I stopped her. I pointed to one pair of trainers on the wall. I want those I said. They were mostly white… maybe a little off white in there too. They had a big navy Swoosh. She looked at the trainers I was pointing to. The Pegasus. Nice choice she said. Why those?
Why? Because Joan Benoit Samuelson wears Pegasus. Because Seb Coe wears them. Because Carl Lewis wears Nike. Because my older brother and sister run in Pegasus. All my heroes wear Pegasus! And let’s be real… the Pegasus is a mythical winged horse born after Perseus beheaded the Gorgon Medusa. Do you think any other shoe on the wall has a back story like that? It’s important to note here that I didn’t say any of these things. I only thought them after she asked the question. Instead, I just said my friend George has a pair and he really likes them. Also, true. Just not as poetic as what was racing through my head.
She brought out my size and I laced them up. Butterflies started to creep into my chest. And I started to dream about the magical things I was going to do in these magical trainers. I took them for a few laps around “the track” and by the time I was done with the test run we were a team. Me and my Pegasus. Together forever. Lifetime training partners.
(Now, I’m sure you are wondering what number Pegasus these were. Don’t worry about it! I’ll just tell you that they were low single digit Pegasus. Very low.)
I can remember this trip to The Running Store like it was yesterday. Because yesterday I laced up another pair of Pegasus. These were the 41’s. When I put them on the butterflies came back. The dreams of magical meters, minutes and miles came too. I was 8 years old again. I thought about all those heroes of mine. I thought about that running store in NJ. I thought about my Dad. Then I joined over a thousand other runners in Santa Monica to celebrate Global Running Day.
I got asked about the new Pegasus by many of the runners in Santa Monica. Most wanted to know whether or not the Pegasus were my normal trainers. I said they were… they are. Why those they asked? I told them about an 8 year old finding his tribe. I told them about Seb Coe and Joanie and a mythical winged horse. I told them all this on a run that I’d never have been on if it wasn’t for so many people that shared this sport with me over the years. I told them that the Pegasus helped get me to here… this moment… this mile… this story.
So, to all of you that are a part of this incredible global running community… thank you for welcoming that kid in those early Pegasus into your sport. And thank you for letting him continue to be a part of it. I’ll meet you on that next starting line. I’ll be the kid in the Pegasus.
Cheers and a Happy (belated) Global Running Day!
Coach Bennett
THANK YOU RUNNING
My friend asked me to buy him some cigarettes. I went into the store and I bought two packs. One for my friend. One for me. He smoked. I didn’t. But I was 16 and I was injured. And I had been hurt for months. First it was ligaments and tendons and pain and limping and then it was mononucleosis and being sick and exhausted and then it was a stress fracture and sadness and a knee high plaster cast. I hadn’t run in a long, long time. I didn’t have practices to go to. I didn’t feel part of the team. I felt lost. I was confused and frustrated. I didn’t know who I was. And so I bought those cigarettes. I gave my friend his pack and I held on to mine and I went home.
Later that night after I finished dinner I went upstairs to my room and grabbed the pack of cigarettes that were hidden underneath my bed. I headed for the back door. My dad saw me and asked me what I was doing. I told my him I lost something and had to go outside real quick. I need to go look for whatever it was that I was looking for. I told him I though it might be in the car. I talked quickly. I wanted to sound liek I was in a hurry. I went outside.
I can remember it was late January and it was so brutally cold. I stood close to the house to stay out of the icy and bitter wind and more importantly out of view of any windows and parents. I cupped the match and awkwardly lit the cigarette. I held it. And I thought to myself “what the hell are you doing Chris? This isn’t who you are. You’re a runner. I mean you’re not running... but you’re still a runner. You haven’t run in so long… but you will again. You’re going to get better. You’re going to heal. You’ve got so much more to run! You can’t smoke this shit.”
I put the cigarette out before it ever reached my lips. I thank Running every day for what it’s given me... but today… on Global Running Day I’m also thanking running for what it kept me away from. As I walked back into the house my dad asked me if I found what I was looking for out there. I said yes. I found it. I found who I was looking for. The cast came off one week later.
GLOBAL RUNNING DAY
I was in beautiful Santa Monica, California to celebrate Global Running Day with over one thousand of my running buddies. We got to together outside the Nike store there in downtown and then went for a 2.8 mile/4.5K run that ended on the Santa Monica Pier. My favorite part about these community runs is the community. Yup, it’s all of you. It’s getting to give high fives and fist bumps and hugs. It’s getting to hear about your running journey. It’s listening to your story about how you started, started again, started over. It’s getting to see the joy and passion and pride you have in your running.
I love hearing about your breakdowns and breakthroughs. I love hearing about your set backs and comebacks. I love getting to tell you in person and face to face just how grateful I am that I get to be a small part of your running journey. And I get to tell you thank you. Thank you for sharing your runs and your stories with me. You all motivate and inspire me more than you will ever know.
And if you ever wonder what gets me back to the starting line every day… it’s all of you.
NEW COACH BENNETT’S PODCASTS!
You’ve got not one… not two… but three NEW episodes of Coach Bennett’s Podcast waiting for you. I’ve included links to both Apple Podcasts and Spotify below but the podcast is available on all major platforms. Thank you to everyone that’s listening. Coach Bennett’s Podcast has been listened to in 112 different countries and close to 3200 different cities globally!
Random fact for you: Chicago, United States just jumped ahead of long time leader Melbourne, Australia as the #1 city globally for Coach Bennett’s Podcast listeners. Come on Melbourne! Are you really going to just give up your lead like that?
If you have not listened or subscribed to the podcast yet I would really appreciate if you would! Cheers and thank you!
Well, that’s that. Thank you for reading. Thank you for being cool and kind. How do I know you’re both? You can’t be cool unless you’re kind and if you’re kind… you’re cool. That’s how.
Cheers to you and one more thanks to everyone that’s a paid supporter of this newsletter or thinking about becoming a paid supporter. I truly appreciate it.
Take care of yourself and take care of each other.
Until that next starting line…
Coach Bennett
So great to see you at the Global Running Day event my old friend!
Thank you for always being YOU and brining the energy, knowledge, and positivity we all need!
Here's to countless more runs with a purpose and to the incredible running community that never ceases to amaze me!
🙌 🙌 🙌 🙌 🙌 🙌 🙌 🙌 🙌
Thank you for this. It takes me back to when I was 14 and begged my mom for the new Nike Pegasus GX before came out. I clipped the ad from a magazine and dreamed of having a pair. They were, however, $50 which was unheard of in my family for shoes at that point.
Still, I got them. It was amazing. Then, three days later, an unfortunate incident while showing them off and mowing the lawn got the toes of the shoes cut open. Luckily, no harm to my foot but the shoes used duct tape from that point forward, which really cut down the cool factor for me. My mom gave me an "I told you so" on me having nice things but I swore I'd still wear them because they were so cool.
This post had me go down into the basement to find the shoebox that I've kept since 1985 and used as a mobile junk drawer. The manual for the GX's was still in there, so I got to re-read the user manual, in case I ever get a chance at another pair of those almost 40 year old beauties.