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I went down to the Core Running store to buy a new pair of shoes. It was not that I needed a new pair but rather I was planning ahead for future days on the road. For those that have not heard the Core Running store's last day was Saturday. David Moody has served the San Marcos community for many years by supporting local runs, giving discounts to school running teams, and has been the running store that gave advice to runners about the best shoe to buy for that persons running style. He was one of the better promoters of runs that were to be held in San Marcos. He always had posters, or push cards, about the run at the store and encouraged runners to enter the race. It was nice to see all of the photos of local races on the walls of the store. The support and encouragement he had for running in San Marcos will be missed by runners.
David Moody has operated the store for area runners with quality shoes and a good variety of shoes on his wall to select from. The problem with small stores in the business world is that it is difficult to maintain a large inventory and often needs to sell shoes at a slightly higher price than some of the large outlet stores. What runners do not see when they purchase a pair of running shoes is that the difference in price of usually $10 or less compared to outlet stores. What that extra $10 buys is expert advice and buying a shoe that will fit the runner’s needs. I have seen, and heard from, runners that bought a shoe based on the name brand, a cheaper price, or another runner’s advice. The result is often buying a shoe that does not fit their running style or the shoe is one that will not last long because of poor quality.
I have purchased most of my shoes from David Moody, or years ago from a “running store,” with runners as sales persons. The result has been many years of injury free running and a shoe that fit my running style. When I purchased a shoe David took the time to go over the detail about fit, and watching running form while wearing the shoe. It was a standard procedure at Core Running. Many times David had me try several different shoes to see which one felt the most comfortable. A few times I had a different shoe on each foot to run in for me to determine which shoe felt the best when I ran.
Too many runners have purchased a shoe because of the name on the shoe, or on the advice of another runner, and the result was an injury because the shoe did not meet the requirements of their running style. He told me that he often had to talk a runner out of particular brand that was the latest popular fad of the day. Those runners that followed his advice benefited from it. Often those that still wanted the latest fad often came back because of an injury, or discomfort in the feet, from running in the wrong shoe.
He always wanted to look at the shoe you were wearing when you came into the store. A quick glance at the sole of the shoe gave him an idea about your running style. A quick look at your feet as you stood in stocking feet let him know a little more about the shoe that will be better for you. It was these extra steps that helped David select a good shoe for the runner. Do they need an arch support, are they a pronator, neutral foot placement, toe push off, or the amount of wear on the top of the shoe that told him more about the shoe that will be best for you.
With the closing of the store, San Marcos has lost the true “running store” for runners. Aside from buying shoes, running clothes, socks, and the latest gear, the one thing that will be missed is a place where runners often met and just talked about running. This was the location where there were runs Wednesday evenings with some social gatherings after the run. Long runs on Saturday mornings were a standard for those runners training for marathons. The times at the store just “talking shop” about running, and trading stories about runs from other runners, was always a welcome part of stopping in to say, “Hi.”
David Moody said that he will attempt to keep his foot in the running community by supporting the races he sponsored in the past. The Country Roads 10K and the Purgatory Trail Run are a couple of his runs that are still in the plans for the future. He has several runs that he has on his agenda that he may try down the road. This is just my way of saying, “Thank You, David Moody” for the time and service you gave to the runners and running community in San Marcos. You and the Core Running store will be missed, but I am sure we will see you at runs here in San Marcos.
