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If You Give A Runner A PR…

Inspired by Laura Joffe Numeroff’s 'If You Give a Moose a Muffin,' one runner looks at what goes in to a runner getting a new personal best.

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Inspired by Laura Joffe Numeroff’s If You Give a Moose a Muffin.

If a runner crosses the finish line with a PR, she’ll want to tell all her friends.

And when she logs on to Facebook she’ll see an ad in her sidebar for running shoes.

Not just any old running shoes—“fast” running shoes.

So she’ll click the link because now that she’s running faster she really needs shoes that are fast, too.

And while she is purchasing the “fast” shoes, she’ll see a new pair of shorts and she’ll add those to her shopping cart because of the free shipping minimum and nothing goes better with new running shoes than new running shorts.

When UPS delivers the new shoes and shorts she’ll immediately take them for a run.

RELATED: How I Got An Accidental PR

And while she’s out on the run she’ll realize that she has never loved running more than in this moment in these new shoes and new shorts.

So she’ll race home faster than she has ever run before and immediately search the internet for a race to run this weekend.

And while she’s searching for races, she’ll realize that the sports bra she just wore on her run with her new shorts and new shoes is really kind of old.

And if she wants to really feel fast, she needs a new sports bra. So she’ll look up sports bra reviews.

Frustrated with all the differing opinions, she’ll head to her local running specialty store and practically beg them to sell her a bra that fits “just right.”

She’ll walk out of the store with a new sports bra, a few gels, a 13.1 sticker and a handful of race brochures for all the upcoming local races.

RELATED: 40 Thoughts Every Runner Has When Chasing A PR

Once the weekend comes she’ll toe the line in her new shoes and new shorts and new sports bra. She’ll run fast and it will hurt and she’ll forget about what she’s wearing and only think of the pain or running fast. And for a moment she will hate running and wonder why she does this if it hurts so much.

And she’ll cross the finish line and glance at the clock and realize that it’s a PR, but only by three seconds. And chances are if a runner PR’s by three seconds, they are going to want another PR.