Sometimes You Just Have to Pay More

I wouldn't describe myself as frugal. And I'm sure Dean (who does all of our accounting) would definitely not describe me in this way. I like to buy things. That much is true. However, I have this bizarre price threshold in my mind (which is based on absolutely nothing) over which I am unwilling to cross. So, when I started shopping for running skirts (the shopping basically consisting of ordering various styles online, then returning them when they didn't work out), I had a price in my head that I was unwilling to go beyond. At first, this price was $30. But as it quickly became clear that wasn't going to happen, I inched into the $40 zone. Still no dice. I tried the New Balance Bonita, a run skirt I found on sale at Sports Authority (a store I normally do not enter) for under $40. The shorts rode up during a simple game of duck-duck-goose (editor's note: duck-duck-goose with three people is not really very much fun) so it was clear this skirt wasn't going to stand up to 13.1 miles. Next.

After doing a few Google searches for running skirt reviews (of which there are surprisingly many), I bit the bullet and bought the Atalanta Commitment, a skirt that has gotten rave reviews almost everywhere. At $54, it was well beyond my price threshold. Honestly, the only running gear I'm normally willing to spend that much money on is shoes. You just can't scrimp when it comes to running shoes. Believe me, I've tried, and it always bites me in the ass.

So far, the Commitment and I have shared one six-mile run. It was glorious. The shorts don't ride up. There are two nice pockets (which means I can carry my cell with me on longer runs--something that seems like a good idea now that we're heading into the 12-mile zone), large enough for one of those small water bottles or for a pack of sports beans.

I am hopeful the Commitment and I will have a long, happy future together. The real test will come with this weekend's long run. Unfortunately, no matter how happy the Commitment and I turn out to be, I'm not sure how soon I'll be willing to shell out the $54 for another one....