Catalogs and Ultrarunning

Just picked up the Aug/Sep copy of O Gauge Railroading, which deals with model trains such as the old Marx sets that I have so much fun playing with, with Mister Tristan (the human being, not the blog). 

The magazine's editorial, in discussing model train catalogs (but could equally apply to any catalog), contained this gem:

A primary purpose of catalogs is to impart dissatisfaction.  No matter what you already have, the goal is to give you a sense of unfulfillment with the status quo.

That's kinda true of Ultrarunning, although I think our needs are more basic and easily fulfilled.  For example, beyond comparison shopping for packs or headlamps, what else is there?  We all kinda/sorta already have our shoe allegiances; likewise for shorts, tops, jackets, etc.  I just can't see me saying something like, "Man, I just gotta get me a pair of those nifty gloves.  Mine just suck!"

Despite the sport being highly technical, it mostly is highly simple: you go out your door and run.  Maybe you drive over to a trail, and then run.  Or maybe you enter a trail race.  Whatever, it's really that simple.  And that's what I like about it.