If Your Shoes Don't Have At Least 2,000 Miles On Them, You Don't Need New Ones

It’s Not My Fault If You Choose To Follow My Husband’s Advice

Issue #3

If Your Shoes Don't Have At Least 2,000 Miles On Them, You Don't Need New Ones

I should've bronzed these and put them on my buckle shelf

I’m cheap. I mean, really cheap. I don’t like buying stuff I don’t need (the kids make this a little bit of a grey area as we buy them lots of stuff they don’t need). I don’t like going out to eat at a restaurant. I don’t like buying new clothes. I don’t need a second car. I don’t have a flat screen TV. You get the idea. And I’ve been like this my whole life. Before I was part of Team TROT, I was a runner clothed in whatever was cheapest at Academy (sports store) or Ross. If it was over $40, I didn’t need it.

Running is the earliest sport and most inexpensive. It was one of the first things humans did (even if it wasn’t sport) and it required very little, if any, equipment. Just get out and go somewhere. This is one thing that appeals to me about running. And even now that I have sponsors for some of my equipment, it’s hard for me to let go of who I am.

The way I used to pick out running shoes was to go to Academy, find the section that had running shoes that were between $30-$50, and try them on. One shoe on one foot and a different one on the other. I’d run up and down the aisle, and the winner would go on to the next round. This would continue until I had found my shoe for the next year. I know that early humans couldn’t buy shoes, but at 11 cents per day, I could afford these shoes.
It didn’t matter if they were trail or road shoes. In fact, I didn’t know there were such differences when I started running ultras. I was at Cactus Rose 100 going up a hill, and a guy behind me asked if my shoes were road shoes. I didn’t know what to say. “I guess so.” They were road shoes (as I now know), but they worked fine and got me through that and several other trail races.

Anyway, back to the point of this. I never wanted my running habit (as I was running more and more and racing more too) to become expensive. I knew that running shoes were expensive. Companies tell you to replace your running shoes every 300-500 miles. But I couldn’t afford to buy a new pair of running shoes every month and a half. So I wouldn’t. And I found out that nothing happened. So I kept running in them. And running. And running, until they literally fell apart. I remember the first time that happened and I recalled a pair of running shoes that I used in high school. I had them from sophomore year until i graduated. All the rubber on the bottom was worn off, duct tape surrounded both toe boxes, and they were comfortable as hell.
For the last 3-4 years, Altra has been a sponsor for the team. And although it took me a little while to get onboard with running with these shoes, I really love them. They have a wide toe box, zero drop soles (heel and toe at same level), and a great selection of trail and road shoes with minimal to maximum cushioning levels.
Now, I don’t know if I have some perfect stride or the perfect foot strike or whatever and that this is the reason for me not getting hurt while putting a ton of miles on each pair of shoe that I own. But I can tell you that I’m never injured. I’ve been tracking my shoe miles since 2010 and the table shows when I purchased and retired the shoes with how many miles each have. Form your own opinions. Share them if you so choose. Experiment on your own. Just don’t get hurt.

#ZeroDrop

@altrarunning

Talk to Other Runners

It’s Not My Fault If You Choose To Follow My Husband’s Advice

Issue #2

Talk to Other Runners

I’m not a very outgoing person, especially if I don’t know you. I don’t typically like meeting new people and stepping out of my comfort zone. This very much includes talking to complete strangers. However, running ultras has sorta changed that part of me. I still don’t talk to lots of people, but I race-chat a lot more now than I ever did when I started this back in 2011. And I really enjoy it. The talking may be just for five minutes while our paces match or it may end up being 85 miles (a 15+ hour date!). There are so many different reasons for race-chatting. I’ll try to get all the angles on why you should talk to other runners while you run. They are in no particular order, except when I quiz you on them at the next race.

• Pass the time

    Talking to others will keep your mind off the pain, suffering, boredom, low points, etc. that you might be enduring. Before you know it, you’ve gone 10 miles and it happened so effortlessly.

• They feel better

I can’t confirm this one. And I know what assuming does, but I’m assuming that they feel good too since I do.

• You know you’re running the right pace

When you can carry a conversation without constantly losing your breath, you’re going at a pace that can be continued for a long time. One of my hugest advices is to run at conversation pace.

• You get to know someone new/make friends

Now that we’re adults, we kinda suck at making new friends. You may never hear from this person again. You may end up being bff’s. They may be a name you’ve heard of but now can put a face to (unless you’re a Facebook stalker). Maybe you already sorta know them, but now you can find out something more. And maybe you like them enough that you want to spend the rest of your life running with them and Rob Goyen marries the two of you after you finish your first 50-miler as a couple.

• Gives you a break/picks up your pace

Sometimes we’re silly and don’t correctly pace ourselves even though we know better. This can be your opportunity to slow down and give your muscles a chance to recharge. Or it might be that someone faster came by and you picked up your pace to run with them for 10 minutes and that got you out of your walking rut.

• You’re not gonna win anyway, so have some fun

With the exception of a few people in each race, none of us really expect to win. We’re out there to challenge ourselves. Going a little slower at one point isn’t going to ruin your race or be a pace killer. It might be just what you needed when you’re at a low point at your race and you reflect back on this fun memory that your new friend shared earlier that day.

• You get to see that your race/distance is not the only one out there

Races with varying distances usually have staggered start times so not everyone is crammed onto the narrow trails in one spot at one time. Maybe you never knew of 50-mile or 100-mile races. Talking to one of these “crazies” might spark your curiosity and cause you to discover what your real limits are and become one of these normal people.

• You feel better (aka-the selfish reason)

According to a show I used to watch, there is no such thing as a selfless act. The real reason why you are nice and talk to others while running (whether you think of this or not, but now you will) is because it makes you feel better. And races are so much easier to endure if you just feel good all the time.

I am certain that the coolest and most interesting people are found on the trails. You just have to talk to them to discover it for yourself (and help them to discover you).