I was recently asked "How often do you change running shoes?" The basic answer is "Not often." Several sources, including Sportsmedicine.com , indicate we should change running shoes every 350-550 miles. OH, very funny....for those of us who about 2500 miles a year, that comes out to just over 7 pairs of shoes a year! (based on changing every 350 miles). Let's see....since a new pair typically cost about $100, that's $700 a year for shoes. Not too bad for a hobby that some of us take very seriously. The real gotcha is in the breaking in of a new pair of shoes. Personally, new shoes are a menace. Even with my own knowledge of what works for my feet and what doesn't work, it is a best guess as to whether a new pair is going to be able to go the distance and not cause issues. I written in the past that a New Balance 1123 has been a great shoe for these feet; however one flaw is that I constantly clip the opposing ankle due to the very wide, straight lasted mid sole. On the last shoe buying venture (always at my favorite store, Smith and Davis in Fayetteville, GA), I bypassed those NB 1123s and went to a Saucony Pro Grid Lite and a Adidas Kanadia trail shoe. So far, the Sauconys are proving to be a great shoe, very light weight, and have provided enough stability for trail running. The Adidas shoes are still in the closet. As for when I change shoes: it depends on the shoe. Once I see it is breaking down around the toe box and not providing enough stability in the forefoot, it is time to retire that shoe. As for mileage, I have no idea how many miles I put on a pair of shoes before retiring that shoe, but it is certainly far more than 550 miles!
Changing shoes is as personal as running itself. Some folks prefer a new pair every couple of months while others of us tend to run the things to death. It is a matter of finding what keeps you from getting injured and what allows you to run your best.
Monday; Feb. 13th: So much for the miles today. Needed the day off.
Tuesday; Feb. 14th: It's Valentine's Day....nope, no chocolate here....Just an early session in the gym for abs, wall squats, triceps and biceps. Then out the door solo for a brisk 9.0 miler. Traysen seems to have kinked his left front leg and is now being called, "Gimp Hound." A great run that was almost effortless!
Wednesday; Feb. 15th: A chilly start to the 10 miler that was again, effortless. Not sure what has brought on these easy runs, but they are just a hoot!
Thursday; Feb. 16th: Meeting up with Sandra at 630am in Garden of the Gods yielded a nice 6 mile effort on the outer loop trails; with work looming, Sandra was done and I took off for another 6 miles, covering some the same trails with a few twists. A very nice 12 mile effort on a beautiful morning.
Friday; Feb. 17th: One lazy family here! None of us stirred until 6am! Finally out the door for a slow 6 miler. Time for a very easy day as I head into the weekend with about 42 miles of running scheduled!
Saturday; Feb 18th: An early start with a half inch of fresh powder on the ground and about 15 degrees, a great start to a long run. This run went amazing well with plenty of energy, plenty of endurance, no aches or pains, and a nonstop, steady trot effort of 25 miles. It is runs like this that make long distance running worth the passion.
Sunday; Feb 19th: This will now be known as the "Girls Run with Horses" run. Sandra, Lori, Lynne and I met at Marshal Sprague Park in Colorado Springs for a bright n early outing on the Falcon Trail at the Air Force Academy. Much to the delightful laughter of Lori and Lynne (aka...long legs 1 and 2) Sandra and I provided much entertainment as we blundered over the fence to get to the access trail. Through a few gates and we found ourselves trotting down a dusty trail and to our surprise, we came up a herd of about 15 horses. Being comfortable with these varmits, I suggested we continue to follow them down the hill as they trotted in front of us. As they slowed we soon ourselves running amongst them for awhile and of course we were now going in the wrong direction. Luckily, Sandra said we needed to be "way back up there" so it was a reverse back to the proper trail and onto the Falcon Trail. An amazingly beautiful single track, complete with lots of rocks, tree roots, some snow, some ice and some wonderful cruiser sections with nothing but sand and dirt, this trail has something for everyone and I find it a refreshing outing from nonstop steep hills. With our detour to play "round up" we covered 18 miles. Way to go Lori, Lynne, and Sandra (who just completed her first back to back long runs this weekend!!!).
Total for the week: 80.0
Total for 2012: 447.0
Summary: A great week of running with plenty of quality training with some great friends. At this point, it is interesting to note that the only ailment is a bit of a blister on the left foot. Nothing serious, but just an annoyance on these last two long runs. The training is going perfectly well and hopefully that will continue.
Great job, Sarah! It would be easy to note your shoe choice in your training log, and keep track of mileage every three months or so. I bet you'd be surprised how many miles you log on a pair! Thanks for a great day, you rock!-Lori
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