I ain't got no sole!

[Seafront Plodder]

It was Nigel who started it! After our 3 mile recovery jog in Almería, we were on the way back to the hotel when the conversation turned to shoes. Sweder has at least 3 pairs, Nigel (Imelda) Platt has about 5! “These are my ½ marathon shoes” he states matter of factly, as if everyone has shoes for certain distances. Not I. There is just the 1 pair, and they, are dead! Nigel knew it from the moment he saw the heels; I, rather naively thought that as there was some tread left they must be fine.

It got me thinkingthough…..Those shoes are a year old now! I remember now. I got them for the Brighton ½, which is next week! All that New York training, the race, all the running this year and the Almería race, all on the same pair!!.

In the circumstances I hope my fellow competitors won’t mind if I upgrade my finishing time to a PB. Do you?

Last Tuesday I high-tailed it to the running shop only to get a good kicking from the guy there for running on worn out shoes. With my build that’s not exactly wise, but I left The Jog Shop £100 lighter, and armed with shiny new Saucony Hurricanes, a Pack of gels and a running belt!

It’s like running with pillows strapped to your feet isn’t it? 3 run of 5 miles this week as I’m breaking ‘em in, but it feels fantastic. I have no idea how long before new shoes are “broken in”, but I’m aiming to glide for a 14 miler, possibly tomorrow or Monday.

I love the smell of new shoes in the morning!

[Sweder]

Just a shame you're strapping them onto those hobbit's feet of yours.
I have to say I feel the same way about my off-roaders - they're not exactly cushioned but it's heaven running through tacky mud without picking up a pound of sludge every half mile - I know what it must be like to run in Divers' boots.

One tip I got recently was to wear new boots for non-running activities (like shopping or pottering about the house/ garden). Apparently it's all good, and won't cause excessive wear.

Looking forward to a sub-2 Brighton Half then

[El Gordo]

Excellent Almeria excuse there, SP. You've obviously been mulling over your failure to humiliate me totally.

I'm a New Balance 854 chap. One of the advantages is that I can buy new pairs from the factory shop in Cumbria for about £35 a pair, or roughly half price. The last couple of years I've bought 2 new pairs each January. This year I bought them plus a pair of 855s, the successors to the 854s. £40 instead of £80.

I also have some Asics Gel Guts, off-road shoes, plus a couple of elderly-but-not-quite-dead pairs of 854s by the kitchen door. Then I have a few pairs of deceased pairs that I still wear to the pub or to football.

The advice is usually to have at least 2 alternating pairs on the go. Apparently 2 pairs will last more than twice as long as 1 pair because they dry out better, and because the midsole (or something) has the chance to return to its proper shape, thereby prolonging its life. Another reason is that all shoes are slightly different, and wearing different pairs are a sort of 'workout for your feet'. I think that's how RW magazine described it. On the other hand, they like us to buy plenty of shoes to keep the advertisers happy...

So anyway, you might want to pick up a second pair in a sale, perhaps of a different type, to use on shorter runs.

Isn't it easy to recommend spending money to other people?

[Seafront Plodder]

After the 3 springy 5 milers last week, I allowed myself a generous weekend off for no particular reason.

So by monday afternoon I was ready to hit the seafront again. I Started in the fading light and finished in the dark 10 miles later, feeling as fresh as the new shoes still were. And just like Andy in his latest diary entry, I too toyed with the idea of carrying on to 12 or even beyond. I thought better of it and decided that in the interests of continued domestic bliss someone call the oxymoron police!, I'd better stop.

Time was a-marching and I promised Mrs SP I'd rustle up something romantic for dinner............