The Shoe Graveyard

As a pretty active guy, I go through shoes like a runner goes through toilet paper. Trying to find  a pair that looks nice, fits well, and can last is tough. On top of that, I expect a lot out of my shoes. They need to be able to hold up to lateral movements for P.E. class (i.e. basketball, soccer, and tchoukball) and also at track and cross country practice. Throw in ultra training, and I'm basically S.O.L.

So far, I have had many shoes come close; however, they always end up dying. Below, I pay homage to those that almost made it.

First up - Merrell Vapor Glove.

One of the best road shoes I've ever ran in. My usual 5k racers.

I've been through 4 pairs (and 3 colors) of these bad boys! If you are looking for a minimalist shoe that can take a hit, look no further. Every pair I have owned has surpassed 400 miles. For a zero drop, low profile minimalist shoe, that is almost unheard of.

They are lightweight, fit like a glove, and grip like a champion. Yet, the Achilles heel is the upper. It is a weird tight mesh material that gets messed up pretty easily. Also, where the lower and upper meet is a super weak point. Every pair has blown out almost 180 degree from mid-foot, around the toe-box, and to the other side. But the crazy thing is, I can still wear them! Seriously, the tread is still great on my main pair, even after logging close to 500 miles!

Shoes #2 - Merrell Ascend Glove

Tough shoe with a good amount of foot feel. Stronger upper, but still fell short.

Yet another super durable shoe by Merrell (I swear I am not a spokes person, but if Merrell wants me to be, hit me up!). This pair didn't see as many miles, but it got trashed on the trail. Roots, rocks, water, poop, you name it --- it's seen it.

Speaking of rocks, I never once questioned my footing with these. I caught my big toe a few times with a few choice words, but never once complained about stepping on a sharp rock. They gave great ground feel with high protection. Sadly, this will be my last pair since they are no longer in production :sad face:

However, even with ~350 miles, they are still run-able. Again, the area between the upper and lower is busted. There is also another spot near my toes that got cut open. The tread, though still reliable, is starting to show some heavy wear. With that said, they will probably turn into creek shoes with my recent purchase of the New Balance MT10v1.

And finally - Skora Phase

Wear patterns galore! The no sew upper helps keep the structure sound, but the inside... not so much.

When getting close to retirement with my other shoes, I needed another durable shoe to help with high mileage and marathon training. Enter the Skora Phase.

Hands down my favorite shoe I have ever owned (two pairs!). The injected blown rubber (IBR) kept the shoe amazingly lightweight and cushiony, but still strong enough to hold up against small rocks and uneven surfaces. This 11mm, zero drop shoe was also chopped down a bit more by taking out the insole giving it a new stack height of around 9mm.

I ran these shoes into the ground... HARD! I literally burned a hole in them. However, even then, they were still SO FREAKIN' comfortable that I kept running in them. Because of this, I have ruined about 5 pairs of socks. Whoops!

After a few months of holy running, I decided to get another pair... uh-oh. Sold out.

No biggie, I will try another style. Sold out. Ugh.

I then messaged a rep and she helped me get the same shoe, but in a female style. SCORE! The fit was the same, and the color scheme was actually cooler in my opinion.

Unfortunately, shortly after this transaction, the company went into a bit of a hiatus. However, they should be back in September (hooray!). Just in time for another purchase before the Yeti100 :)

Take aways:
Shoes will always be the most important and most expensive part to a runner. Spend the extra $20-$50 on a shoe that fits your foot and is durable. Furthermore, with ever changing styles and trends, your favorite is likely to be discontinued, so find a shoe you like and stock up!

Too Many Races, Too Little Time (and Money!)

With the hot summer days coming to an end, a plethora of road races have started to pop up on my calendar. Unfortunately, many of them share the same date or simply cannot be a part of my marathon training. Not to mention, some of them are so ungodly overpriced or conflict with my high school cross country program. Combine all of these factors together, and you’ve got one sad runner.

(source: http://completerunning.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/11/runningmoney.jpg)

A quick glance at my local running club calendar shows 7 races between September 07 and October 17. This does not include 2 other races that I am already signed up for (Ragnar Relay DC and the Leaf-Peeper Half Marathon). That’s roughly a race a week! There is no way that my body or wallet could withstand that type of punishment. I mean seriously, in a 2 month span, I could easily shell out somewhere around $200-350, depending on registration dates and club discounts to run all of them.

So, what can I do about it (financially)? I’m glad you asked. I have a few ideas milling around in my brain that I shall share!

1)      Don’t Run in (some) races: This is a hard pill to swallow. I love competing and comparing myself to others. And now, since I am close to fully recovered from chemotherapy, I am curious to see where I am at --- and need to make up for all the races I’ve missed!

2)      Setup a crowd-funding website: Honestly, this seems like the best bet. I contact a charity (probably http://www.forlucas.com – Team Runningdad represent!), ask for donations, take a portion of it to pay for my races, and give the rest to charity. Obviously, a set plan needs to be laid out, but that requires research and thinking. Maybe a blog post for another day, if I decide to go that route!

3)      Run as a bandit: Not going to happen. Proceeds go towards a good cause, I’ll be taking away resources from the race itself, and I know too many people who will chastise me for doing so. Plus, it is just plain douchey to do.

4)      Pay for it – Beg for forgiveness: My least favorite. Mainly because it will result in either 

      my castration or death. All I would do is secretly sign up for the races, not tell my wife, and then run for the hills so she *hopefully* can’t find/catch me.

Other options include getting sponsorships (I’m not fast or popular enough), mug somebody and steal their registration and bib number (I’m not strong enough), and/or run in the race and simply say I lost my bib number (see number 3).

Running is probably the most expensive, free sport there is. Race fees alone can crush a wallet. Throw in the cost for shoes, watches, vests, and other accessories and you’re broke.

Anyone have any ideas on how to make things cheaper?!