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Sad Looking Running Shoes – Learn To
Love ‘Em
It
has been some time since I’ve done any running. I stopped when I
began to notice the impact of the road surface through the soles of
my last pair of shoes – the tell-tale sign that, after several
hundred miles of wear, the cushioning was shot. Painful experience
has taught me that to run on regardless, to try and squeeze out a
few extra miles per £ invested, will just lead to injury and leave
me unable to run for several months. So instead, uninjured, I didn’t
run for several months.
My new pair of shoes, finally
bought in the lunch hour with one eye on the clock, came from Run
and Become in Victoria. They are an updated version of my previous
ones, which had served me well enough. The new shoes get a
reassuringly good write-up from contributors to the Runner’s World
discussion forum, but, aesthetically speaking, they are just a
little bit too vivid orange for my taste. The lattice-work design on
the upper doesn’t help, giving them an unfortunate resemblance
towards the toe-end of a pair of miniature orange string vests. At
the price they retail for, they shouldn’t look as naff as they do.
If only I’d had a little more time that day to try on half a dozen
other makes and mince up and down Palmer Street under the critically
watchful eye of the sales assistant (all part of the service – the
shop isn’t called Run and Become for nothing).
Still, I suppose I can always do
what I once did to an embarrassingly new-looking pair of football
boots – go to the park and deliberately apply an inch of mud all
over to create a more lived-in look. Or just make sure that I run
through as many puddles and cowpats as I can find when engaged in
what I laughingly refer to as training runs over the Meads - after
dark, of course.
Perhaps I should just reserve
judgment until late January when the new shoes will have carried me
through the Hampshire Chronicle Romsey 5, the first event in a
planned year of running – a loose, still evolving plan which goes by
the name of Run For The Hall 2008. In all honesty, the plan might
more truthfully be called “Twelve Runs, One Man, No Idea”.
As for the shoes - Brilliant
Orange? Well, I suppose I could pretend to be Dutch.
Mike van Hardy
I aim to take
part in twelve organized runs (most of them over short distances!)
between January and December 2008 in support of the Hall Fund.
February’s run is the Windsor 10K at Dorney Lake on Sunday 10th. I
would very much welcome offers of sponsorship. Your company whilst
running would be greatly appreciated too. Sad looking footwear is
not obligatory.
Contact me on 07982 862705 or at
runforthehall2008@hotmail.com |
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