“At first an ordeal and then an accomplishment, the daily run becomes a staple, like bread, or wine, a fine marriage, or air. It is also a free pass to friendship.”
~ Benjamin Cheever, Strides

Saturday, February 16, 2013

The Great Shoe Mix-Up

As many runners do, I own several many pairs of running shoes. I have my favorite model of shoes, so all of my five active pairs are two different models.  Each of the models had one color option at the time of purchase.  To differentiate between pairs, I have utilized the every handy sharpie marker.  I wrote a number corresponding to how many of that particular model shoe I have on the heal of each shoe.
Seemingly genius, right????
Because I'd worn my Red Launch pair number 3 to speed work this week, I'd decided I'd wear my other low mileage Launch, number 4, for my 14 mile long run this morning.  I was the first one awake in my house, so I didn't turn on the big bright bathroom light, just grabbed everything I needed and headed downstairs to get ready.

I even made a return trip upstairs when I saw the temperature today (20*F, feels like 13) to get an extra layer for both the top and bottom.

I ran my 14 miles with my running group, it was cold, but still glorious.  The trail was icy, but no one fell.  The sun was periodically shining through the trees.  We were all talking, laughing and enjoying life.  All so innocent.
Sounds about as perfect as these homemade cookies Mommy!
I stopped for breakfast, came home, looked at the back of my shoe to log my dailymile entry (it's how I keep track of how many miles are on each pair), and I'm momentarily confused.  My left shoe had a big ole 3 on it.  Thinking I'd just goofed up about which pair I'd picked up, I went on blissfully unaware of my mistake.  Chatted with my husband until I started shivering and realized I needed to take a hot shower ASAP.

And that's when it happened.  I took off my shoes and saw, horror of all horrors, THIS.
Horror of all horrors!
The OCD person in me, quickly ran to match the correct shoes with the other pair before paying enough attention as to which shoe was from which pair, i.e., so that I could make the same mistake in the opposite manner another week for logging purposes.  Which no fewer than two people have suggested I do.  HA!

All through my shower, I couldn't stop thinking about the Great Shoe Mix-Up.  The GLORIOUS, HOT shower.  I swear, there is nothing more fantastic than a really long, really hot shower after a cold long run.  But, I digress.

I came up with a solution.  Hot showers are good like that.  Immediately after my shower, I sat down with my launches and my Newtons and switched out some shoelaces.  I took the shoelaces from Newton 2 and switched them with the shoelaces on Launch 4.  Now, I'll have to be even MORE blind to make a similar mistake.
Ta-da!!!!!!
The blue on the red looks a tad silly, but the yellow on blue, not so bad.
Crisis averted.
Lady, THAT is not a crisis.  THIS is a crisis.

Do you have more than one pair of running shoes?  Do you rotate as I do?  How do you tell them apart?

Has anyone else have this experience: realizing how much you didn't fully appreciate hot showers until a hot shower post a cold run?

Anyone else ever run with a mismatched pair of shoes?  At least for me, they were the same model and color, so perhaps, I am the only one that noticed!  Well, until this post anyway.



14 comments:

  1. I miss match shoes all the time. The unfortunate thing is they are often different models, colors and types... Ask my boss about the third time she ever met me. One heel, one flat, one black, one brown... She called me two shoes for awhile...

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    1. That is awesome. Can I call you two shoes for now on? :D

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    2. You can call me whatever you would like...

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  2. I have a number of "old/retired" shoes kicking around; you know, the ones to cut the grass with, take Bella for a walk with, etc. I usually only have one pair going, but when I started running trails last year, I bought myself a pair of trail shoes. Fortunately, they're WAY too different to confuse.

    However, I did once grab a "retired" left shoe and an "active" right shoe for a work/lunch run. I was lucky in that they weren't different models and that I only had 4 miles to go in them.

    OMG, I also did 14ish today and felt the exact same way. My hot shower was better than....cake. And that's saying something :)

    Nice work on your run!!

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  3. How do you use daily mile to log the miles for different shoes.. You have my brain spinning. I use a notebook, BUT if there is a way on daily mile, please share!! That would make my life a little less cluttered!!

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    1. It's really easy to track on Daily Mile! The easiest way to tell you how is - When you add a workout, click on the "more detail" link at the bottom of the workout post. There will be an option to "attach gear". Click "new gear", name your shoe, enter the miles already on that shoe.
      Then, every time you log a workout, when you do the "more detail" option, that shoes name will appear as a button to click. DM automatically totals all the miles (plus whatever were on the shoe to begin with) each time you add a workout with those miles!

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  4. Too funny! I have a few models I rotate through and haven't had the shoe mix up issue. But wow, I love that hot shower!

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  5. See, now my black laces in one pair of one Launches not so silly......not that I know whether or not you thought that! I brought clothes today to change into after MIT since I was going to get a haircut and I had one blue sock and one pink. At least they were the same brand!

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  6. Laughing!!! You would be REALLY OCD if you matched up the 3 and 4 that you did NOT run in, and then went out to run the same mileage as the first 3 and 4 just so that your shoes would have the same number or miles on them!!!

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    1. I really, really, really considered it. HAHAHA!

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  7. So funny! Glad you had a great run:) I have a few pairs of running shoes, but only 2 are the same. Laces are different though, so that is how I tell:)

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  8. Luckily the shoes I wear come in multiple colour ways so I always purchase a different colour. That helps with not mixing them up! I have worn different shoes by accident outside of running though! I got to work and realized that I was wearing black loafers, they were just two different loafers. Oops!

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  9. I love the laces idea--and the numbers too! I too have several pairs of the same shoe in the same color. My husband says I'm the Imelda Marcos of running shoes, but I think there are worse people out there. Nonetheless, I don't like to mix them up and they're so expensive it's worth keeping track of the miles on them that way. Thanks for the idea!

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  10. So funny! I also rotate, but after my pregnancy I upped a shoe size, so now I have to slowly start rebuilding the shoe collection in a new size... Only back to two pairs now, of which the one is shocking pink and the other neon yellow. Would be hard to mix up those... :)

    P.S. Avery is getting so big! She's gorgeous!

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