A funny thing happens when you hit the decade mark in terms of how long you’ve been competitively running. You become arrogant.
This is the boat I’m in. But before you start to judge, let me recoil by saying that I’m not supercilious in terms of race times or awards won (I’m simply not that fast). No, I’m arrogant in a nerdy know-it-all kind of way. My vice is that I think I know a lot; a lot about training methods, a lot about gear, and (of course) a lot about nutrition.
But the other day, I learned something; a fact that may be obvious to even the smallest child and perhaps every newbie runner. I learned that when you are getting ready for a run on a chilly day and you want to warm up your shoes, you should not place them by the fireplace. It turns out that while a blazing fire will quickly warm up your cold kicks, it will do more that just warm them. I made the mistake of placing my once-fabulous Brooks Ghost 3 by the fireplace and learned that, similar to certain kid’s pajamas, they are not fire resistant.
Following this episode I also learned another crucial running gear lesson; when your shoes melt a bit, the gait is never the same. But if you’re cheap like me, you’ll continue running in them anyway….
Stay warm my friends!
