On my run today I had this “mini revelation” about the old shoes I was wearing. I was running in a pair I had “retired” at least a handful of times. Now, I think I’ve realized a shoe is never truly retired until it’s thrown away, and at that point it’s like laying it to the grave.

I normally keep a few pairs in my car, as you just never know, but my go to right now was soaked from a previous run and all I had were a pair of old marathon trainers. After analyzing the tread, as if life or death, and thinking the cushioning was merely a slab of bricks, I threw em on and got going. Honestly, it was just a short quick lunch run. My only thought should have been GO!

What I received from this old shoddy pair of Mizuno Wave Rider 16s, in bright yellow, was a spring to my step and an ease to my mind. It was just what I needed on so many levels. Each time you put on a pair of shoes and go for a run you develop a deeper connection with them. I was brought back to the countless runs during my first marathon training, the ups and downs, the pain, the glory, and victory I felt over my body and mind. I grew as a person and runner in these shoes, and today they were still giving back to me, even after I deemed them retired and merely bum around shoes.

If your runs have been feeling a drag, try putting on an old pair, go for a run, or shall we say stroll, down memory lane, and feel pleasantly uplifted as they breathe (what may really be their last) life back into you and your run.