Obituary for my running shoes

Red_running_shoesThey were purchased with the expectation of a triumphant performance in the Marine Corps Marathon of 2010 that wasn’t meant to be. But they continued on over the next 95 weeks, plodding through 101 runs and a total of 632 miles. Among those runs would be three more marathons, including a triumphant PR at the OBX Marathon in 2001. A record that stands to this day and is unlikely to ever fall.

Already slated for retirement, they untimately failed. Worn soles, inside and out, and an exposed tack revelaed thier ultimate deterioration, fighting back against the feet they had carefully carried through so many miles.

A memorial service was held at their interment in the kitchen trash. Both my feet, left and right, were in attendance to pay their respects. Other survivors include thier frequent partners, four different pairs of running socks, a runner’s id/wallet velcro’d securely to the right shoe’s laces, and numerous timing tags carried through more than a half dozen races.

Farewell my running shoes, you’ve run your last mile and crossed that big finish line in the sky!

Walk Hard 3.5 – Manassas Gap to Ashby Gap

This was the sixth hike overall on a quest to hike the entire Virginia portion of the Appalachian Trail. Why then do we call it Hike 3.5? It’s complicated, but trust me that it makes sense. Having completed Shenandoah National Park, we now have a 54 mile portion of AT in Virginia that is north of SNP leading to Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia to complete and we have so far taken two day hikes to begin working on those miles. Yesterday’s hike was one of those. This fall we’ll continue southbound, entering central Virginia and going on a multi-day backpaking hike along the AT as it parallels the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Walk Hard 3.5 – Manassas Gap to Ashby Gap

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