Happy Tuesday guys! I’m going to start things off by saying please go out and vote today. This isn’t a political blog and I’m not going to sit here and make you read all about my political beliefs but please vote today. It WILL make a difference.
I’ve received a few running questions via e-mail/comment in the last week or so and I thought it might be helpful to address them in a post. If my answers don’t do it for you or you have other questions (running or non-running related) don’t hesitate to e-mail me at runningthewindycity[at]yahoo.com!
How often do you buy new shoes?
Unlike many runners I don’t have a set number of miles that I log on each pair of shoes, I just wait until one day when I go out for a run and my shoes feel broken down. It’s pretty crazy because it will seem like they broke down overnight. Depending on how much I’m running and if I’m training for anything, I’d say this happens about every 3 months– more if I’m running higher mileage weeks and less if I’m not. I also don’t rotate shoes like many other runners. I keep one pair as my main shoes and one pair as back-ups (this may change this winter though– more on that later if it does).
What do you do with your old shoes?
Generally I hang on to my old shoes until I hear of a shoe donation event (remember Give Your Sole?) and then I scrounge around my apartment for my 10 pairs and donate them. Unfortunately I haven’t found a running store in the Chicago area that regularly does shoe donation but I’m always looking for more options. If you know of one or better options please let me know by leaving a comment or shooting me an e-mail.
Have you ever thrown out a pair of running shoes?
Not to my knowledge. I still have a zillion pairs at my mom’s house and when I was living at home she would often take my old running shoes and use them as ”yard shoes” (mowing the lawn etc.).
How do you only take 1/4 of a gel at a time without getting sticky?
First I’m going to say that I’m far from an expert on fueling during runs. In fact, I only started using gels about 3 weeks ago (I ran my other marathons on a mix of shot bloks and dried fruit).I also have a sensitive stomach and have been too afraid to pound an entire gel at a time. So here’s what I do, after I open the gel and take 1/4 of it, I smooth out the top so that there is no more gel left in it. Then I fold the packet over and place the gel in a tight pocket in either my running jacket or my running tights. Last Sunday I wore my lululemon aphrodite pants that have a small key pocket right over the hip, it was the perfect size to hold my gel. Sometimes my hands get a little sticky but smoothing out the top of the gel seems to help prevent too much stickiness.
(source)
What do you wear when it’s cold and you go out for a run in the morning?
Honestly it depends on how cold it is. If the weather is in the 20′s or 30′s I layer up with a long sleeved shirt tech shirt and sometimes an under armour shirt as well. I will also wear a running jacket, tights, socks, gloves (sometimes two pairs), and something over my head/ears like a headband or a hat. If it’s a bit warmer I may wear a short sleeved shirt under my jacket and crops. It all depends! I will suggest that if you’re running in the dark that you wear reflective gear and if it’s not well lit you consider a blinking light and/or headlamp.
I actually wrote a post on winter running gear last year and you can read it here and there were some great discussions on this post about running in the dark.
Now it’s your turn: what do you do with old running shoes? What do you wear running in the morning?
Gr8 post! I’m such a child when it comes to cold weather running so I wear 3x the amount of layers as you.
And then regret it .25 miles in to my run.
kelsey recently posted..Back to RPM
That’s the worst! It happened to me on Sunday and I kept trying to pull up the sleeves of my coat to cool off. I was a hot mess… literally.
haha i was wondering the SAME thing about if your gels got sticky or not! i get sticky enough and i house a whole one at a time
when i run in the cold i do the same thing that you do – i just layer up like a champ! i like being able to take off and put back on layers if i need to. i actually like running in the cold once my lungs get used to it.
molly @ heart, sole & cereal recently posted..productive morning
I prefer running in the cold to running in the heat but I’m a weirdo like that!
If I get too sticky I just wipe my hands on my tights, they usually go in the wash right after anyway!
When we were spectating at a marathon this past weekend, my boyfriend saw a runner and was like “That guy had that Gu stuff all over his face.” haha. Yup – runner problems!
Sarah @ Blonde Bostonian recently posted..Ramblings of an Injured Runner
Haha did he miss his mouth??
Thanks for answering the 1/4 of a gel question. I think you are just talented. Seriously, this 1/4 gel thing baffles and intrigues me. I basically hold on to my running shoes until I find a donation event. And until my sister makes fun of me so much with buying ‘the same shoes’ that I can’t take it anymore. She isn’t visiting for awhile so I don’t have to worry about the sisterly emotional abuse for awhile.
Emily recently posted..Happy election day…tomorrow!
Yeah I definitely hoard shoes too! Someone below mentioned Fleetfeet taking donated shoes so maybe that’s a good option. I’ve never seen a sign there about it though!
I get really cold easily so I layer up. I sort of regret it after a mile into the run but I think over layering is better than not. I always put the date of when I purchased my running shoes so I remember roughly when I bought them.
Christina recently posted..F^3 Half Marathon trainining
Putting the date on shoes is a good idea.
I like to layer up but I’m miserable when I overheat!
Amen to the Voting…it doesn’t matter for who but do it. I don’t have a set number of miles that I decide it’s appropriate to buy new shoes. When they feel like crap or I noticed I’ve had a span of a bunch of not as good as I would like runs…I go buy more…
HollieisFueledByLOLZ recently posted..Opening Up About My Injury Part 2
That’s how I am too. Every pair is different and I can definitely tell when I need new ones!
Fleet Feet accepts shoe donations. Any type of shoe as well. So load up and haul them over there!
Leah recently posted..Five Facts Friday
Do they really? At both locations? I’ve never seen anything at the store but if they do that’s awesome!
Sometimes I take only a portion of a gel and I keep it in a plastic baggie. I also keep the “tab” closed over, but sometimes the heat of my body (so hot!) makes it all melty and sticky, so the plastic baggie is a good back up plan.
Sierra @ Posh Meets Pavement recently posted..Coconut Flour Pancakes
That’s another good idea. Is it a huge pain to keep taking the gel out of the plastic bag though?
Fleet Feet, Universal Sole, and The Running Institute all accept shoes for Share Your Soles, in addition to several other shoe stores in the area (http://shareyoursoles.org/charity/donate-shoes-chicago). The pair of running shoes I have right now is the first time I’ve had actual shoes designed for running, so I’m not entirely sure what I’ll do with them when it’s time to retire them. In the past when I’ve bought new tennis shoes my old shoes either became my junk shoes for when I had to do things where I knew my shoes would get dirty (like being a camp counselor) or would become my non-running workout shoes, but that was back when I always bought crosstrainers or other multipurpose shoes, not shoes specifically designed for running. I tend to run my junk shoes down to the ground before I get rid of them (we’re talking the soles are literally falling off), so they’re not exactly donate-able, but I’m sure my running shoes will still be decent enough to donate when I retire them.
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Awesome! Thanks for the link!
I feel like I hoard my shoes. I will either donate them, or toss em..or keep em in the garage..haha. I’m with you though, I don’t count the miles I just keep running in the shoes until I feel I may need another pair. When it’s cold out, I generally try to “tough” it out because I hate running in bulky clothes. Gloves are always a must though. I usually heat up pretty quick.
Gloves are a must even if they’re only worn for a few miles. I’m miserable if I start out with cold hands!
I’ve kept all my old running shoes! They all have some sort of weird sentimental value to me (I had those in high school, ran my first race in those, finished my first half marathon) and I can’t picture throwing them away. I guess I’ll have to at some point, though! I’ve been a wimp as far as running when it’s cold this year. Usually, I’ll wear UnderArmour leggings, and a double layer of tech shirts. I always wear mittens, and sometimes earmuffs depending on how cold it is.
I think I still have the pair of shoes I ran my first marathon in too so I definitely understand the sentimental aspect!
I have underarmour leggings too. They’ve always been one of my favorites AND I ran my first marathon in them
Lol I have so many old shoes… I need to figure out what to do with them!
Katie @ Peace Love & Oats recently posted..Last Chance!
Donate them! Apparently they take them at Fleet Feet!
I’m going through running shoes way to fast, and probably buying new pairs even faster
I wash my old running shoes and give them to Goodwill.
I’ve really got to work on FUELING while racing. It’s the thing I’m most nervous about while running my marathon in 3.5 weeks
I run in a tank and spandex Nike comp shorties, not a lot because I hate flowy fabric and it’s warm here. I’m dying while online shopping at Lululemon…all the new cute stuff is for winter. I want it! but I wouldn’t trade my temps for anything.
I hope your week is off to a great start!
xoxo!
I was always nervous to try gels while running but I’m super impressed with how well they work. There’s a reason people use them!! I try not to rely too much on them and only use them for longer runs but I’ve definitely seen an improvement in my later miles both in speed and energy level. I felt GREAT after my 21 miler last weekend. It’s worth playing around with to see if it works for you!
I always manage to get the Clif gel shots all over my hands when I open them while running. They need to design them better or I just need to learn how to actually function.
As for shoes, if they aren’t too gross or worn out I have a friend who teaches at a lower income public high school in Chicago and the track and cross county teams are always looking for donated shoes for their kids. Even worn shoes are better than the Keds or wrong sized shoes those kids have. If you want to donate them to her let me know.
I don’t usually run the AM but I run at night when it’s cold and dark. Last night I wore capris, a short-sleeved shirt and a long-sleeved shirt. About 2 miles into my run I was wishing I just had on a short sleeved shirt and arm warmers.
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I’ll definitely let you know once I’m done with my latest pair of shoes and have some to donate! I’d love to donate them to her.
As much as I don’t like being cold, I really don’t like overheating. It’s so uncomfortable!
I haven’t had much experience running when it’s really cold out, but when I run now I just wear a short sleeve shirt with a long-sleeve light jacket over that. I always wear gloves and a headband because I have really cold hands in general and the cold weather just makes it worse.
I used to use my old running shoes for regular gym shoes then everyday shoes, but now that I don’t wear tennis shoes on a regular basis anymore I’m collecting quite a few pairs. I need to donate them soon!
Alyssa @ Don’t Look Down recently posted..November Goals
You should donate them! No reason to keep a thousand pairs of shoes (unless they have sentimental value).
Did you end up signing up for the Illinois Marathon? I saw you posted that you’d signed up for one but I wasn’t sure which one you picked.