All the photo bloggers have gone "OT" or Off Topic!!!! I don't give a hoot about Electric Vehicles so I decided to write about my new shoes...

 

These are my new, Hoka Stinson 7, trail running shoes.

In 1976 I bought my first pair of Nike Waffle Trainers. There were a revolutionary new running shoe. My girlfriend and I were seriously into running at the time. It was easier, we were 21 years old; almost bullet proof. Most days, after class at UT, we'd run several miles down to the hike and bike trail that ran around Town Lake, do the five mile loop and then run back to campus. Rain, heat, even snowy days didn't feel like an impediment. The shoes helped. And in the next few years we'd wear out a pair about every six months and go back for more. It was delightful. And shoes seemed cheap then...

Now I am 69 and I've spent the intervening years mixing up swimming and running. I'm a better swimmer now and at the same time a much worse runner. It's probably because I swim six days a week, have much swimming social support and the guidance of world class coaches. When I run I mostly go out by myself and am most motivated when the pool is closed or my schedule mercilessly precluded making it to swim practice. The horror!

Over the years I've tried a lot of different running shoes. I don't run on soft tracks, I don't run long marathons anymore. Most of my running is a really a slow slog around the 4 mile loop at the lake. I mostly run around the lake because the trails are well maintained, there's a lot of shade from big trees, and if I misjudge the heat or my ability to handle the heat I can hop into the water at the first sign of weakness/distress. Plus, the trail is always well attended so if I do get into trouble, say on a 100° run, there's always someone running by with a phone who could call 911. But it hasn't happened yet so I think I must be a good judge of my own limitations. 

My last pair of running shoes were Asics. The one's before that were Nikes. But recently it seems that every single fit person in Austin is sporting a pair of Hokas. And in so many colors. I swim a couple times a week with a guy who is just turning 62. He just came back from climbing yet another 14,000 footer in Colorado. A couple years ago he did the Alcatraz swim. Last year he and his sons climbed Mount Kilimanjaro. He's something I am not. He's a hard core triathlete. So, when I decided this morning that I needed a new pair of running shoes if I'm going to continue the twice weekly schedule of running, I asked his recommendation. For competition he recommended Hoka Bondi 9s. For trail running (my speed) he suggested Hoka Stinson 7s. 

My friend runs the five mile trail at least three times a week and his mile per times are something like eight minutes a mile. My times are on the other side of ten minutes a mile. Memory is a harsh bitch as I can still remember clearly, in 1976-77, being able to hold a six minute pace per mile. Not anymore. Not by a long shot...

After our Saturday morning swim workout I went to our local REI with a pair of old running socks shoved into the pocket of my short pants. Gotta have familiar socks if you are testing new shoes. I tried both of my friend's recommendations and settled on the Stinson 7s. They have a wider toes box and a larger heel spread along with ample shock absorption. I put on a pair and walked around the store. They are definitely a different concept than I am used to with a higher arch and heel cup but they were comfortable from the get go. 

I think running shoes are like swim goggles in that everyone has a different favorite. Everyone is configured differently so trying stuff on as opposed to mail ordering stuff blindly is usually the best way to go. Ditto for the feel of cameras or the welcoming or dis-welcoming nature of a camera interface. 

The price at REI for the Hoka Stinson 7s is $175. I'm sure I could have spent precious time "researching" (which in this context means "price shopping") the best offer on the web but I think REI should get the sale since they had the shoes in stock to try out and to wear around the store. I think it would be despicable to try on the shoes at REI and then to duck out and order them online to save a bit of cash. But that's just me. 

Saving money buying cheap running shoes is a false economy. Your feet will punish you for your parsimonious behavior!!! Tighten the belt and choose the good stuff.

The Hoka shoes have a lot of shock absorbing padding in the heel area. It's nice and comfy. It's too hot for me to go out and run this afternoon after lunch. It's predicted to be 98° with a heat index of well over 100° Fahrenheit. I'd need to be running from fountain to fountain with a stop at the showers at each far point of the loop. I'm not up for that today. I've already done my yardage in the pool and I'll be out for a walk a bit later. But tomorrow morning, after swim practice, I intend to give the new shoes a test run. Just three or four miles and nothing fancy. But enough to see how I like the new shoes. 

When you stop moving you start accelerating the aging process. Not something I want. 

Rather read about EVs? MJ has you covered. And he'll explain to you how you can get your own "gas station" at home. And, theoretically, how much money you can save.  I think I'll stick to the shoes...   Tomorrow maybe the spirit will move me to discuss various hiking boots I've bought recently. It's surely a universal topic amongst photographers. After all we're always going somewhere. 

Why would I care one way or another about footwear? Because I spend a lot more time using shoes than I do using cameras. I might as well get the gear side of shoes down just right. Your mileage WILL vary.