I know everyone will tell you what the proper technique is in running and that your shoes should last you for 300 to 600 miles or 3 to 6 months or until you can fold the shoe in half or . . . see where I’m going? Basically there is no one true answer and you have to do what is best for your body, if the shoes you’re in are causing injury it’s obviously time to move on!

My old faithfuls finally laid to rest. 3k+ miles

I’m not going to get into that though, this is more a tale of two shoes and the crazy amount of miles and adventures I’ve put them through. These Brooks Racer ST 4s first made their way to me in the summer of 2009. At that time, I was making the transition to a toe/mid foot strike as opposed to a heel strike like I had while running in my Brooks Adrenaline GTS. I slowly made the transition and eventually used the ST4 as my daily shoe. This is the way to do it, don’t just buy Newtons and think your calves won’t rip in half from the new strain they’re under. The transition to a forefoot strike needs to be gradual and this is something Keith Olbermann needs to learn.  Back to the ST4s though.

These shoes have well over 3,000 miles on them and they held up well. I’m sure Brooks would be both glad to know that their shoes are working well and maybe mad that I’m showing I only had one pair for almost 2 years! I know this won’t work for most people but the shoe essentially acted only as a barrier between my forefoot and the road, none of the posting or support was needed anymore. I will continue to run the roads in Brooks and as soon as the Pure line comes out, I’ll be on the trails in those as well.  I have run races, trails, roads, long runs over 30 miles and have bled on them more than once (as seen in the pic above, the dark spots around the toes). I’ve never had another shoe last this long.

Being a part of the Mile High Track Club through the Boulder Running Company – Denver Tech Center, I get a good amount of free gear from Brooks since they’re our sponsor. One thing I did look forward to was rocking a new pair of the ST5s that just came out. Bright orange and blue. Can you say Broncos fan? I will be glad to see the old shoes retire but the new pair are ready to rock!

The new hotness! Love these shoes

If you’re looking to move towards a light yet sturdy shoe but still need a little support, the Racer ST line is a good bet. Whether you use them as a daily trainer or a racing flat for longer races it’s worth giving them a go!

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This was also pretty cool. Last month’s copy of Colorado Runner Magazine came out the same day I was in at BRC-DTC and a few of the guys working said, “You guys are all over this magazine!”. I had no clue what they were talking about but when I turned around, and saw the magazine rack, it was pretty obvious what they meant. Ryan H. was rocking his first cover shot and there is a good color photo of us leading out the race at Canyonlands in Moab, Utah in March. Always fun seeing the Mile High Track Club pop up, especially since the team is so new.

Herzog blazing at Canyonlands 1/2

Dan, me and Ryan leading the charge in Moab