my nikes

What do you do with the most important pair of shoes you've ever bought when you can no longer wear them?

my nikes

These are the shoes that I started this journey in. They have literally been with me every painstaking step of the way. They were there when I was walking and speed walking and then when I threw in some jogging and then I took off running. And they were there when I ran my first mile under ten minutes and then when I ran a mile in seven minutes and thirty seconds and when I ran my first race. They've been inside on the treadmill and outside in the snow. They've done tons of Zumba and some Power Circuit Training with Jackie Warner and Extreme Cardio Burn with Bob Harper and some Insanity. They've traveled the streets around my neighborhood more times than I can count and they even made a brief appearance in my second home of Texas. Lord, when I think of all the things I have done in these shoes, the list goes on and on and on. I became a different person in these shoes. I lost 80 lbs. in these shoes. If these shoes could talk they would have quite the tale to tell.

They are worn in and worn out and it's time for them to go into retirement. My new shoes arrived this week. While a part of me feels like I am cheating on my first pair I think they're happy to see me move on. They were there to get me through this first chapter and now they wave me on to bigger and better things.

So, what do you do with the most important pair of shoes you've ever bought when you can no longer wear them?

Part of me envisions them hanging over a power line like you see in old movies.

But, let's be honest, I could never really do that. I'd miss them too much.

For now they will be my back up tennis shoes... the ones I can get dirty, take on hikes in the woods, work outside in the yard. But, one day when I have my own place with a sports room I see them in their own special trophy case of some kind. When people come over and see these unassuming shoes in the case and ask about them, I will get to tell them that those are the shoes I changed my life in.




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These are my new Nikes. I am really loving them. I had worn my old ones technically too long and there was no more cushion or support left in those babies. When I grew up money was tight so you wore your tennis shoes until you grew out of them or you put a hole in them. So, it wasn't until about a month ago that I realized I had overstayed my welcome in my shoes and they were worn out. Running in these new Nikes is a dream. Can't wait to see what is in our future.