Attention to Details
Off to the races chasing thoughts first thing this morning. Ahh, running shoes!!! My damn running shoes went for a run without me, after they were left on a sidewalk by me, after my run the other day. Funny enough, after returning to my car and taking them off, a thought popped up, that it was time to get a new pair of running shoes or at least get another set. This was to offset running in the same shoe over and over again, and from past experiences, having a set of different shoes to run in would be smart.
Well, after opening the trunk door to the back of my jeep, the first thing that my eyes and mind noticed was the open spot where my shoes would lay. My heart sank a little at that moment, and in my head, another thought pops up, now I need to get a new pair and break them in. Why was that the first thought? Who knows, but they were on the way out, the sides were tearing, and my insoles had collected more miles than recommended.
Now, the funny thing, is it was more about having to build confidence in the new shoes that will aid in building a strong and healthy body that will be needed to move over one hundred and five miles with twenty-one thousand feet of climbing mountains come June. A shoe is a tool, and most tools can be used for a lifetime, unfortunately, shoes that go on our feet, do not last a lifetime. The cool thing about shoes and something that has always stuck with me in giving insight into someone's personality and how someone walks is the shoes they wear. The shoe touches and goes everywhere you go, but just like every tool, if you have the incorrect one for the task at hand, then it becomes a bit less effective and efficient in getting the job complete.
Anyways, it is time for a pair of new shoes, and a new tool, and it is time to rebuild confidence in that shoe with a long run that is built into my training schedule for today. Let’s be completely honest, getting new shoes is exciting and terrible at the same time for those who run long distances, so many unknowns come with it, and uncertainty.
The shoe for me needs to be: breathable, fit snugly, give some space to splay the foot on contact, give me good stability from the ground up, and not too little or high of a heel drop/support. These little things matter when you will be wearing them for more than hundreds of miles per month and then they need to be ready to roll for race day and in prime peak condition. If the shoe has too many miles or not enough, there are a lot of red flags that can come with it. The shoe can be: stiff from not being broken in properly, wear and tear that forms imbalance leading to blisters, foot, ankle, knee, or hip issues. The stronger the foundation the stronger everything that is supported by that foundation remains and becomes.
The beautiful thing about learning the tools of the trade in running comes with a very minimalist thought process making the only thing you have to do is move your legs giving energy to your mind's ability to wander, leading to an onset of thoughts from deep inside, that they are chewed on and digested.
Losing my shoes and misplacing them is something that stings me a little and shows me a sign of short-term memory loss and lack of attention at that moment. A skill that my instructors engrained into me during the process of becoming a Recon Marine, was never to leave a target indicator as it is a sign of a lack of attention to detail. Our standard operating procedure (SOP) for each of us was to cover and sweep the area before leaving. This SOP kept us alive, kept us invisible to the enemy - our main goal was leaving no sign or trace of our whereabouts - that made us untouchable.
Yet, mistakes are unavoidable both in the lowest and highest of stressful environments. The lesson learn from misplacing my shoes turns into a reminder that attention to details matter in every aspect of life and when it comes to misplacing tools that are valuable to you, maybe pay more attention to how they are handled and never lose sight of the tool that helps relieve pain and suffering. My trail running shoes are a tool that gives me life, and this is a reminder to keep close attention to objects and things that give me life.
