Sometimes, when you love something, it’s hard to see how old and worn out it’s become. You remember the good old days when everything was new and full of energy, and you stubbornly cling to the thought that the aging decline is just your imagination. Surely there are a couple more good years left, aren’t there??
Thankfully, I’m not referring to my pets or my husband here, but rather a few pieces of my running wardrobe that seem to have outlived their usefulness.
I was getting ready to run yesterday and pulled on my favorite pair of long run socks, only to notice this:
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| Yes, that’s a hole in the toe of my five-toed socks. Yes, I am wearing silver toenail polish. And, yes, I took three different photos to be standing EXACTLY in the center of the tile and to frame the shot evenly. Because OCD. |
Actually, I’ve been noticing that hole for the last several weeks and trying to ignore it. I love these socks! I’ve worn them to run 50-milers:
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I’ve worn them in all kinds of conditions on training runs:
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| Muddy day. |
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| Sunny day. |
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| Creek crossing day. |
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| And gorgeous long run with UltraIronHubs day. |
Along with my braids, they’re a race day staple:
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| Turkey Trot! |
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| Modesto Half Marathon. |
They’ve seen some very happy finish lines:
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| Yay, CIM! |
And they’ve taken a tumble (or two):
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| It’s okay, I’m fine. |
The thing is, when I love a piece of running gear, I really, really love it! And tend to wear it into the ground. There was the yellow shirt that I wore All. The. Time. from 2010 through 2012 (RIP yellow shirt):
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| Modesto Marathon 2010 |
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| Modesto Marathon AGAIN. |
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| Run for Independence 2011. |
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| CIM 2011. |
I still wore that shirt for another year, but stopped wearing it to races because I didn’t want people to think I only owned one shirt. Of course, when I retired that one, I promptly replaced it with another yellow shirt:
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| Awwwww, look at how bright it used to be. |
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| And look at how little Little Boy used to be (I’m looking him straight in the eyes these days). |
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| It’s a fabulous layering piece to wear all winter long. |
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| Or perfect for a hot summer day. |
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| And it appears frequently in my YouTube workout videos. |
I think I am maybe sort of possibly ready to think about giving away (not throwing away – surely somebody who shops at Goodwill will want my slightly holey socks and mildly frayed Yellow Shirt #2) a few items out of my running drawer. Which, of course, means I get to go shopping – yay!
What say you, internets…
Well, you certainly got your wear out of them! Yes I hold on to running clothes too long. I did toss the tank I wore at Flying Pig that had a bizarre black stain though. This Friday’s runfessions will include some coming clean on this very subject.
Great minds, girl!! Looking forward to reading about it. 🙂
That whole isn’t big enough to throw those socks…
Agreed! I’m hanging on to them a little longer. 🙂
#1: I’m also wearing silver toenail polish…woo hoo!
#2: I’m a running gear hoarder and I have a hard time parting with stuff (oh the memories!) and it usually has to reach a level of STANK before I get embarrassed enough to give it up.
Exactly! (says the gear hoarder)