THE MUSINGS OF INTERN TIM
volume 5

Each summer at Big River Running Company we hire an intern or two to help us out with anything and everything at the store. This year our West County Intern, Tim Butterfield, just happens to be a writer and so we figured he could test our his skills by writing a few articles for the website. Here is his third piece...an article on Saint Louis Track Club's Cross Country Kickoff. For this article we decided to give you a glimpse of Tim as he checks out the race in the first picture below.

I'm a big fan of running shoes.  
Is it a fetish? Well, I'm inclined to say no. I look forward to each new pair of shoes I buy like I look forward to summer vacation, but I wouldn't call myself, or anyone else, a vacation addict. But I do know this much: I treasure each and every pair of running shoes I have owned throughout my running career. 

My friends laugh at me when my laptop's screensaver pops up, but I see nothing funny about it at all. In fact, I feel a rush of pleasant emotions when the photo slideshow of my retired and current running shoes flashes across the screen. I rush to tell the stories that I associate with each pair, but the room has usually emptied before I can finish a sentence. 

I've noticed similar patterns regarding responses to my enduring Facebook photo album entitled “My Running Shoes.” I haven't received too much online feedback about the album in which I take so much pride, but the few remarks I do get really brighten up my day when they pop up. Three people – my dad, a former assistant cross country coach, and a former teammate – have given the album Facebook's “like” feature, signified by a heartwarming thumbs-up icon. A few of my running buddies and former teammates have even taken the time to view my photos and tack on a few memory-sparking comments. Of course, this happens once every 6 months or so. 

I enjoy looking back at one string of comments between my good friend, Karlin, and me. Discussing a particular pair of shoes, our online conversation went like this: 

Karlin: the coolest shoes EVER… sad that they're gone…
Me :   they took me far, Karlin, they took me far. they were faithful til the end. they       
                kinda saved my life on that beach.
Karlin:  sounds like there is a story in there somewhere 
Me:  yes, but not one worthy of being typed. i'll call you soon 
Karlin:  i always love a good story. looking forward to your call!

And just like that, I had a running-themed phone date with a good friend, prompted entirely by a photo of my favorite pair of running shoes. 

A few days later, another friend – who unfortunately runs only to stay in shape, rather than for pure love of the sport – spotted the conversation and added, “Legitimately sentimental. About shoes?”  

Gosh. Some people, you know? 

Here's the thing. I'm a runner, and my shoes have carried me across thousands of miles. So is it THAT weird to feel a special connection with them? Some people name their cars because of the personal connections they feel to the vehicles that have taken them long distances. Well, why wouldn't a runner care just as much for the vehicle that has helped him travel along streets, trails, and tracks all his life? 

I remember every shoe I have ever owned and run in. Admittedly, having only started running two and a half years ago, I don't exactly have a million pairs to recall. In fact, I've only run in six pairs during that time. But I know that I'll remember those six pairs fifty years from now just as clearly as I do at this moment. Each pair of shoes has a significance that only I can appreciate, but my shoes have also provided me with plenty of memories that I can recall with others. 

My first pair: the Adidas Supernovas. A good pair of shoes, but the rigid stability plate just killed me, so I transitioned to a neutral shoe. From there, the good times began to roll…. 

The blue Brooks Glycerin 5s single-handedly healed all my nagging aches and pains within my first week of using them. They carried me through the cross country season and a few months beyond. When I upgraded to a new pair of the same shoe (in red!), the blue Glycerins became my everyday shoes. I wore them to school, to the movies, and to pickup basketball games. They continued to be a part of my life months after the cross country season wrapped up, finally meeting their end on the muddy beaches of the Meramec River. To hear that story, you'll just have to be in touch with Karlin or me. 

The red Glycerins took me through my first long-distance training regimen, as I built up all winter long for the 2008 Go! Saint Louis Half Marathon. I laced these shoes up before my first training run on January 29 th , and I was wearing them as I crossed the finish line on April 6 th . Shortly thereafter, they became my everyday shoes, which they remained until a few months ago, when I placed them in a shoe donation box for poverty-stricken African children. I'd like to think that those beautiful shoes are currently playing a role in the development of the next African marathon star. 

During the summer of 2008, I wore a pair of green Glycerin 6s while training for another half-marathon. They carried me several hundred miles that summer before reaching the point of retirement. I now wear them on long bike rides, since I don't need any tread on my shoes while pedaling. I like to think that by wearing them on long rides, I'm giving the Glycerins a glimpse of the high mileage they had once mastered. 

A pair of yellow Glycerin 6s carried me through my second half-marathon in personal-record time. I continued running in them during my first year of college, and I still keep them for everyday use and the occasional trail run as I enter my sophomore year. 

Despite having become a very dedicated Brooks guy, I decided a few months ago to branch out a bit. Besides, all shoe companies make great products – all that matters is finding a specific pair that feels good. Most shoe-technology scientists have spent time working for multiple companies, anyway. Keeping this in mind, I selected a pair of Saucony ProGrid Triumph 6s last March. They've served me extremely well during my spring and summer of low-mileage training, and they have brought me to the finish lines of several track workouts, time trials, training runs, and road races.  

My Triumphs have only accumulated about 100 miles thus far, so I'll be wearing them for a while longer. However, I have my next pair of shoes, the Asics Gel Nimbus 10, perched right beside the Triumphs, just itching to hit the streets at a 6-minute clip. I'm even starting to consider purchasing a second pair of shoes to keep beside the Nimbus 10s in my closet, so I can have two pairs of trainers during the school year. And wouldn't you know it, the Glycerin 7 is at the top of my list. 

In essence, I love my shoes because they have stuck with me through it all. They've carried me through the good runs and bad runs, through snow, rain, hail, and wind. They've endured Saint Louis summers and New England winters without ever uttering a single complaint. They have escorted me to class, formals, and practices. Each pair has served me faithfully until its time was up, at which point it has humbly adjusted to the quiet life of retirement. For their loyalty, I am grateful. 

Hopefully, many of you are now anxious to begin creating your own running shoe photo albums on Facebook. Maybe you're about to grab your car keys and head over to Big River to be fitted for a new pair of shoes.  

On the other hand, I'm sure that many of you have been laughing at me this whole time for my intense appreciation of factory-manufactured, mass-produced footwear. But if you have ever run a PR, experienced a runner's high, or finished a run feeling better than you had when the run began, I'd like you to look over at your shoes and at least thank them for making those moments possible.


Other Articles from Intern Tim:
All Star 5k
Big River Cross Country Camp
Saint Louis Track Club's XC Kickoff
Howl at the Moon (Drew's Ultra Race)

.............................................................................................................................................................................

SUPPORT THE STORE THAT SUPPORTS THE SPORT!

Big River Running Company
14059 Manchester Road
Manchester, MO 63011
636.394.5500

5352 Devonshire Ave
Saint Louis, MO 63109
314.832.2400