Today I donated my old running shoes to the Running Room. It was a sad day because I'm a sentimental person and they each meant something different to me.

So here is an ode to my trusty running shoes:

Pair #1
My very first pair of Nike Pegasuses! This is where it all began! In these shoes I learned how to run. I went from 3 minutes to 5 minutes to 10 minutes then 15 minutes straight. I went from 1KM to 2KM to 3 then 4 then 5KM. These were my my trusty pair or running shoes that got me through my summer in Banff. Every day I would finish work tired and stressed out and sad so I would put on my trusty Pegs and go for a run. Despite the crappy work situation I was in, I'll never forget the joy of running through the town of Banff in the evening. (I almost ran into a deer once, he was eating grass from someone's front lawn).

Pair #2
I will remember this pair most of all because of all the times I went running with Kristen (CHEEKOCRHISTMAS). In rain, sleet, snow and even some nice weather in between we would meet up at the mall between our houses and go for our runs together.

Pair #3
I was out running in Pegs #3 one day when I decided to run a half-marathon. I had 12 weeks to train and I signed up for a run at the end of May. It was in these shoes that I stretched my distance from a comfortable 10KM to 12, then 15, then 18. I did some of my longest and hardest runs in these shoes and I owe them a debt of gratitude for being the great workhorses they were.

Pair #4
Eventually Pegs #3 got worn out and I had to replace them. I ran both my half-marathons in my Pegs #4.

Pair #5
Ok I hated pair #5! They were a different brand and they made all my runs painful and tiring. Eventually I went back to alternating between #3 and #4. I'm not sad to see those go.

Right now, I'm on my 6th pair of running shoes. They are the same trusty brand I bought before which I now have to get on e-bay because they don't make them anymore. Getting them off e-bay and having to wait a bit longer is worth it to me. My Nike Pegs are the most important part of my running.

Hopefully my beloved running shoes can now be enjoyed by someone less fortunate than me. I hope they experience the support, the dependability and the joy of wearing these wonderful (if slightly worn out) shoes.

Cheers to Pegs 1,2,3,4 and now 5!