Have you been in Facebook groups where someone asks about what your favorite running shoe is? Or maybe your running friends admire your new kicks and want to know what they are.
The same running shoes can make anyone faster
I cringe every time I see someone asking other people which shoes they love. What they should be asking:
- Do you pronate or supinate?
- Do you wear a neutral shoe or need more stability?
- Do you like a lot of cushioning?
- Is running in zero drop shoes comfortable for you?
- Is your foot narrow or wide or normal?
- Do you wear insoles?
I could go on an on. Just because certain shoes makes one person speedy isn’t a guarantee that it will give you some pep in your step — or that you won’t end up with an injury.
If the fire is hot enough anything will burn
Dave McGillavray, Boston Marathon RD, has the story about how he believed this . . . until he needed heart surgery. Have you heard the saying garbage in, garbage out? Just sayin’. And for some of us, that fire just never gets hot enough in the first place (raises hand).
To get faster you have to run more
Maybe. Maybe not. There are a lot of fast people who don’t run a whole lot of miles. Then there are elite runners who do run all the miles (but they are basically outliers). There are as many ways to get faster as there are runners.
If you wear the race tshirt on race day you’ll trip, break a leg, and get hit by lightning
The subject given for this post was the funniest running myths you’ve heard. Probably the funniest one I’ve heard is that if a woman runs more than 800m her uterus might fall out. Thousands (millions?) of female runners have disproved that myth!
I couldn’t think of other funny running myths when I sat down to write, but as I was coming to the wrap up, the taboo about wearing the race tshirt on race day popped into my mind. I did a little looking around at blog posts on this very subject. No one actually had a bad luck story to tell from wearing the race shirt on race day, and of course you see it at every race. Usually the worst thing that happens is chafing.
I’m still going to say you have to earn that tshirt, so wear it proudly afterward and feel free to wear a shirt from a race you’ve already run during.
Did you come up with funny running myths?
If you wore the race tee during a race, did something awful happen to you?
How about running superstitions?
Linking up with Zenaida Arroyo and Kim @ Kookyrunner
This week I am also joining up with the new Runners’ Roundup linkup.
Chocolaterunsjudy 
Fire not got enough….I’ll raise my hand, too.
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Works for some people but still obviously can backfire in the long run.
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Oh yes, that’s a good one about the body being indifferent to what we eat (and when we eat). I used to have an elderly colleague at work who firmly believed that.
There is no way I could convince her that sugar, transfats & co. were unhealthy.
And I agree about the race shirts! I wore mine once and I got chafed, but didn’t break a leg! 🙂
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You just described my parents. Well they didn’t think sugar was healthy but they sure enjoyed it. My mom is diabetic for the last few years, now.
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Many runners wear the shirt at a race. I have done it too. Often I don’t because I don’t get until that morning or it doesn’t fit. But why not? Because someone says it’s bad luck. It is not.
Another is nothing new on race day. Great idea but if you do doesn’t mean it’s going to be a disaster. It could be the best idea.
I can’t is anotger. I’m too old. I’m too slow. I didn’t train well enough. If you want to, you can do it. Just do it. Adjust your time goal.
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I wouldn’t wear the race tee on race day for the simple reason I hadn’t earned it yet.
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I don’t consider the tee as a reward. I’d say half of the runners on Sunday were wearing the race tee. It looked cool in the photos. You paid for the race. You deserve the tee.
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The whole myth about running being bad for you knees is one that still hasn’t gone away, despite the literature that has shown that in fact running makes most people’s knees stronger because of building up the muscles that support the knees. The only caveat is if you continue to run with an injury that can do long-term or permanent damage to your knees.
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My mom definitely thought that when I began to run. Eventually she realized how good it was for me though!
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When I first started running I would buy my sneakers based on the colors that I liked. Obviously I really had no clue how to do the whole running thing, lol. It took pain and an injury to discover that noe everyone can wear the same types of running sneakers.
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Aww, sorry you had to learn that lesson the hard way, Kim.
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I have worn a race t-shirt for the race and nothing horrible happened.
How about the myth that running is a cheap sport?
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That is a good one! It can be, but even the shoes add up!
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LOL. Another reason not to wear that shirt is because it will be hard for your family/friends to spot you because so many others WILL be wearing it too. When you have same-day packet pick-up and get the shirt a few minutes before the race, it’s understandable that some just pull it on over what they’re wearing ….
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Very true Coco! And because I’m so short, it’s already really hard to pick my out from a crowd!
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I have never worn the race t-shirt during a race but I also don’t wear my running team’s one because I prefer my own t-shirt.
This didn’t happen when I was in the Navy team because I was proud of it!
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I’ve never worn the race tee during the race, at least not that I can remember!
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Chafing and New Balance’s inconsistent sizing are the main reasons I’m not likely to wear a shirt in the race. My favorite myth is probably that you’re doing something that needs fixing if a run doesn’t go well. Running, like life, isn’t linear.
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Oh yes, the sizing of race tees can drive you nuts!
Good one to add, Cari.
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