Saturday, November 22, 2008

Winter-proofing my Running Shoes

Ice is back on the roads and sidewalks. I hate ice. But there IS ice (and snow) on the ground and I DO have a 10k race tomorrow. Desperate times call for desperate measures so I decided to use a technique I've read about on a few web sites.

WARNING: If your shoe has the words GEL or AIR in their name, be VERY careful where you place the screws.

I've inserted a number of hex head metal screws in the sole of my shoes. I tried them on the sidewalk in front of my house (well, my neighbour's since MY sidewalk is scraped clean!) and traction was vastly improved. Running on regular surface was a bit noisy but seemed to be fine.

So tomorrow morning, if the race officials tell us that there is ice on the course, I will wear my studded shoes.

2 comments:

Jamie said...

Damn. That is hardcore JD. Have you ever tried YakTraks? I've never used 'em, but it sounds like it does the same thing without ruining a pair or shoes.

JD said...

Jamie, I saw the YakTraks at the store but they look clunky. The screws cost me close to nothing and if they fall off, I just screw new ones in. In the Spring, I'll remove them and the shoes are fine.