I’m going to ask you to stick with me for a bit on this one, because I think it will be worth it. I’m going to chat a bit about running, and if you know a runner, you know we do like to chat about running… But I promise, I’ll get to the photography part of it all 🙂

Once upon a time, back in June of 2021, I re-began running. It’s something I did a fair bit in the before-kids times of my life, but hadn’t been able to pick back up again until that fateful month. I set myself up to spam my instagram stories with #sweatyselfie photos. It felt awkward and self-indulgent and completely weird, but it also created a sort of accountability loop for me. I even wrote a viewfinders post about these ridiculous-feeling photos.

Now, toward the beginning of this journey, I picked up a brand new pair of running sneakers. I put them on, they were bouncy and light and felt just like a proper Cinderella-situation on my feet. I started running with them and didn’t look back.

That is, until I started noticing that they were, indeed, getting a bit long in the tooth. Given my weekly-ish averages, I know I put at least 1,000 miles on these babies. And you’re not supposed to do that. Not even close. SO. I got some new shoes. I got brand new, pretty, fast, teal ones, and that means that these guys are done for.

I’m a person who has a bit of a hard time letting go of things, particularly if there’s some reason to be sentimentally attached to them, so the prospect of throwing out these shoes (that have literally no cushion left in them, a hole in the sole, dwindling tread…) was hard for me.

They’ve been sitting in my closet for the last month, waiting for me to let them go, and it dawned on me. There are so many other things – items, moments, memories – that I trust to photography. Why not these? So, I did something totally ridiculous. I gave my worn-out, old sneakers a photo shoot. I did up a glamor session, pulled the laces, and ceremonially dumped them in the trash.

And, you know what? I think I’m okay with that. So, here’s to the next 1,000 miles (over multiple pairs this time – whoops!).

All the best,
Alison