Why Don't You Just...Stuff It!

Ever wanted to say that to someone? Or have you? Well, this blog post isn't about unleashing some built up resentment against another person, it's about a pretty nifty little product I got as a gift from my wife for Christmas a few weeks ago. It has worked like a charm ever since.

The product is called Stuffitts Shoe Savers. Click HERE to learn more about them.

As a newcomer to Oregon I found out that the nickname for Oregon's first sports teams was "Webfoots". The name originated from a group of fishermen from the coast of Massachusetts whose descendants settled in Oregon's Willamette Valley. When the University of Oregon was founded in 1876, "Webfoots" was the natural choice for the school's nickname, because of Oregon's reputation for wet weather. That eventually changed to the Oregon Ducks. So...in my opinion this inexpensive tool is almost a necessity for someone who lives and runs in the Pacific Northwest.

It's very simple: 1) You run. 2) Your shoes get soaked. 3) Get home and take off shoes. 4) You insert Stuffitts. 5) Repeat.

When I first started running my buddy Harland showed me a little trick to dry out very wet running shoes. You just save all newspapers in your front closet. When your shoes are extremely soaked you just crumple up newspapers and stuff them into your shoes. Voila! The newspaper absorbs all the wetness and the following day your running shoes are ready to go. While this is also a very economical and simple way to get the job done it just doesn't have the same benefits offered by Stuffitts.

Here's the difference: Stuffitts have an insert that consists of Aromatic Eastern Red Cedar that absorbs the wetness. So not only does it absorb the moisture very quickly but it leaves stinky trail running shoes smelling like the forest you just left. Trust me...guys and gals...your spouses, house mates, etc. will really appreciate this. That's probably why I was given it as a gift! ;o)

Here is a quick example of how effective this product proves to be:

You then replace the inserts every six months or so and your shoes keep their form, don't smell or have any bacteria growing in them. I can honestly say that I've put these in my Inov-8's in the morning after returning from a run and by the evening my shoes were completely dry. They're also great for traveling so you don't stink up your luggage with your wet, musty shoes.

Speaking of Inov-8's...I am expecting some new shoes arriving here any day. I will be getting a pair of the X-talons 212's, F-lite 220's, Roclite 295's, along with some F-lite 230's and Roclite 285's. This will be my rotation for 2010. I am also definitely looking forward to adding the X-talon 195's some time this spring or summer. I'm so grateful to be sponsored by such a solid trail running shoe company. I really believe in the philosophy and design of Inov-8 and excited to be part of the 2010 team.

That leads me into congratulating fellow Team Inov-8 member and friend Aliza Lapierre for tying another good friend of mine Jill Perry at the Bandera 100k this past weekend. Nice job ladies! Both of them earned a spot into Western States 100 and have definite shots at top ten out there in June.

I had another solid week of training but decided to back off a little this weekend due to a little arch pain. It's not anything major...in fact I can run pain-free but I don't want it to turn into anything...like plantar fasciitus! Thank you Gary for letting me borrow the "boot". I'm hoping this thing will be completely off the radar in the next few days.

I'm looking forward to heading up to the Olympia, Washington area (about two hours north) for the Capitol Peaks 34-miler on Saturday. It'll probably be a wet and muddy one...but I'm glad I have my Stuffitts!

Happy Trails! :o)