How a running shoe company saved my life
I hated to run, with a passion. This was the case for a very long time. In short, my hatred toward running originated from the sport of wrestling, which was my sport of choice and practice for nearly 18 of my first 21 years of life. Running was utilized as a weight-cutting mechanism, or as a form of conditioning.
For those unfamiliar with the sport of wrestling, its high level and seasoned athletes can be best described as “primal” or better yet “flat-out crazy.” Which, as you can likely imagine, leads to an unusually competitive culture. Said competitive culture most certainly spills over into any running that may be done – i.e. running as hard and fast as your body will allow, for as long as it will allow it – and, (secret time) I’m not what one would consider to be “fast.”
Running was a form of torture in my eyes, due to the way by which I’d perceived it and experienced it for so long. The thought of taking it on as a hobby – something used as a source of fun and enjoyment – was (quite literally) nothing short of insane.
Crossroads
At the age of 21, with my wrestling career in the rearview, I found myself drifting into a sea of uncertainty. Without any real direction for the first time in my life, I was struggling to find my way.
As I tried to salvage what I could from the dumpster fire that was my academic life at the given moment, the remainder of my being longed for something to commit to and to strive toward.
Eventually, in due time, such a guiding light presented itself. Something to pull me out of the hole I’d so graciously dug myself into. Of all things possible, running was the last thing on my radar – but, here we are, and this is how it happened.
Ego, I Guess
In May of 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic was just getting underway. Still struggling with the aforementioned uncertainty and monotony, I received a text from a good friend of mine which read “Let’s run every day for a year, and cap it off with a 36.5 mile ultramarathon.”
Excuse me, what?
Now, I must mention that said friend of mine is now an Army Ranger – pretty tough dude, if you ask me. I knew this at the time, just as I do now, and so it was only natural that I (on an absolute whim) reply with two simple words; “I’m in.”
What had I just gotten myself into? I hadn’t run more than a few hundred steps in well over a year. My body was in the worst shape it had seen to date – chronically sore back, knees ripped to shreds, and hip mobility? Forget about it.
All of what was just mentioned are a few of the factors which kept me sedentary for such a deal of time. I was broken, physically and mentally – or so I thought.
That said, in this moment, my body yearned for something. Something to cling to. Something that would change my life, for the better.
In short, as I crawled through this season of my life, without any real direction, I’d come to realize that my personality was addictive at its core, and naturally so. I was destined to become addicted to one thing or another. What would it be?
Let’s Back It Up
To rewind, ever so slightly, in order to offer some sort of preface – in December of 2017, at just 18, I lost my father, who was only 42 years old at the time. His life taken by an addiction to alcohol. His dad? Same story.
It was staring me directly in the eyes. The dark demons that lurk beyond the shadows of a lifestyle clouded with addictive substances. I couldn’t allow myself to spiral out of control – to make the same choices that had been made before me. If I was what I had (accurately) suspected, how could I channel it? How could I use it, for good?
Luckily, my good friend provided me with precisely what I needed.
What Now?
I’d now committed to the most out-of-character physical test of my life. There was no turning back. On June 1st, 2020, I began day 1 of 365 days of running.
The stipulations we’d set for this challenge were fairly simple: each day must be completed by running a minimum of 2 miles. This must be completed each day, until, of course, on the 365th day – we would run 36.5 miles to “celebrate” the accomplishment.
Day one was in full swing, and I was ready to get things started. Anxiously prepping myself, I laced up my old cross-country training shoes from high school. A shoe that had been worn and torn for many years by this time. A pair with holes on both sides of both shoes.
It was time to go.
I took off, with the goal of running 1 mile out on the county road nearby where I was living at the time. Once I’d reached the 1 mile-marker, I’d turn around and head back home. Two miles in total, to kick off the year that lay ahead.
I was 1.5 miles in, and I was in rough shape. Huffing and puffing, struggling to place one foot in front of the other. Did I mention that I’d never been in worse physical shape?
After well over 20 minutes, I’d finished my two-mile trek – walking, dry-heaving and all.
I felt defeated. No, I’d never been a great runner, but, what was that? At this moment, I thought to myself “is this really what I’ve let myself become?” While simultaneously unsure of how I’d be able to repeat the same thing the following day, and the day after that – and for the next 362 days.
On day two, I thought I’d attempt the same route, in order to identify any possible progress. Progress? Who was I kidding?
This day had come and gone, leaving me with one particular conclusion – my body was truly beat up, and I was doing myself no favors. I’d decided that the first order of business was to find myself a good pair of shoes. My 5 year old cross country shoes were not going to cut it. In order to make it through a full year of running, I needed something better.
*Now, I’d probably better add that I am in no way compensated by the company named below. This serves as an honest and unbiased testimony of my use of their products, and their impact on my life as a whole.
Love at First Run
After a short bit of research, I decided on the company HOKA One One. They were goofy looking, with a massive stack-height, but seemed to offer exactly what I was looking for – something lightweight with an overly supportive sole that would (hopefully) provide me with the confidence necessary to continue on with this crazy challenge that I had so graciously accepted. A crazy challenge, however, that stood for a lot more than what was seen from the outside looking in. A challenge that held the potential for changing my life completely, forever.
At the time, while finishing up my last two years of college, I was working a couple of jobs to keep myself afloat. With only a few hundred dollars to my name, I invested $120 on my first pair of HOKA running shoes, the Clifton 6 model. Foolish? Maybe. Worth it? Without question.
I was excited to run, for the first time ever in my life. I arrived home, with my newly purchased shoes, laced them up and took off. I couldn’t believe the difference – not just physically, but mentally as well – that this pair of shoes offered me. After two consecutive days of struggling to finish two miles, I ran 3.5 miles, with little-to-no trouble.
Whether it was the shoes alone, or my mind entirely – or, what was most likely a mixture of the two – I was sold on HOKA running shoes.
A year later, on June 1st, 2021, I woke at 3:30 am to take on the 36.5 mile ultra marathon that I had committed to one year prior. I laced up what was then my third pair of HOKA’s in the year’s time, and started the journey from the very same spot I had begun day 1/365.
Roughly seven hours later, I completed my first ultra marathon distance run, completely solo. With the help of a few friends and family, I accomplished what I had set out for 365 days before. I was excited, I was proud, but most of all, I was addicted.
Present Day
Since my 365 day challenge, I have blown through countless pairs of HOKA running shoes, and continued to integrate the sport of ultra running into my life, allowing it to impact my life-choices for the better. Stronger metabolic health, smarter eating and drinking habits, much-improved mental health and many more benefits can be directly linked to my “addiction,” so to speak, to this craft. An addiction channeled into the best avenue possible.
Having completed a race as long as 100 kilometers in September of 2022 (In the HOKA Speedgoat, no doubt,) I’ve got my sights set on the 100 mile distance, with my first attempt coming up in September of 2023.
Amidst the thousands of miles run and thousands of dollars spent on running shoes, I’ve many times considered testing out other companies, because, why not? But, I continue to find myself drawn back into the company that provided me with the confidence and assurance to begin this journey in the first place. The shoe that kick-started my love and admiration for the sport of running, and helped to form me into the man that I am today. I’ve stayed loyal to HOKA because of all of these reasons, and perhaps most importantly, in many ways, because this shoe saved my life.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read. If you enjoy my writing, you can subscribe to receive email updates using the form below!
Forged in Fire 
Leave a comment