This post is rated Sprinters, Olympians and Ironman.

If you’re like me, you give up on your running shoes way too soon. Up until now, I would’ve said that that was bad thing…

The fact of the matter is that running shoes today are very well-made and can easily last for up to 1,000 miles. Of course, your individual running style will greatly influence the time you have with your shoes. If you run 5 times per week, your shoes probably won’t last as long as if you only run once or twice.

Be that as it may, I wanted to share a project that I have been working on with my running sponsor, Newton Running. At the beginning of the year, I had a vision to provide running shoes to inner-city schools in the Nashville Metro area.  To kickstart this mission, I reached out to my friends in the endurance community and asked them to donate their “gently-worn” running shoes. My preference was that these shoes be Newton running shoes, but I certainly did not turn any away. The response I got was overwhelmingly positive and I am thrilled to report that we were able to outfit an entire cross country team (both girls and boys) with Newton running shoes for the 2014 season.

The purpose of this post is to remind you of how truly blessed you are! You are blessed so that you too can be a blessing. I would encourage you to consider “recycling” your current pair of running shoes by identifying someone in your area that you know would benefit (even more than you) from having your shoes. You will be left with an incredible sense of goodwill and the person you blessed with your running shoes will receive a gift that was completely unexpected!