AORTA News: December 1st, 2025

Upcoming Races This Week!

Active Auburn Jingle Jog & Santa Stroll 
- When: Saturday, December 06, 2025
- Time: 6:30 AM (1-Mile), 7:00 AM (5K)
- Where: Toomer’s Corner, Downtown Auburn
- Fee: $20 (Fun Run), $30 (5K) 
           *Prices increase after November 26.
- Description: The Jingle Jog 5k and Santa Stroll Fun Run are here again – so pull out those Santa hats and ugly sweaters! Join Active Auburn on Saturday, December 6th at 6:30 a.m. as we ring in the holiday season in style! The Santa Stroll Fun Run (1 mile) will begin at 6:30 a.m. at Toomer’s Corner and the Jingle Jog 5k will begin at 7:00 a.m. at Toomer’s Corner.

Candyland Christmas Half-Marathon & 5K
- When: Saturday, December 06, 2025
- Time: 7:30 AM (Half-Marathon & 5K)
- Where: Andalusia, AL
- Fee: $35 (5K), $60 (Half-Marathon)
           *Prices increase after December 5th.
- Description: Run through Christmas in Candyland—think custom kid-size cottages, giant decorated trees, snow machines, and more. The course starts near Springdale Estates, rolls through historic neighborhoods with moderate hills, and finishes in full holiday cheer. All finishers get a super-comfy Christmas-themed shirt and a medal. Bring the family, race, then spend the weekend enjoying Candyland!

Race Volunteers Needed!
As a runner, we know your time is valuable. But if you have a couple hours to spare, we could use your help for one of the upcoming AORTA supported or directed races! Assisting at a local race is a fun and rewarding experience. You are surrounded by health conscious individuals that, like you, are motivated fitness enthusiasts and appreciate the effort of volunteers.

Interested? Email aortarunningclub@gmail.com to learn more!

Upcoming Local Race

Auburn Toys for Tots 5K/10K and Fun Run
- When: Saturday, December 13, 2025
- Time: 8:00 AM (1-Mile), 8:30 AM (5K/10K)
- Where: Wrights Mill Road Elementary
- Fee: $20 (1-Mile), $35 (5K), $45 (10K)
  ** Prices increase after December 2nd 
- Description: Mark your calendars and start the holiday season in a festive mood with a 10K, 5K, or 1-Mile!  All participants are asked to bring a new, unwrapped toy. to be distributed to children in need. This year, Toys for Tots donations are especially important. the weak economy has caused many to lose jobs, be furloughed, or be forced out of work for long periods of time. Families in these difficult situations desperately needed a little extra holiday cheer this holiday season. The Toys for Tots race will help bring people together during the holidays. All participants who register online by December 1st will receive a souvenir festive t-shirt!

New Recovery Center in Auburn Opens Jan 2026

Looking to boost recovery, reduce soreness, and stay strong through all your training miles? Degree Wellness in Auburn—opening soon in January 2026—offers runner-focused services like whole-body cryotherapy, cold plunges, and Normatec compression massage, all designed to ease inflammation, speed muscle recovery, and improve performance. Their wellness options help you rebound faster from long runs, stay consistent week after week, and feel better heading into race day. A great upcoming resource for any AORTA runner wanting smarter, more effective recovery.

https://www.degreewellness.com

Have Gently Worn Running Shoes?
Are your running shoes past their useful running life? Most are normally good for 300 to 500 miles but can still have a lot of “sole” left in them!  If yours are ready for retirement, bring your gently used running shoes to Love2Run, our local running partner store, where they’ll collect them for a fantastic organization called “Sneakers4Good”, a social enterprise that ships them to developing nations for micro-entrepreneurs.

When you bring them, please check for the following:
1) Gently worn means they are clean in usable condition and have no holes.
2) Soles are intact and not too worn, cracked, or breaking apart.
3) Laces intact, in good condition, not frayed, and tied together.

Weekly Whimsy

How Often Should You Replace Running Shoes?
November 25, 2025, RunningState.com

That nagging ache in your knees. A strange foot soreness that wasn’t there last week. A general “meh” feeling on runs that used to feel easy. Sometimes the problem isn’t your training plan or recovery, it’s your shoes. But knowing exactly when to replace them—that’s where things get tricky.

We’ve all heard the classic advice: change your running shoes every 300–500 miles. But these days, with new materials, more shoe types, and varied running habits, that one-size-fits-all rule doesn’t really fit anymore.

The old 300-500-mile rule doesn’t work for everyone
The mileage rule was a useful benchmark when running shoes were more uniform in design. Now? Not so much. Max-cushioned trainers, carbon-plated racers, minimalist trail shoes—they all wear differently. Add in body type, gait, terrain, and how often you run, and it’s easy to see why Runner’s World recently called the 300–500 rule “outdated.”

Some shoes might last well beyond 500 miles. Others lose their bounce much sooner. Instead of obsessing over numbers, pay attention to how the shoes feel underfoot.

Your habits can change the rules
Shoe lifespan depends as much on how you run as how far. A light runner who trains on grass will get more life from a shoe than a heavier runner on concrete. Doing speedwork or hills adds more wear than easy miles.

Using your running shoes for everyday errands? That counts too. Walking compresses midsoles and wears the outsole, even if you’re not clocking miles in Strava.

Rotating between two pairs not only extends shoe life, it can also reduce injury risk by varying foot loading patterns.

What your body’s telling you
Your body is often the first to raise the red flag. If your usual routes start to feel hard, or you’re feeling sore in new places (especially the knees, shins, or hips), it could be your shoes. Midsole foam compresses over time, and once that spring is gone, your joints take more of the impact.

Another cue: subtle changes in your stride. If you catch yourself landing differently or favoring one foot, your shoes might be pushing your form out of balance.

A new pair test
Not sure if your shoes are truly done? Find a new pair of the same model (or something similar) and try them on. If the difference in cushioning and fit feels like night and day, your current pair is ready to retire.

Visual checks that matter
Some signs of wear are obvious—holes in the upper or rubber worn smooth. But others are more subtle:

• Your shoes slump or tilt when placed on a flat surface
• Deep creases in the midsole sidewalls
• The heel collar feels stiff, or has lost its shape
• You need to tighten laces more than usual to feel secure
• Don’t wait until the outsole looks like a bald tire. By then, your legs have probably already paid the price.

How to track usage
You don’t have to log every mile obsessively, but it helps to have a rough idea. A few simple methods:

• Write the date of first use on the inside tongue or box
• Link your shoes in a running app that tracks mileage
• Set a 3–4–month calendar reminder for a quick shoe check

Even casual tracking helps avoid the trap of running in worn-out shoes just because they “still look okay.”

Final thoughts: Comfort over numbers
At the end of the day, shoes are tools. When they stop doing their job—absorbing impact, supporting your stride, and making running feel smooth—it’s time for a new pair. Don’t cling to them out of habit or nostalgia. Your body knows before your tracker does.

There’s no single number, but there is a simple rule: if your shoes don’t feel right anymore, they probably aren’t.

https://www.runningstate.com/how-often-should-you-replace-running-shoes/

Link to article: https://tinyurl.com/ff39y3km

Quote of the Week

    Running reminds

    me even in my

    weakest moments,

    I am strong.

                      Anonymous

Video of the Week

I Cheated A Marathon Using An Exoskeleton (17:31)

We have batteries for bicycles... is this the next step for running?

** AORTA provides this informational video to its members as a courtesy and does not endorse any particular product, process, or service. 

Ongoing Events

RunGo For Turn-By-Turn Directions!
RunGo provides turn-by-turn navigation allowing you to just enjoy your runs without having to think about looking for street names and when you may have to turn next. Other great features include, audio cues with your running stats, split updates, the ability to share your runs via social media, and create new routes. Another great feature of the app is the ability to work offline. You can create and download your routes ahead of time, before your run so you don’t have to use data during your run.

Race Volunteers Needed!
As a runner, we know your time is valuable. But if you have a couple hours to spare, we could use your help for one of the upcoming AORTA supported or directed races! Assisting at a local race is a fun and rewarding experience. You are surrounded by health conscious individuals that, like you, are motivated fitness enthusiasts and appreciate the effort of volunteers.

Water Stop Volunteers Needed
Water stop signs and coolers are available at the following location: 1536 Professional Parkway, Auburn, AL. (Thank you Adahli Massey!). Coolers and signs can be picked up Monday-Thursday from 8AM-4PM and on Fridays from 8AM-12 noon. Items are in the room next to the back door. If you are unable to pick up supplies on these dates/times, e-mail clemster@aol.com to make alternative arrangements (we deliver!).

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