No not which pair of shoes is most appropriate for todays run but this is a stab at my current dilemma.
I've just completed my first season as a fell runner (M30+) nothing special but starting to get into the top 40/50 ish of the bigger local events. I've not completed at a national event yet. Next year I might even start a training diary (mostly to see if my good days/bad days have a pattern).
The club I am currently a member of is based around a derbyshire town and mostly into road running - something which is far too dull (all those flat bits!) and too painful on my soft feet (once a week seems to prevent injuries). I'll run a sub 40 10k next year just to prove I can and might even go for a sub 1:30 half just so I can tick them off the 'todo' list.
Often I turn up at fell races and I'm regularly the only club member so often don't wear the club vest so that I don't draw too much attention to myself (Billy of No-Mates not Bland fame !). I look enviously towards people huddled in small groups of matching tops, chatting away before the gun. There is one other club member who occasionally appears, a MV40 who usually finishes and a minute ahead on my good days. He and one other club runner are the last two in the club faster than me. Am determined to change such matters in the not too distant future - I've improved about 10% a year, for the past two years - although I don't much like front running - I always go off too fast and suffer later (surely its the only way too run?).
I look towards the brown and striped vest of the Dark Peak and think - too many, just another nameless vest for I will never be in the top 10. There are a number of other clubs locally (within an hours drive) buxton, matlock, north derbyshire, totley, the ubiquitous DFPR, pennine (at a real stretch), white peak (a fell running myth surely?). I do the OMM (still trying to find a semi competitive non broken partner to do this with), I like the idea of doing a BGR, High Peak Marathon, Saunders(dry feet?), LAMM, Dorset Round and other slightly left-field activities (longer and sillier the better - if the event doesn't cause me to wonder 'why' at least once I'm not that interested). Would also like to do some of the more renound fell races (ben, 3 peaks etc)
Any suggestions, all thoughts and opinions welcome.