Day 3,715: The 500th Mile: Nike Free RN Distance

My first pair of Nike Free RN Distance shoes, after 500 miles.

I've been on a quest to find light, low-drop running shoes ever since I ran in the Saucony Kinvara 5 in preparation for the 2014 Marine Corps Marathon -- and didn't like how my feet felt when I stepped on a rock while wearing them.

When I bought these shoes I immediately loved what I had -- a light, low (4 mm) drop shoe that seemed ready to rock right out of the box. It was versatile for both running solo and stroller runs in the neighborhood. The Lunarion cushioning is great and I don't fear stepping on rocks in the park anymore. (Sometimes small bits of gravel will get stuck in the hexagon-shaped sole).

At some point last summer when I was training for the Chicago Marathon I injured my right heel and it made it unpleasant to run in these shoes. Even in September when I was testing various shoes for Mizuno I thought that these shoes were too light for me and that I might be better off with the Lunar Glide.

But after that, the shoes really grew on me. Maybe it was because I was no longer running higher mileage or high-mileage races. They seemed to improve as I got closer to 500 miles and are light enough (8.8 ounces for size 10) that they are my go-to shoe whenever I need to travel. I even thought about racing a 5K in them but really don't like the idea of doing so with a shoe that has so many miles.

I have a second pair of the RN Distance that I bought last fall, before my heel injury and am looking forward to continuing running with it. My newly retired pair likely will be stashed in my weekend bag (replacing an older pair of Skechers Go Run Ride 4s that will go to donation) for short getaways.