Saturday was our practice run of the St Jude course. Ashley, Paige and I merged in with Charles, LaDell, and Bruce for the back half of the course. This was the first time that I left my comfort zone and ventured away from my usual riverfront loop. Thus the name of this entry- URBAN RUNNING! Boy, was it. We ran a 13 mile loop around the city. Running on roads is tough on the hips/knees/ankles because the road is curved to allow for water drainage. Oh, then there was the 3 mile stretch where there was no sidewalk at all... you had 2 choices: run on a 1 foot wide section of rocky, dusty, root-laden misery, or hop on the road and play chicken with the heavy traffic barreling towards at 50 mph you with no fear. It was an adventure, that's for sure. And the whole near death experience of nearly getting run over every 5 seconds took my mind off any other running pains. Also, tree coverage was sparse, and therefore the sun was taunting, pointing, and laughing at me as I baked in its rays. The last 3 miles were literally equivalent to a "cook an egg on the sidewalk" experiment. So, yea, urban running is a challenge.
Despite these challenges, the run was a great learning experience and, in retrospect, went well. I finished 13.1 miles in 2:06, a 9:44 pace- not bad. It is wild to think that I just, ya know, ran a half marathon... for fun. How's that for a sense of accomplishment? My water belt was fantastic- it stayed in place, didn't rub at all, and I was so thankful for having hydration at my fingertips. I am very happy with my purchase! I was pretty sore after the run... ok very sore. Do you ever get to a point in long-distance running that you aren't insanely sore for 48 hours after? I hope so. Anyway, the run was a success, and I am glad I got to hang out with these running friends! Thanks to Bruce for stashing some Gatorade at mile 7- what a life saver that was.
Oh, duh, best part of the run? Brunch at The Arcade with everyone afterwards!
I was not embarrassed to order a tremendous amount of food. Nor was I embarrassed to lick my plate clean.
Thanks for a great run, my friends!
I have been needing to get new shoes for a few weeks now. My shoes are getting ready to bite the dust, and I want a nice overlap where I can break in new ones before the old ones are to the point of no return. So I have been shopping around, trying on, comparing prices, and trying to figure out what I want. I tried on a few different brands, but came back to Brooks. They just fit my foot better than other brands. So yesterday I went over to Fleet Feet and tried on their new Ghost 4. When I was fitted in December last year, they suggested I get a narrow. But now that I am running longer distances, the guy suggested I stick with a regular width. It is better have the room for expansion and swelling on a 20 mile run than to be restricted. Also, this may cut down on the jankiness (good word, yea?) of my baby toes. I went for a jog up and down the sidewalk and realized just how shot my old shoes are. It was like running on little fluffy clouds. I was sold. Done. New shoes purchased.
I am excited to get running in these new bad boys. It blows my mind that I actually wore out a pair of running shoes. Never thought I would ever see such a day.
Something amazing happened this morning. I walked out of my apartment and it was the most spectacular temperature possible. The first thought that ran through my mind was, "Oh man, I should have gotten up early to go for a run!" I hope this beautiful weather is here to stay for a bit!
