my first real running shoes

Yesterday was my long Sunday run.  I was kinda pooped after going all out at Saturday’s 10K race.  For some reason about midway through the run, I started thinking about my first real running shoes…I was around 10 years old or so and living in England at the time.  I went to English schools growing up and remember every spring there would be these track and field competitions in the spring.

My memory is foggy, but this must have been around the same time my Dad was training for the London Marathon.  Anyway, I remember going to the store and buying a pair of running shoes for the big race.  I was going to do the long distance race (2 times around the field!)  The shoes we picked out were a pair of Nike Air Pegasus.  Can you believe it?  I know I couldn’t – still can’t believe it today – 10 year old rockin a pair of Nike Air Pegasus (I was so cool then, what happened?).  I was so focused on getting the shoes that I sacrificed big time to make it happen.  The only pair they had available were real tight (tight as in scrunching your toes, not tight as in cool – I’ve never told anyone this secret).  In fact, they were so tight that the only way I could bare running in them is if I didn’t wear any shoes.

Thinking back on it now, it’s pretty funny, but it’s also a little sad.  I’m not sure that part of me has really changed (even after 22 years)!  I still think I would sacrifice socks if it meant I would be faster on the track.  I can’t remember exactly how I did that day, but I know I didn’t win.  Nevertheless, wearing those shoes made me feel light as a feather and on top of the world – just couldn’t wait to get them off my feet!

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beats today: 16,800
my beats to date: 841,500

run: self-inflicted damage

This short post is a result of a careless, hasty decision I made today (after just running 1 mile) - to continue the long 12-mile run when I felt a sharp pain at the bottom of my left calf.  I pressed on like a caveman knowing no better – although I did know better.  I’ve been here before, not my ankle necessarily but injuries/bad decisions in general.

I’ve promised to keep this post short, but it could go for a long time.  Anyone who’s known me for any amount of time knows that I have a tendency to jump before thinking.  Whether it’s running a marathon on a whim and then going through physical therapy for six months or riding (my bike) so hard in the burning Texas sun that I had to take a break and fell asleep on the side of the road in the middle of a ridiculously hot day.  The list goes on and on.

My mum (living in California know) posted a comment a while back warning me to “not get carried away” like I did when I was young.  This was in reference to some unhealthy things I did to lose weight when I wrestled in high school.  Eating raw rice with Hershey syrup, having a birthday salad, going for a run on Thanksgiving Day, ex-lax…we will just stop there.  Needless to say, words from the wise fell upon deaf ears today and I’m paying the price.

Hopefully, everythings o.k. tomorrow!!! ICY HOT don’t fail me now!!!

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beats today: 8,400
my beats to date: 380,200

memories of kenya

I found this post while reminiscing our time in Kenya last summer.  This excerpt is from one of the few blog posts I did and guess what…the topic was running!

School has finished and the drawings are pretty close to done. All in all, it has been a pretty low-key past few days (for me at least, Mary has been on-call). I guess maybe it was the low-key”ness” that did it. I can’t remember the last time my life wasn’t dictated by a schedule or a task list. It was so strange. So what did I do? Well, first I put the old running shoes on and made myself continue the pursuit of getting back into shape while I’m here. The past couple years of working full time and then evening classes put workouts completely on hold. Being out here, at 7,200ft, and perfect cool climate is a runner’s dream. (Cassie, I know you’d love it.) Anyway, I took off down the usual “barn trail” that then connects to the main dirt road leading to “Old Kijabe Town”, at that point I headed toward (up) the railway station. (I guess none of this makes sense to those who haven’t been here, but let me just say that if you ever come out here, you have to at least walk this route, the scenery overlooking the rift valley is just breathtaking.) So I’m running this really cool route I’ve done a few times now with a little new terrain added for good measure. (I love exploring new trails) I love the fear of maybe getting lost and then wondering if I will have enough strength, speed, stamina to get back before Mary begins worrying! Unfortunately, I did have a minor twist of the ankle along the way which slowed things for awhile and thus resulted the need to push harder on the return to get back in time (I promised I’d be back in 45-55 minutes). So just after the turnaround midpoint, I started to feel this rush (second wind some call it) flow through me. I was already running pretty hard, but then felt the need to push even more. I hadn’t run this hard since training for Australia. The lungs were burning (altitude), the legs were saying “let’s walk a bit”, and the mouth just couldn’t seem to open wide enough to get enough air in. I WAS LOVING IT!! So I was on the return and it was a little downhill for awhile, I picked up the pace even more. Kids I had seen on the way out were running out to say “hello, how are you” again. Not sure where the air was coming from, I replied “I’m fine, how are you?” as I whizzed by. A little further down the road, the kids saw me approach and started to run in the same direction. I slowly caught them, passed them, and glanced back a few times as they tried to keep up. My lungs were really burning now. I WAS LOVING IT! The final section was some really sweet single track (this was the “barn trail” I mentioned earlier – red, hardpacked, Kenyan dirt, a worn and torn pathway beyond comprehension, and of course, mostly uphill at the very end!). By the time I reached the house, I dragged myself inside, grabbed an ice pack for the ankle, and “recovered” on the ground. Man, that was fun. Got back at right around 58 minutes. A little longer (3 mins) than estimated, but I’m always late so it’s nothing unusual for Mary! For the rest of the evening, it was a little painful to try and breathe deeply and I knew my legs would not feel so great the next day.

Well…that was a trip down memory lane for me (pun intended I guess).