Running Notes

Last week I was able to run eleven miles. My friend Monica & I met downtown at the stadium & had a map of 10.5 miles that we wanted to run. I was the navigator & take personal responsibility for getting us lost several times. We ended up seeing 11+ miles instead. It was a great run – I was tired in the middle (miles 6-8) but the rest of it just flew by. It was so nice to have someone to talk to & commiserate with. Running this far has made me realize that many of the limits that we think we have are in 0ur brains. Sometimes the body cannot do it, but sometimes it really can!

 

Whenever something in life gets hard, I think about how much further I can run now than I could six weeks ago. Running even two miles was nearly impossible. Now, in good moments, I feel like I can run and run forever. My feet are pretty good & my hamstring is getting better. I think that I am even getting a little bit faster. It’s amazing that just hanging on for dear life & keeping going helps get through the bad stuff & onto the other (better) side.

My toenails & toes are not happy with my running progress. Even with frequent pedicures, the nails are black & ugly. My middle toe (the one with two blisters) also had a bigger, more extensive blister beyond the two smaller ones. It feels much better just a few days later. (Tip: Don’t use a match to sterilize a needle. Instead use rubbing alcohol. Gently poke & drain the blister without removing the top skin. All better in just a few days.)

Boston Marathon registration opened (and closed) yesterday. Scott has been training three times a week forever, even through a very hot & miserable Southern summer. He qualified last March in the Snickers Marathon with a time of 3:27.00. Needless to say, he is very disappointed. He can do fundraising, but he must commit to raising over $3000 & more like $5000. That is a lot of money for one little race.

 

And finally, GU is running a deal at their website – if you buy any energy product, you can get 6 Island Nectar Roctanes for free. It was about $12 with shipping for a 6-pack of strawberry-banana gels & a 6-pack of Roctanes. Here’s the link: http://store.guenergy.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=063&CartID=2