Where are your feet?

The last couple of months have brought a lot of change to my world and while the majority of those changes have been really positive, it has nonetheless been somewhat of an unsettled time.  I have a friend who would ask “where are your feet?” when she saw one of us struggling or trying to work through something – a question that I’ve always taken as more of a gentle reminder to stay grounded, to remember what matters and to keep things in perspective.   So with her words bouncing around in my head, I've muddled through most of April with all of its "what ifs" and "what nows" and tried my best to find my feet.

Amidst my muddling, I’ve learned a few things... there is no better way to clear my head than running, it’s highly likely that I’ve read one too many self-help books, running shoes that have reached their limit will give you warning signs that you should NOT ignore, don’t drink red wine after you’ve been drinking whiskey and I believe that the phrase “run your own race” applies to all aspects of my life vs. just the running part of it (see what I’m saying about the books??).

A huge benefit of some of the changes that have come my way as of late is that I’ve been able to dedicate more time to my training efforts which is something I’m so glad about as July 29th seems so very, very soon and I feel so very, very far away from my goal.  Despite my growing panic and despite having a bit more time to spend on training, life seems to have a funny way of throwing curve balls and challenges so I’m still working on getting a solid routine down and adding in the much needed cross training on a regular basis.  That being said, I have made some progress during this wacky month and as promised in War and Peace (a.k.a. my last blog entry), I have included a summary of the month this far along with some photos for your viewing pleasure.

April 1st @Santa Cruz 10k/Half Marathon:  Second time running the 10k portion of this beautiful and laid back race (could there be any kind other kind in Santa Cruz?!).  Turned it into a “destination race” by spending a few nights at the Dream Inn (so very retro-chick with great views from the balcony!) and indulging in some much needed relaxation, sunshine and wine (that part was more of a want than a need). 10k time was 56.27 which may be considered slow to many but was a full 3 minutes faster than last year and seemed lightning fast to me!

April 3rd @Crissy Field:  This is my absolute favorite running spot in the city.  There is a dirt/sand/gravel surface which is easier on my pieces and parts than pavement, there are stunning views in every direction, it’s full of locals and their dogs, tourists (watch out for the ones who are riding rented bikes while taking pictures and looking at maps simultaneously!) and is blissfully flat.  I managed to get in 6 miles despite getting tripped up by a dog leash and taking a quick stop to snap a picture for a lovely couple from Sweden.

April 5th @Crissy Field:  Another gorgeous day for a run (so glad I don’t live where it snows or gets to be 120 degrees… I hate treadmills).  Completed 6 miles but was bothered after about 3 miles by a few toes that started to hurt.  I clearly need new shoes but am having the hardest time finding a replacement for my beloved Brooks Ghost 3 (someone please tell me why they always seem to change the shoes right after I discover them?!). Ah well, at least my shins and knees are holding up their end of the bargain still!

April 7th @Crissy Field:  Got somewhat of a late start which resulted in the need to bust out some serious  Frogger moves to dodge the other runners, walkers, strollers, doggies and bikers that were out taking advantage of the beautiful Saturday.  I inadvertently ended up running without my iPod (note to self – while it holds a charge much longer than the last one that met its match in the form of the washing machine, it does need to be charged more than once every few weeks) which turned out to be an interesting 9 miles spent listening to my own breathing patterns and footfalls.  The breathing thing turned out to be really interesting because I think I was actually able to keep a better tab on my pace by going not only by how my body was feeling but also by how labored my breath was and the footfalls were interesting as well because if they became heavier, I reacted by checking in on my form and making corrections as I went.  Who knew!  Other than my toes hurting for about 60 of the 90 minutes I ran, it was a fantastic time!

April 11th @Crissy Field:  It’s official… the shoes have to go.  The 9 miler over the weekend pushed my poor toe over the edge and has resulted in a toenail that is not the color it is supposed to be (I know, totally gross) and that hurt for all 6 of the miles I ran.  Ouch and yuck!! Despite the nail issue, it was great to get out and run after days of wet & stormy weather and it was an exercise in agility to jump over the deep puddles and dodge the splashes from passing bikes.  I love that you can see the reflection of the clouds in the puddle I'm standing by in this picture.

April 13th @streets of San Francisco:  Replaced today’s scheduled run with an “urban hike” which took me from my house to the ballpark for the SF Giants opening day and back again after the game (which was SO much fun!).  Hopefully the 12 miles walked will cancel out a few of the indulgences of the day (although I highly doubt it will even make a dent).  Go Giants!

April 16th @Crissy Field: Look who got new shoes!!  Despite being told to break them in with a few short runs, I took them on a 9 mile test drive today and am happy to report that they seem to be working out quite well.  I’m still a bit skeptical as they aren’t a wide width (what I usually require to get the toe box space I need) and they are a brand I’ve never worn before but the people at Fleet Feet are wise running machines so keep your fingers crossed and hope for happy parts!

April 18th @Crissy Field:  Run number 2 for the new shoes and while I’m wary of letting go of the last of my skepticism (somewhat of a theme for me in general), they seem to be doing the trick.  6 miles in the early morning followed by a few minutes of relaxation with a view of Alcatraz before the rest of my day began…  what an amazingly perfect start to the day!
 

April 20th @Bidwell Park, Chico CA: Bidwell Park in Chico is gorgeous…. and HOT!  Decided to try and sneak in 6 miles while visiting my extended family* despite the very warm morning. I made it about 4.5 miles before opting to stop and rest in the shade before my pomegranate colored face explode and the 86 degrees it had become got the best of me. Needless to say, it took great restraint to keep from jumping into the river at the end of my run!  *while not technically related, my gorgeous, sweet and amazing friend and her two phenomenally beautiful, talented and remarkable kids are precious presences in my life and, other than the fact that it’s biologically impossible, I like to believe that we are actually related.

So apparently I lied about not writing another horrifyingly long post (and I didn't even have any tequila... I swear!).  If you promise to keep reading, I promise to exercise more restraint whenever possible. I swear.

Cheers,

SF Runner in training