A Little Bit of Everything

"Our Nation honors her sons and daughters who answered the call to defend a country they never knew and a people they never met."--from the Korean War Memorial

Happy Memorial Day.  A Big Thank You to all the men and women in this world who fight for freedom.

I am so grateful for all the members of the military, but especially my Papa and Grandaddy.

My Papa served in Okinawa.  He was a chaplain during WWII.  He had the heart of a warrior and the soul of a poet.

My Granddaddy served as a paratrooper (among other things) during the Korean War.    Bill Bone was a man of honor and integrity.  He was also the best Grandaddy in the whole wide world.

We've been having a blast the past few days.  Hanging at the Pool...

Going to the zoo...

 Falling down the stairs, and breaking our arms, and having emergency surgery...

Oh, wait!  That was not fun.  But it certainly was an adventure.  I did manage to make dinner once or twice this week.  Mac & Cheese or Ramen anyone?

I also cleaned my closet.  This was not fun, nor was it an adventure, but it was certainly rewarding.

And this little Crawdad was running down the street with us for a bit.  We also saw the most beautiful sunrise and a duck chased us for a bit.  At least it wasn't a skunk. (I've come across those before on the run.)

Happy Running!

Fighting with my feet.

For the past several months, on and off, I have had hip flexor pain and arch pain.  The pain in my hip flexor is very mild.  It went away for several weeks and then worked its way back in.  So not fun.  The foot pain is like a stabbing pull in my arch.  It goes away if I stretch my foot.  But it's not fun either.

After some field research (meaning I wore a new pair of shoes-my NB 5000 flats-- and, tada! The pain was gone!) I decided it was my shoes.  I really had to try something new for everyday trainers.

Mizuno Wave Riders have been my trusty go to shoe for years.  But I think I've outgrown them.  On long runs my feet start fighting them at the end.  I can't seem to get the lift and push that I want.  On shorter faster runs, the acceleration is not there.  When I wear my flats I feel like I'm flying.  Where as with my Waver Riders, I feel like the driver of a stalled engine at a busy intersection.  Come on!  I just want to go!  But there's no power behind the gas pedal.

I wore my Saucony Mirage 3's for a super short run this morning.  I ordered them months ago, but haven't really worn them for running.  I was too afraid to try something new during marathon training.  But now, since I'm not really training for anything, I thought it was a good time to pull them out.

Today's run was just a slow run with my son, but I felt good.  No sparring going on between my soles and my toes.   I also have Kinvara's arriving in the mail today.  I'm hoping one or both styles will be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

5k Time Trial #2

Guess I need to revise my training plan yet again cause I nailed my second time trial.

23:17.6 was my time for 3.12 miles. My goal was 23:59, so needless to say that I am pumped.  I dropped 1:20 off my last trial and came in :40 seconds faster than my A goal.  I guess that means I need to work harder and aim for higher goals.

My splits came in at 7:28, 7:39, 7:24, and :46 for the .1 (a 6:54 pace).  Yesterday was a nice day, not cold, but in the low 60s and low humidity. Hopefully that doesn't disqualify my results as I've been training in 80 degree heat for the past few weeks.

Mile two is mostly uphill so the slower pace doesn't surprise me.  I'll need to run some hills to cut off a few seconds from that stretch.  I was so happy to see that my final mile was my fastest.  It was a hard mile, but I pushed and was able to meet that goal as well.  Last trial, my final mile was my slowest.  I really want to work for a strong finish and I think I am getting there.

I wore my New Balance 5000.  Maybe this gave me an edge?  I don't know, but I felt so good out there.  I really watched my breathing and made it match my pace. Especially during the last few tenths when I was really tired.  I forced myself to breath harder, breathing one breath for every step--instead of one for every two (or one for every three) like I had been doing through out the rest of the race.

I've decided to aim for 22:59.  The temperature has been much hotter lately (this week a cool front came in--that's why I decided to run my time trial early), so I don't think it will be as easy as this week's trial.  Time to shave off the seconds!  Slowly but surely, it will be done.  22:59 here I come!