Month: September 2005

Shoe shopping

exercise

My running shoes are worn out. Runner’s World suggests changing your shoes every 300-500 miles, and I know I’ve put more than 500 miles on my oldest shoes, so it’s time for new ones. And since I’ve been having heel pain for a while, I’ve been re-thinking my loyalty to Brooks’ shoes. I wanted to try some other shoes and see if that helps.

I went to my favorite technical running store, Portland Running Company yesterday. Tried on several shoes, but unfortunately there wasn’t a lot of choice, because they didn’t have many wide sizes in stock. Bummer. I don’t normally wear a wide shoe, but I do in my running shoes. The kind salesperson said he’d special order some of the Brooks’ Adrenaline GTS 6 (the update to the shoe I now wear) and was going to have some Asics GT2100’s in a wide size sent over from their other location. I said fine.

But, y’know, I really wanted to get some new shoes now.

I went over to Fit Right NW, and explained what I had been wearing and about my heel pain. The kind salesgirl brought out a bunch of different shoes, including the Brooks Adrenaline GTS 5’s I’m used to, and we did a comparison. And, in the end, I really liked the Asics GT2100s and the Adidas Supernova. The selection was much better than the Portland Running Company; there was no problem with finding sizes to fit me. I couldn’t decide between the two, and, since it’s good to have two pairs of shoes and rotate them, I ended up buying them both (the fact that the salesgirl looked like the runner version of Jennifer Love Hewitt had absolutely nothing to do with my purchase decision).

Thinking ahead, if I run 20-25 miles per week, and I alternate my shoes from run to run, I will need to start thinking about replacing them in 6-7 months, or about the time the Shamrock Run rolls around.

Komen Race for the Cure 2005

exercise

Ran in the Komen Race for the Cure today. They run a co-ed 5K run, a co-ed 1 mile walk, a women’s-only 5K run, and a co-ed 5K walk. I ran the co-ed 5K with my nephew, Max, who is 13. Because Max is a new runner, I didn’t care much about pace or speed; I just wanted to stick with him. We finished in about 38 minutes. There were so many people! I think there were 25,000 people registered for the race we were in, and I heard later that the co-ed 5K walk had over 43,000 registrants! Wow! It was the largest Komen even on the West Coast.

After our race, Max and I got breakfast at the Hilton downtown; they have an all-you-can-eat buffet that’s pretty good. After loading up on bacon and eggs and fruit (mmmmmm…) we went to find my sister. My sister (Max’s mom), and her mother-in-law were walking in the co-ed 5K walk. We found them near the start line, and ended up walking the entire route all over again! It was fun, and I’m glad my sister did it, but man is my heel bothering me now. I’m icing it, even as I type…

There were plenty of booths giving away free stuff, and I brought home a container of Pacific soy milk (mmmm… vanilla) and a container of Tazo Chai tea, along with some other doo-dads and gee-gaws.

Take it easy

exercise

Running update:

I’ve been taking it easy this week, but I’ve still found time to run. Last night after work I was planning on a 6+ mile run, but it was raining, so I hied myself hence to the gym. Because of the time restrictions on using the treadmills (loosely enforced but still important) I ran 3 miles, took a small water-and-bathroom break, then found another machine and did the remaining 3 miles. I managed to repeat my pace from the Pints to Pasta race, albeit with the help of the break.

(Speaking of which, the official results for that race have been posted. I came in 555 out of 787. Yay! It was a good race.)

I also ran on Wednesday,in my neighborhood, and on Tuesday around the waterfront, 3.5 miles and 3 miles respectively, but didn’t keep track of the time. Adding in the Race for the Cure tomorrow, my weekly miles equal 15.6, a nice easy week after training so hard.

Next week I plan on getting back to my 20+ mile weeks, and to add back in my speedwork or hills. I also plan on seeing a doctor about my heel pain, and to get a new pair of shoes. Brooks has updated the Adrenaline model; we’ll see if their being bought by Russell has had any impact on their shoes. I intend to try more than just Brooks, though…

Minus her Balls

General

I’m at the gym tonight, on the treadmill warming up for a run, and in the next row up and to my left is a tallish blonde in black tank top and black tights, on the elliptical trainer, working pretty hard. Her tank top only partially covers a large word in Gothic lettering tattooed across her back from shoulder blade to shoulder blade, and her tights mostly cover another butt-hat tattoo of a red heart with some vines or something.

I’m trying to read the word but it’s kinda hard ’cause she’s moving and at an angle to me, and it comes to me in a flash. The word is “L O V E R”.

Geeze, that sounds familiar, I think… where have I seen that before? The seconds tick by and when several have accumulated they payoff because I realize that I’m looking at Storm Large (minus her Balls) in the flesh.

I try to get a better look at her face but I’m not sure. Her face seems… I don’t know… plain. And even though it’s difficult to judge height because she’s up on the machine, she doesn’t really look six foot tall. In heels, sure, but in her New Balance trainers? No.

Of course, I’ve only seen pictures of her on stage or made up for the stage, which might account for the difference. But honestly, there can’t be many tallish blondes with “L O V E R” tattooed across their backs in Portland. It’s a small town, you know?

All I know is, I’ve got an excuse now to talk to her. Wouldn’t it be funny if it’s not her? I finish warming up, I go stretch out, and then walk by her machine. I stop. “Excuse me…”

“Yeah?” She’s all sweaty and her face is puffy from working out. I’m still not sure it’s her.

“Are you…?” and I point at her, vaguely. My confidence in her identity is draining away.

She shakes some sweat out of her eyes and looks at me expectantly.

“Are you… Storm?”

She breaks into a big smile and nods. “Yes!” She suddenly seems pleased to be recognized.

“OK.” My courage is draining away. “I didn’t want to interrupt your workout…”

“It’s OK!” Now she seems interested in what I have to say next. I realize that I’ve got nothin’.

“Uh, I, uh, I recognized you by your tattoos.”

“Yeah,” she nods and agrees.

I give her a thumb’s-up, and, overcome by late-blooming shyness, head outside for my run, leaving her probably perplexed about the abrupt ending to the conversation.

Splits for Pints to Pasta 2005

exercise

Didn’t want to think about this right off the bat, but during my race yesterday I kept track of (most of) my mile splits. Here they are (with the split plus elapsed time):

  1. 09:44.99 (0:09:44.99)
  2. 09:38.84 (0:19:23.83)
  3. Didn’t see the 3-mile sign…
  4. 19:53.20 (0:39:17.03)
  5. 09:47.12 (0:49:04.15)
  6. 11:24.63 (1:00:28)
  7. 1:47:33 (1:02:16)

Up until Mile 5, I managed to keep a 9:48 pace, dammit! I was doing so well. That last full mile killed me… Yeah, I had to stop and walk a bit. Grabbed water at the water station right after the Mile 5 sign, then had to stop as we passed the Marriott… then had to stop again on the long dirt road by the new OHSU buildings that are going up. But dammit, at least I finished strong…

Unofficial time Pints to Pasta 2005

exercise

Unofficial time in the Pints to Pasta: 1:02:16, for a 10:01.2 pace, or about 38 seconds per mile faster than I ran the Run Hit Wonder.

Yay for training! Yay for resting!

The best part is, my heel, that’s been bugging me? It didn’t hurt at all during the race nor after. Resting really did help!

And I got to drink two beers (Widmer’s Oktoberfest seasonal, very good) and stayed for some music. A great race and a good way to end my season.

Naked cat

Smacky

Smacky stayed out last night ’til about 2 AM. Woke me up to come in. Not liking this new schedule.

Went back to bed. Got up around 9 AM (yeah, I slept in. Felt great). When I got up again, I made some breakfast, and Smacky was being very affectionate. Climbed up on my shoulders as I shuffled around in the kitchen. While waiting for the water to boil and the bagel to toast, I looked out the back door, Smacky purring and draped across my shoulders and head-butting my cheek. I reached up to scratch his head, and discovered that his collar was gone.

“Smacky, you’re not wearing your collar! What happened?”

He just purred and licked my cheek.

He must have lost it last night, because I’m sure he had it yesterday when I went to bed. I’m pretty sure, anyway. I was still half-asleep when I let him in, didn’t notice then.

I poked around the apartment, and found his collar, broken, in the yard next door, just on the other side of the fence. Did he break it himself? It was a safety collar, with a stretch-y section that would let him slip out of it if it was caught on something, and the stretchy section was the part that was broken.

Willful kitten! He’s not going to be going outside without a collar. But if he keeps breaking them… argh.