Richmond, stop taunting me

Dear Richmond Marathon,

If you keep sending me those emails about how great the 30th anniversary will be and how cheap the entry fee is until 12/31, I will be forced to do this crazy thing again. So please, please, don't send me one at the 11th hour, New Year's eve, when it's just me and Dick Clark contemplating our places in the universe.

Love,
Mama

New shoes

The Supportive Husband got me a gift certificate for new running shoes, so I took advantage of the slow day at work to head over to the shop and try out a few. I recounted my tale of woe to the salesguy, who said that judging from a few laps around the store, they looked like a good fit. But he humored me and my insistence that I just couldn't trust my shoes any more, and brought out a few pairs to try. I went with the Brooks Addiction 7. They are a half-size smaller than the Asics, but somehow feel much roomier in the toe, plus I don't have to do any fancy lacing to get them to fit right in the heel. I used my gift certificate, which was almost a shame - it's a cute little paper running shoe with red and white ribbon for the laces. And I still had $16.01 left over.

So it's a win-win, right? Great new shoes, an end to my foot woes. $16.01! And a free t-shirt! No, there's a dark side to this happy story.

These shoes are ugly.

My Asics were white and purple and silver and attractively proportioned. These are drab gray with a hint of blah blue, and blocky. I knew, though, when I saw them amid the sporty and stylin' Sauconys and Asics that this ugly but serviceable duckling was the shoe for me. So here's to a few hundred good miles with my homely new friends.

6 miles

Six very, very cold miles. I did my first long run of the 10-miler training program. It'll probably be the only one I do before the new year, but it felt good to get out and run around. I did pretty decently, too, I was somewhere around 10:45/mi for the whole thing. And probably could have gone faster, but spent some time running and talking with some new friends and some old.

I spent six months trying to beat the heat, now I'm thinking about how to keep warm. It was 22 degrees when I started my run, and all of 28 when I finished. I felt pretty warm most of the run, but my legs were practically numb on the drive home. They were so cold I couldn't even feel my heated seats. I definitely need warmer tights. And I'm still not sure about my shoes. After Christmas, I'll head over to the shop and reevaluate my options. I had such a horrific time with them at the marathon that I'm ready to try something new.

Boston bound!

No, I'm not running, though I do hope to be a volunteer so I can get the coveted BAA jacket. IronMo qualified for Boston this year, and will be running on Patriot's day. So I figured I'd tag along and relive the good old days of cheering the runners at the halfway point. I've bought my plane tickets, and I've arranged to bunk with Mo. In the meantime, I've got the 10 miler to think about.

I'm considering running the Virginia Beach RNR Half Marathon over Labor Day weekend - it's supposed to be a lot of fun. It would be a nice motivator to stay in shape during the dog days of summer.

For now, I'm staying in shape chasing after my increasingly mobile (and daggone fast) child. Don't laugh - it's pretty good exercise. I keep thinking that I'll hit the pool one morning before work, but there are always more pressing matters, like chopping green beans into choke-proof bits. How was it I found the time to run 20 or more miles per week to train for the marathon, and now that it's over, I can barely manage a walk around the block on alternate days?

Oh, and Santa, if you're listening, Mama Marathon needs a new pair of sneaks.