Crunchy ‘Nanas

If you haven’t already caught it, the Complete Running Network has launched a brand, spankin’ new site and it’s hot! Lots of people have been stickin’ forks in it (’cuz it’s done). You should too. Mark did a great job in the re-design. So pop on over and check it out. Don’t forget to point your mouse to the top right-hand corner to bookmark it, digg it, del.icio.us it, backflip it, mister wong it, or whatever gets you there. If you must dropjack, please drop him nicely.

If you have a running blog, you might want to (re) join the Running Blog Family Directory (RBF). You can now search for blogs by things like location, favorite race distance, and tags/keywords. Even if you’ve signed up before, submit a new entry so that it will be search-able by these things.

*Bonus* The site now includes author and member profile pages. So, if you got behind in your Science Wednesday reading over the holidays, you can catch up from the links on my profile here.

Conveniently, the Big Sur half marathon in Monterey falls on World Run Day this year. World Run Day is a day to run any distance you desire and donate to your favorite charity or organization. Sounds good.

You can register for the “event” online. But, I didn’t. Enough of my money went to the Big Sur registration, and I rather what was “left” go to my charity/organization of choice. So, I suppose I’m not official. But, I embraced the spirit and gave the good folks at the Thanet Coast Project some much appreciated cash, so I think that’s better. If you are thinking, “hey that’s cool. I should do that tomorrow!”, but you are having a tough time deciding who you’d like to make a donation to, click here. Decision made. I am glad to be so helpful! (Shameless, I know!)

Okay, all trolls aside, it’s time for the Big Sur Half Marathon on Monterey. And I am so stoked! So stoked I spit all over one of my best friends when I was asking her partner how psyched SHE was about it. I’m so glad we’re so close. Or maybe I just have no shame about my social skills. Sometimes, I get very excited!

As my part of the bargain with the troll, I’ve had to re-adjust my expectations for tomorrow. Before my heel started acting up, I really wanted to break 2 hours, or at least 2:00.27 because that’s my best half marathon. But, because my training hasn’t been what I wanted it to be this last month, I’ve had to come to terms that this won’t happen. And I am okay about it. I’m just excited to run and have fun with nice people in a beautiful environment.

My bag is packed, the cooler’s stocked with breakfast goodness for the morning, and I am ALL FIRED UP!

Wee-hoo!

During my run on Thursday, I had a serious discussion with the troll. I laid it all out on the table. Long flights, bright sunshine, pancakes, Cheesecake Factory, friendly faces– none of these would be “his bag”. He sniveled a bit. I assured him he’d be much happier in the winter (ish- what IS going on with the weather?) climes of England. He could keep Crunchy husband company in his deep misery of missing me and have a jolly ol’ time. Plus, I mentioned the practicalities of the matter: he didn’t have his passport ready and it would take way too long to get one processed.

So far, it appears (knock on wood) he did not smuggle himself in my suitcase. I went for a beautiful run through sunny and warm Willow Glen this morning and didn’t feel any pain. I’m sitting here poking the injured area, and that doesn’t feel too hot, so I’ll stop. But, it’s looking good for next Sunday. Yippee!

The little evil troll residing inside the back of my heel is beginning to gnaw harder on my tautened flesh. He announced his presence with a few nips a couple weeks ago. I said hello, now go away and went about my business. Being needy for attention, he persisted. I acknowledged him with a bit of slacking and ibuprofen. Drugs, that ought to satiate the beast. But, he wasn’t happy when I cut off his supply. Nor when I woke him from his slumber with a 5 mile run. And now he’s become more vocal.

There is nothing excruciating about this pain. Yet. It’s just kind of an annoyance. At the moment. I know the ball is in my court. Be good and evict the troll. Or keep pounding and really piss him off. I totally know what I’d do if I weren’t scheduled for a half marathon in two weeks. Set up camp on the couch, make Crunchy husband make dinners, and mix in a few sessions at the pool.

But, I’m really excited about the Monterey race. I’m not willing to chuck it in. I am slowly coming to terms that, having my training cut quite a bit, I’m not going to break any personal records. But, I still really want to do it. I’ve discussed my priorities with the troll and we’ve agreed to a compromise.

We’ll see if he can be trusted.

What do the Duke of Wellington and Harry Potter have in common? Probably not much. But stick with me on this one.

I’ve stuck a fork in my Mizunos. They are done. They served me well, but the time’s come to say good bye and move on. I’ve been emotionally transitioning myself since May when, after calculating mileage, I knew we’d have to part ways soon. I’ve kept my eyes open for the replacement pair. (I was pretty annoyed when I tried on the newest edition of the Wave Rider and found out that Mizuno has made them wider. Ugh! Here we go again!) Over the past months and trips to various shoe stores, the clear winner has stood out to be the Asics Gel-Nimbus, but you don’t drop £100 without thinking it over.

But it was time. We made our way to the Sweatshop so I could try on shoes. Again. In case you’re just tuning in, I’ve got the world’s most difficult feet to shop for. They are a bit high maintenance and most shoes are not very accommodating. They are long and narrow, yet I like to have room in my toe box because of my lovely hammer toes (thanks mom!). But, not too much room because then my feet slide around and I get blisters. It’s a very tricky balance to achieve. After trying three or four other candidates, the Gel-Nimbus pair still seemed like the shoes for me. I finally committed. (And an hour later found the £15 coupon for Sweatshop in the latest Runner’s World. Sometimes you just can’t win.)

So far, my new Harry Potter shoes seem to be all right. (Yes, I know Asics meant it to be a cloud reference, but I don’t care.) I took them for a quick spin around the block today, and they were pretty comfy. They didn’t launch me 50 feet into the air and zoom me around the village after a golden snitch, but maybe I didn’t say the magic words right. They did, however, make me feel bouncy, which I am sure has more to do with my mental state and less to do with the shoes on my feet, but I am okay with that.

And just wait! My new tenny-runners weren’t the only shoes to walk their way home this weekend.

While in Paris last week, we ventured into Aigle. I spotted the hottest wellies I’ve ever seen. There was a pair covered with daisies. And some red stripey ones. And ones with stones all over them. But, they were mucho money. (Duh, Aigle.) I passed on a purchase. It was hard though. Usually the ones I see over here are of the drab black-green variety and in the gray, gloomy winter, I need color.

But then, with a stroke of luck, Crunchy husband alerted me to the (much, much cheaper) stock at B&Q. I bet the ol’ duke didn’t have any boots as slick as this:

So there’s your connection: shoes. Or, more specifically, my new shoes. I like them. They make me want to run and play in the mud.

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Now playing: Paolo Nutini - New Shoes
via FoxyTunes

The nip has returned. It is subtle, but detectable. The sun is out, but there is a hint of autumn in the air and in the trees. It is being decent, I have to give it that. It’s not taunting me for blinking during summer’s brief appearance. (I’m still waiting hopefully for summer, in terms of a season and not a week. I think it’s going to be a long wait, like 10 months. Or more.) In fact, they are saying it’s going to be 24 C today. But, I think fall is pretty much ready to barge down the door and stay for dinner. We’re having pasta.

But, I am not sad. Why? Why you ask? What could possibly keep the smile on my face as cooler weather creeps into my life? Cheap airfare and tickets in hand. I’m going home!! Okay, not today, not tomorrow, not even next month. But the month after that. AND the month after that.

I will be staying in California for much longer than the last visit. I learned my lesson in May. Five days? Not enough time. (If you’re reading this, thinking, “um, you were home in May?” please be assured that I am still wracked with guilt about not being able to see everyone I missed on the last brief touchdown and am looking forward to seeing you this fall!)

And in one more sign that I have definitely caught the bug, the first thing I did (after calling my parents to let them know, and eating dinner, and emailing some friends, and sleeping, and eating breakfast the next morning, but the first thing I did after all that!) was check active for runs in California in November. Now, what better way to celebrate World Run Day than to go down to Monterey for the Big Sur half marathon? I’ve never done it, and I thought for sure it would be full by now, but it’s not (the website says the half is 71% full). And I hear it calling to me, singing across the United States, breast-stroking across the Atlantic and surfing up the Channel, persuading, “come run me!”

I think I should abide its wishes. Anyone else?

I think officially somewhere it says that the August Bank Holiday is the end to summer in England. Well, thank goodness the sun came out for it! Yippee!

Friday afternoon we eco-ran down in Cliff’s End/Pegwell again. We adventured a bit with our return route and came to a dead-end at the disused hover port, but I guess it just meant more training! Yippee!

Without planning it, I did a reverse (mini) triathlon on Saturday. 3k run to calibrate my footpod (finally! When I ordered my heart monitor with footpod, I didn’t realize it would be so hard to find an average American high school with a running track to calibrate the footpod. Silly me. This is England. They don’t have tracks here. Or, if they do they are very well hidden. I needed a room of requirement!) Then a 22k ride to Ramsgate to test my new Italian.

And then I went all out for my open water swim. It was, well, more like an open water float with a paddle and kick or two while relaxing on the inner-tube. (I brought the goggles along for dramatic effect.) I’ve never inner-tubed in the ocean. It was just like Lake Tahoe, only you didn’t have to wait for motor boats to zoom by to get waves. And I don’t believe as cold. It was great. Yippee!

And then Monday we ran from Minnis Bay to Reculver. The sun was shining, but there was a bit of a breeze. Crunchy husband hit a new milestone. He’s never run 7 miles (all at once) before. He did very well. I think it was the cheer from the Ipswich Town fan riding by on his bicycle that kept him going. Or the back wind in the fifth mile. Or the ice cream stand at the finish. Three cheers for Crunchy husband. Yippee!

I am in love with an Italian. It isn’t the first time this has happened. First, there was a pair called Sidi. I took them home and never looked back. Then there was the affair with the borrowed bike called Bianchi. Everything was right about it, it felt perfect and I almost let it into my life completely, except for the issue of its one short-coming. I like to think I am not shallow. But, I was advised (by a Brit), go triple or go home. (Yes, I am a weakling.) So after my second of two tris in the summer of 2003, we parted. I am still a bit heart-broken.

But, today! Today I found a new amore. I took my new sella italia saddle on its inaugural ride. And let me tell you, that puppy knows how to support me and cushion my bony butt in all the right places. I felt a bit guilty leaving my Terry behind on the mountain bike, but I am convinced it was the right thing to do.

When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza-pie…