N8 and I are getting a little restless as springs seems to be just around the corner. We enjoy a day here and a few days there of warmer weather (mid 40's) and then it snows. Will winter ever end?
We are really looking forward to getting outdoors again. It's hard for us to do a lot in the snow. N8 would really like to pick up snowboarding, and I like snow shoeing, but neither of us have the gear to do those things and so we end up hanging out at home watching 'The Office,' thanks to some friends of ours that got us hooked. Unfortunately, due to that small addiction and the cold weather, the activity level we normally enjoy during warmer months of the year has decreased significantly.
One thing we've missed is running. Neither of us like running on a treadmill or a track. We like the change of scenery and prefer street running. Both N8 and I have improved our times with the 5ks we were involved in last year and hope to continue to improve this year. N8 is even wanting to train to do a 10k this year.
Here is a look back on some of our races and our times from 2010:
My first race of 2010 was before N8 got home from Germany. It was on 07/03/2010 for the fourth of July. I ran in a race with my sister- and brother-in-law in their home town. My time was 32:15.9
N8 was home for the next race but he didn't run. He was there for moral support. That one was on 08/07/2010 in the city that N8 and I lived after we were first married. My time was 33:10.4. I ran this race with Pookie and Pounder.
The next race was on 09/06/2010 and this race we ran together. We ran in the 'Tomato Days' race in the city where N8 grew up. My time was 31:15.6 and N8's time was 28:53.1.
Our little niece BJ ran her first race in the kids k for 'Tomato Days'. We were so excited to have BJ join in our family tradition and hope she runs with us more this year.
The next race we ran was one that the VFW put on to help fight cancer. It was on 10/16/2010 and it was cold and windy. It was just short of a 5k. There were only four runners in this race. There was N8, me, Pookie, and another guy from around here. My mother-in-law made us some banners to pin on our shirts to run in memory of N8's Aunt Julie who died from cancer.
The area where we ran for this race was beautiful but probably not the safest place for someone to run by themselves, so my chivarous hubby ran next to me the whole time. Mrs. George E. Whalen was at the finish line to greet us as we ran in.
Pookie was first place!
At the finish line, N8 grabbed my hand and we completed the race together. We won third place!!!
The last race we ran together in 2010 was the Gobbler Gallop, which was on 11/13/2010 (N8's birthday). The route was basically the same as the first one I ran this year for the fourth of July. The only difference was the very end stretch. For this race they put the finish line at the top of a hill. Yuck! N8 ran in before me and as I made my way to the top of the hill, he was there cheering for me and yelling for me to run harder. He said that I could make it in before 30 minutes. That did it. That was my goal, so I shut my eyes and sprinted to the finish line at 29:51.6 - my best time ever. N8 finished about 2 minutes before me and we both felt really good about our time.
N8 also did a mini triathalon in December, but he'll blog more on that soon, so keep your eyes peeled.
As for the crazy shoes, N8 bought some Vibram Five Fingers last year. He really loves them and claims they have helped with his knee pain and has helped improve his time. I thought I'd give them a try also, so I bought some as well. (If anyone is interested, we got them from http://www.citysports.com/. We were able to order them online and did not need to pay tax or shipping.)
As funny as they look, they've been really nice to run in. They help you to run more naturally, encouraging a forefoot strike and a more natural running form that creates less impact on the knees, hips and lower back. It is just like running bare foot, which is the way the body was made to run, but they protect the feet from the hazards of the road.
A word of warning, however, for anyone who wants to try out this way of running: Start out slow!!! Only run for about 5-10 minutes the first few times and slowly move up from there. Also, listen to your body. The muscle groups used running this way are different than the ones used when running heal to toe. N8 and I both were so sore the first week after running in them that we could hardly walk.
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