How in the hell Pheidippides ran the first marathon sans headphones is beyond me.
It’s tough to grasp that fact that 2 weeks from today, Seawheeze 2016 will be OVER! Between the preview of the showcase gear, the check-in information from our Airbnb host all ready to go, the trip I’ve had on the calendar for 11 months is almost here. I’ve even started to get a packing list together, given that I’m taking a few days of vaca on the way home before dealing with the real world again.
I begrudgingly ran a 6 miler today. Some potentially expensive HOMEOWNER PROBLEMS surfaced on Friday morning (let’s just say something upstairs caused a puddle on the dining room table via the light fixture in the ceiling), and so yeah I’ve been distracted from training and unhappily dropping the $$$ I was going to let myself spend at Seawheeze sans guilt on things like a new washing machine… and all the installation costs and inspection and mitigation of any mold this stupid leak may have caused.
I have a feeling this is going to get expensive. I’m still going to buy things at Seawheeze, but I may not allow myself to be as recklessly spendy as I anticipated. At least all this sh*t went down on the first weekend I’ve been home in 7 weeks, so I was actually in the home zip code to deal with it all. Silver lining.
I digress.
As I posted somewhat recently, I’m still trying to figure out how to run blister-free on race day. It was overcast and only in the 80’s today, plus I took the time to stretch for a good 30min prior while binge-watching Chelsea on Netflix all morning and afternoon. This led to my running the best-feeling 6(ish) miles I’ve gone in a long time.
I say 6(ish) miles because MapMyRun claims I went 6.47. I’d love to take that figure to the bank, but MMR also claimed my last half-marathon was 14 miles. It’s great that it thinks I go farther than I really do, so it makes my splits sound faster and gives me a nice jolt of self esteem. However, knowing that it’s a bit far off from the truth makes you wonder. Kind of like how I’m a 10 anywhere else, but sometimes I can still buy something from LOFT that says 6 on the tag. Whatever.
I think my shoes are too small. The blisters/irritation I’ve been getting on 5+ mile runs happens at the end of my toes. Thanks to genetics, I’ve got evil bunions that push my toes outwards. What I don’t understand is that I ordered the same shoes in the same size as the last pair I ran a half in and DIDN’T have this problem.
Anyway, I know feet swell during long distance running. I’ll admit that when I hit up Fleet Feet for a stride/gait analysis in 2013 (the same fateful shopping trip that I took my first sip of the lululemonade), they put me in a 9.5. I’ve worn a 9 for my entire adult life. They felt a bit roomy, so the next pair of running shoes I got, I went down to my usual 9 and didn’t have this issue.
This is frustrating. I know that as long as I stretch and hydrate properly, I am going to get through the 13.1 miles perfectly fine, AS LONG AS I DON’T GET ANY BLISTERS. The running (who are we kidding, it’s jogging) part of today felt great.
So, with less than 2 weeks out I will be taking my 3-year-old Brooks Ghost 5’s out for a spin. If they don’t hurt, then I either buy some new shoes so close to the race, or prance through Vancouver in some vintage kicks. We shall see, we shall see.
So excited for you going to SeaWheeze. Hope it’s magical and you get a ton of cool stuff!!
(Horrible idea: Buy extra at the showcase to sell on Ebay to help offset your washing machine problem. I def should have bought extra at the warehouse sale to sell, but really wouldn’t want the hassle.)
That picture is great and I love those shoes !
Pick up a pair of Wright Socks. They are guaranteed to prevent blistering. Granted, I still get blisters sometimes, but they are WAY better than the plain UA ones I used to run in.
Running sneaks should be at least a half size bigger to prevent black toe nails and blister. Also, body glide your toes/feet where you tend to blister. That should help, even with shoes that fit correctly.
I got new kicks to run the wheeze and I tried to break them in over the past two weekends. After getting both a blister and a bursa, I’m going back to old faithful. I wanted to look all fancy. Oh well.
I crapped out at mile 10 yesterday and had to stop at Starbucks for more water. It’s brutal hot here. The closest I’ve come to 13.5 is 11.5.
I’ll be with you in the not-spending-what-I-wanted-to club. My car broke down and it cost a LOT more than I anticipated it would.
I always go a half size up in my running shoes. When I was fitted the first time they seemed HUGE but the guy at the running store convinced me it was the way to go. I noticed that little things that used to bug me when I ran (the slight rubbing of my little toe, a little ache in my ankle) were no longer an issue.Do I still think that my regular shoe size is more comfortable WHILE I’m running? Yes. Do I still fiddle with my laces about 2 minutes in to EVERY run? Yes. but I don’t have the issues. It’s worth a shot!!
Most of the running stores in my area have a policy that if you buy a pair of shoes and wear them for a week or so and they aren’t working you can bring them back to exchange, see if any of the stores in your area do that- would be the PERFECT way to audition some shoes for seawheeze!