The Morgue and New Shoes... :)

At work this week they did a number of layoffs. I am still safe though at least for the moment. It has been like working in a morgue this week. Everyone is nervous and justifiably so. A good friend of mine that they just hired not to long ago lost his job. A lot of people lost their jobs :(

Now we all get to work and play the waiting game. Will they decide to do it again? I really hope they don't but that stress is going to be there for awhile. I am glad I have running now to release it. I am really glad to be honest. It's nice to get out there and not think about anything but the road in front of me. I try to explain this to my non runner friends and they just don't get it. Maybe someday they will. But for now it eludes them. Running has become a lot more than just exercise to me. I don't think I will ever be able to stop. I hope never to have to.

I have been taking it easy this week in preparation for the 5k this Sunday. But I did want to run a couple times this week outside. No treadmills! But it has been so cold up until today it is hard to do anything outside. Today though... 60 degrees!! I went to a park near my house called North Park and there is a nice large lake there. If you go all the way around the lake it's exactly 5 miles and they have it marked for you. It's a little hilly but nothing major and it's a really peaceful course.

So today, I got out there and decided to run walk all 5 miles... I have never walked the entire lake before, but it was so nice I was not going to let that stop me. I started with a 10 min warm up, a nice brisk walk to get my HR up and my muscles warmed up. This got me to about the 1/2 mile marker then I took off on a nice easy jog. at 3/4 of a mile my left leg started to hurt. My shin was aching, but as soon as I stopped running the pain was totally gone. So I trekked on....

At one mile, I started to jog again. The pain was back almost immediately. But I pushed it out to a slow 1/4 mile before I stopped running again. Walking there was no pain what so ever and I put pressure on my shin and there was no pain then either.. Just when I ran on it. Of course I was worried and disappointed. But I was going to do the 5 miles, even walking.

So I kept up a brisk walk until about 2 3/4 miles. Then I tried to run again, but after 1/4 mile the pain was there again. I backed off, checked and the same. Nothing.....

Then I got to thinking. My shoes are pretty old, and the do have a lot of miles on them. So at mile marker 3 and 3/4 I decided soon as I get done I am getting new shoes.

Got to the car, stretched and looked down at my old friends. My first pair of running shoes. They served me well, and still will but not for running. I don't ditch old friends that easily. So we went to my favorite running store and I explained my pain to the salesmen. He told me that I more than likely need some more cushion in my shoes and went in the back and came out with a pair of Brooks Dyads. Wow the cushions were like a little bit of heaven right on my feet. He even brought a pair of my older shoes out for me to try next to them. Even with a brand new pair on the difference was night and day.

Tomorrow, after work (ugh work) I am going to test my new friends out. Gotta give them one good test before Sunday don't I ... yeah I know there should be more but I have been wanting new shoes... the money just hasn't been there for me to get them... So tomorrow, me and my new friends are going to hit the open road. Saturday I am going to rest and Sunday is the big day.. my first real 5k...wow the butterflies are there already :)