Berbee Derby Preview Run-ish

Pretty big day today.

First thing I did was get out and run the Berbee Derby route. I thought I'd be smart and drive there using the back roads. Idiotic. It took me twice as long and stressed me out. But, I got there and warmed up and took off from where it seemed to start. I listened to The Two Gomers podcast from this week (stellar, as usual) and the RadioLab podcast. The weather was amazing (about 48 degrees, big sunrise) and the route is beautiful. Although, my two favorite parts of the route were when I passed a sign that said, "Entering Public Hunting Area," and then when I passed the sign that said, "Leaving Public Hunting Area." "I made it!" I shouted. It reminded me of The Long Walk by Richard Bachman (Stephen King).

Now, a couple things I should mention: I knew I wouldn't be able to run the whole thing today. I wanted to just get through the route so I know where I'm going on the 26th. Mission accomplished. I actually walked a lot and still finished in 1:20. My goal time is under 1:10, so that seems really doable.

Also, I tried to bring an 8oz water bottle with me for the first time. Nightmare. It totally threw me off and wasn't helpful at all. I ended up ditching it after 3 miles or so.

After the run I took an ice bath because my legs have been sore lately. I didn't check the water before I got in and it was so cold that I shrieked. "WHY AM I DOING THIS??" After about 10 seconds, it felt amazing.

Then, this afternoon, I went to a place called Endurance House and bought some new shoes. It was awesome. I had a $50 giftcard and a 20% off coupon, so now seemed like the perfect time. I went in and an athletic dude greeted me and then helped me the whole time. They have a video analysis system, which was very cool. He had me put on some racing flats and then run on the treadmill for a minute while a video camera taped my strike. Then we watched the tape and he grabbed four pairs of shoes for my running style. I got test run in every pair outside the store and actually ran into a friend at one point. "Just running around, huh?" I went with some Sauconys. Love 'em. Incredibly cushioned. I also got a few types of energy gels. I've never tried those before, so I'm excited to see how they work. I also wanted to buy one of those utility belts for water bottles and stuff, but their friggin' expensive. Some day. Christmas?

All in all, it was a really good running-centric day. And fun. Fun-centric. Now I feel like adding "centric" to everything I say.

Peace out-centric.