Running (or at least walking very quickly) Behind!

This was just one of those weeks when my blogging schedule, which has never been exactly set in stone, just got away from me completely.

It was a mixed bag this week for walks. Some went a whole lot better than I thought they might, others were disappointing for no reason I can really figure out. I keep exacting records on all sorts of things that might affect me when I'm out there, and do tons of research and then reflect on what seemed to work well for me and what didn't (and try to keep doing the things that worked!), but there are just some days when you cannot account for lousiness.

As one of my sons is fond of saying, "Whatevs."

Anyway. Let's talk socks.

My favorite socks EVER (thanks to the suggestion of a super athlete friend and her husband in Oregon, who clued me in on these things) are WrightSocks. They are thin, and have a wonderful double thickness that allows for wicking away the sweaties, while the other layer "moves" with the shoe. This nearly eliminates friction, and I have never ever had a blister (even in brand new shoes) nor a hot spot when I've worn them.The only downsides -- and these are pretty significant -- I seem to bust through the area around the great toe pretty quickly and they are not available anywhere locally that I've been able to find. The benefits so outweigh those other issues. They don't come cheap. You have to understand that I'm the sort of person who likes to buy bags o' socks for $4.99, so paying as much for one pair of socks as I usually pay for a haircut is painful.

But honey? When your feet hurt, you just flat can't look pretty, so really -- what's the better investment?

Anyway.

I also love Thorlos socks, which were the very first fancy socks I started using, when my super-athlete friend from New Jersey sent me a pair. They are chunky socks, and took a little getting used to, but since I've had a nagging issue with pain in my forefeet the generous padding is quite helpful, as it keeps me from saying OW with every footfall. They are available locally, but again with the price! Egad.

This past Saturday, on one of my long walks, I felt a little sting on my right heel. It felt like my Thorlos had slipped down my heel, and I knew if I didn't fix it quickly I'd be really, really sorry later. I stopped and reached down to pull it up, and RIPPPPPPPPPPPP  -- it broke!

Well, I had a decision to make, and so I kept walking with a very firm idea in my mind that if I got to a predetermined place down the street a bit and it was still hurting I would stop and take my shoe off and walk home. After all, I am not training for the Olympics or anything, and I'm not really on board with that whole "pain" thing.

Lo and behold, my foot felt fine when I reassessed, so I just kept on pluggin' away until I had put the mileage on that I wanted to claim for Saturday.

Got home, and continued my cool down and hydrating while I ate a banana and checked my e-mail, Facebook, Twitter, AND now Google+.   (It's a good thing nobody actually expects me to be anywhere most of the time.)

Hopped in the shower and ZOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWIE discovered that I had, if not the mother of all blisters on the back of that foot, at least her ugly stepsister.

It's a good thing I was in the shower. And that nobody else was home. I said things -- loudly -- that might have been misunderstood.

I am glad to say that I doctored it up the best I could, and even took my Sunday Stroll the next morning....

.... in a pair of WrightSocks with hole-y toes.

I thought that was fitting.

***

Monday, July 18

Total Distance: 5.43 miles

Total Time: 1:23:11

Pace: 15:19 per mile

Tuesday, July 19
Rest Day

Wednesday, July 20


Total Distance: 4.48 miles
Total Time: 1:06:25
Pace: 14:50 per mile

Thursday, July 21


Total Distance: 4.82 miles
Total Time: 1:11:17
Pace: 14:47 per mile

Friday, July 22
Rest Day

Saturday, July 23


Total Distance: 10.3 miles
Total Time: 2:25:34
Pace: 14:08 per mile

Sunday Stroll, July 24  


Total Distance: 3.3 miles
Total Time: 54:18
Pace: 16:27 per mile


***

I have really begun to love doing these Sunday Strolls again. I have decided that they are training for my future. Surely there will be races in years to come that still need balloon ladies to bring up the rear, right?

The balloon lady from last year's half-marathon.

Check out the Sunday play list page if you can. I really have a lot of fun finding links to some of my favorite stuff from these walks. This is off my random iTunes stuff: I'm trying to whittle it down to make it more manageable, and there are always a few that I find myself happily deleting when I'm done. There are also always a few that I have heard a thousand times, but to which I have not really listened in a long time, and that's the most fun part. 

I'd love it if you'd let me know you dropped in, and I hope you'll pass this blog along to anyone you think might be interested!  

By the way..... if either the WrightSock or Thorlos people 

wish to set me up in socks for life, please know this....

I can be bought.