The Shoe Drama Continues...Hopefully This Is The End.....
A while back (in the middle of my shoe drama) my friend, Tina, suggested I try Altra shoes. They are a minimalist trail running shoe with a zero drop. Which basically means it has no real arch support and is close to running barefooted. I wasn't entirely certain I wanted to try those shoes since I knew I needed arch support (but then again, I also run with hard plastic orthotics). Anyway, ignoring her suggestion, I bought those crazy looking Rebock all terrain shoes. What a disaster that was. I ran 35 miles in them. My last run with them was a 10 mile run along an unpaved section of the greenbelt. I could feel every single step and the little knobs on the bottom of the those ended up being pressure points every time my foot hit the pavement. And in the end, the sole of the shoe itself ended up being too flexible (which means they wore out in 35 miles).
Right after finishing my 10 mile run that day, I went to the Pulse shoe store to drop off some donated clothes. While I was there, Beth, the sales clerk, asked me if I wanted to try the Altras. She knows I have issues with shoes, and she remembered the thread on Facebook where someone suggested it. As it turned out, as soon as they came into the store, she thought they would be a good shoe for me. Sweaty, tired and stinky, I agreed to sit down and try on these size 9, zero drop, minimalist trail running shoes. They have a wider toe box (which was the biggest perk for my wide feet) and since they are zero drop with no arch support, they provide a deeper foot bed for my foot and my insert to fit in without my heal lifting out of he shoe when I walk/run. They felt amazing. I went back the next day and bought the very bright shoes. They have a 2 week refund policy, and I knew I had a 20 mile trail run planned for the next day. These shoes would have a trail by fire!
Swan Falls Dam to Celebration Park and Back 22 Mile Loop.....
Ever since I heard about this loop last year, I have wanted to run this loop. I love Swan Falls Dam and the Snake River Canyon. It's just gorgeous. And since my running girlfriends had planned this little trip, there was no way I was going to miss it. With my brand new bright orange Altras I met the girls at 7:45 am to make the 45 minute drive to the Canyon. It was cool and crisp and looked like it would be the perfect day for a 22 mile run!
After getting a group shot, it didn't take long for the group to spread apart and settle into our own paces. Andrea and Tina took off. Andrea was working on getting her last long training run in before her 50 mile race. She needed to run faster and get more miles in than the rest of us. Dondi, Joyce and Lori stayed several yards a head of Mary and I but generally were within eye sight of us. We did stop and meet each other to take some fun pictures at one of the stone house. This trail was so gorgeous and had such a rich history; it would have been a shame not to stop and take the pictures!
At the mid-way point (Celebration Park), Mary and I stopped to take care of her blistered feet. Dondi, Joyce and Lori took off as soon as we got to the park. And while Mary was finishing up with her feet, Andrea and Tina took off too. Again, Mary and I were on our own and made our way across the river on this really cool bridge that used to be a rail way bridge.
The trail on the North side of the River would appear then disappear. I tried my hardest to follow foot prints. Neither Mary nor I had ever been on this trail and I had no idea this run would have me playing the role of tracker trying to track our running buddies up ahead. It was pretty entertaining. There were parts of this trail that were down right scary. Mary had to sit on her bum to get down a particularly steep part of the trail. Then once when we caught up with Dondi, Joyce and Lori, we all had to cross a creek then crawl/climb on all fours up a steep rocky stretch up the trail onto a ridge. Poor Mary was behind me and the rocks beneath my feet kept on rolling. Thank god none of them hit her!
Dondi pointed out some really cool petroglyphs that I had been excited to see. (Like I said.. a rich history!)
I have no idea what was up with this trail. But every rock on the trail tried to trip me. One of them actually succeeded and I fell to the ground and kept rolling landing on my back. Mary was behind me and was a bit worried. We all worry about me hitting my head again. Or even just jarring my brain (without hitting it). After checking my tights and my long sleeves and the palms of my hands, I decided I was okay. Nothing was ripped and my head seemed fine. Off we went running again.
Like I said, the trail kept disappearing and we found ourselves bush whacking our way through sticker bushes and tumble weeds and climbing up big ol' boulders through boulder fields. Mary and I lost our way several times. But I just kept saying, as long as we follow the river, we know we will be okay. We just had to get to the dam which is on the river. But some how, toward the end of the run, we managed to find ourselves up on the cliff, passed the dam and did not see a trail to get us down. Mary and I found ourselves scaling the edge of the steep cliff to get down to the trail below us to cross the dam. It was certainly an adventure!
Now I want to go back and start by crossing the dam and go backwards and see if I can find the actual trail that doesn't require scaling the cliff :). Soon.
Adventures of BIG Goals.....
I have already set a goal to do my first 50 mile race in March. However, I found myself in a Facebook conversation with a friend who was asking about the 100 mile distance that is being offered at the same race in which I wanted to do the 50 miles. (Neither of us have ever done a 100 mile race.) During this conversation, I told my friend that in order to do the actual 100 mile race which has a 32 hour cut off, she only needed to do a little over 3 miles an hour to reach that goal. (That was after she said, she could easily walk a 15 minute mile..which is 4 miles per hour.) I have never been someone to discourage someone from following their goals. I believe anything and everything is possible....especially with running goals. All you have to do is have your head and your heart in the right place and train properly. Yes, these races are huge challenges, and I respect the mental and physical strength and fortitude it takes to complete these huge goals, but I do believe anything is possible. Maybe that is a Pollyanna attitude, but its the truth. As a matter of fact, I am a good example of this.
Anyway, after a conversation with someone else, I had to go back and read this entire thread. My other friend said that I had said that this 100 mile race on flat ground would be "easy"...and I never said that. (I had to re-read the thread to verify that.)
What I do believe is.......no matter what goal you set for yourself, as long as you train (put your work in) and BELIEVE it is possible, then that is half the battle. No matter what your goal is, there are going to be obstacles. There are going to be nay sayers. There are going to be doubters. But if you want to reach your goal, you need to stay focused on what YOU believe, stay positive and keep moving forward! In the case of distance running, you also need to listen to your body to make sure you do not injure yourself. You need to train smart. But don't ever let someone else's limitations keep you from reaching your goals. You need to run your own race...not anyone else's. Just because someone else may not be up for the challenge, doesn't mean you are not. Just because someone thinks something is difficult, doesn't mean it needs to be difficult for you. At the same time, just because someone thinks something is EASY doesn't mean it is going to be easy for you too. You can reach for a huge, scary goal and still be realistic. Only you know what you are capable of, and you should surround yourself with people who believe in you and will support your goals! So go for it!!! And don't ever look back!
This life is an adventure and its meant to be lived fully!!! Get out there and live it!
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