January Review

I had a bit of a rough patch at the end of last year and the first couple of weeks this year, but I think I have turned it around. I have had some good runs and today was the 18th day of my streak. I have really tried to play it smart and not pile on a bunch of crazy miles to injure myself. My plantar fasciitis is still giving me some mild pains but lots of stretching throughout the day and especially after the run really has helped it significantly.

The weather has been incredible here for January, I think it has been in most places. Here is a shot of my run last Sunday.

Picture perfect day, 40 degrees and no wind!

Along with my 18 day streak I have been practicing the my 100ups before each run. I truly believe that this has helped improve my form, I do not do them barefoot...maybe I should be.

My store has partnered with the local gym and we are putting on a "Healthy Lifestyle Course". Part of the course is keeping a food log. I didn't do so well at logging my food the first week, but then I downloaded the app from www.myfitnesspal.com . It's easy to use, you just input what you eat, so far I haven't found anything that wasn't in the "food library", input any exercise that you do and it keeps track of calories and nutrients for you. It's a nice tool, here is a screen shot for what I have eaten so far today. Looks like I shouldn't have eaten that Wendy's breakfast sandwich this morning! I would like to lose about 7 - 8 lbs to get back to racing weight, but more importantly I want to be eating healthier.

As a wrap up...my miles have been good lately. In spite of a rough start to the month, I finished up running 115 miles for the month. Here is what my streak looks like. As you can see below, nothing crazy on any one day and the days where I only have 2 or 3 miles are pretty much my rest days.

I feel like I have a good base established now so the plan is to move on to some longer runs and add in some strength training. I would really like to keep the streak going for at least 30 days but I won't be so stubborn as to risk injury.

What has your longest running streak been?

Do you or have you ever used a food log?

Do You Love Where You Run?

Sometimes it get's a little lonely living out in the country and not having a running buddy. I have been pretty spoiled by having some great running buddies in the past. But I must say that I feel extremely lucky to have the opportunity to run in the area that I do. I gauge traffic by how many cars per mile I see, rarely is it even one.

I thought I would share a nice little 10K loop with you. Come run with me, I hope you don't mind a couple of hills, it's all part of the price you pay for the view.

This is the pavement after we get off a stretch of gravel about 6/10 of a mile.

After a short run on the blacktop we turn back onto the gravel.
There's a nice surprise at the top.

Pretty awesome view from  here!
We are just about to start having some fun now.

No traffic light here!

This is looking back at where we just ran, it's  almost a 2 mile stretch of gravel.

Back on the road again.
No ipods allowed, we have to be able to listen for traffic.

Uh oh...I think I see another hill around the corner.

Don't say that I didn't warn you!

We're havin' fun now!

Did I mention that there may be a couple of hills?

This pretty much sums up the views from my 10K route. 

My friends and I want to thank you for visiting!

My audience

The Natural Running Store

Please hear me out on this, I have a lot to say about this company, and I think that it's important to tell this story.

I have been on the search for better shoes. I have worn the same style Asics Gel Cumulus for several years now and they have served me well. But, I am a believer in natural running. I have personally seen my pace improve when I practice good form and can increase my cadence. I have dabbled with Newton Sir Isaacs with some success but find them a little hard on my feet for longer runs. Anyway, I have been a pretty loyal Road Runner Sports customer for at least a couple of years. I even pay to be a VIP member to save money on my purchases. I bought a pair of Saucony Kinvara's from RRS a little while back and after one very short run in them I knew that they were definitely not the shoe for me. Much too narrow for my wide duck-like feet.

Coach Jeff had been talking about the Altra Instinct zero drop shoes available from the Natural Running Store. I read up on them a little and I like that they spoke of a larger toe box so that your feet can spread out in them rather than having your toes crammed together. So...I pulled the trigger. I went online and was even able to get a little bit of a discount at the time. The Instincts retail for $99, really not out of the ball park for a good pair of shoes. As soon as I registered on their site and placed my order I received a video email from Patton Gleason, the President of Natural Running store, thanking me for my order. You may view the actual video here. You can learn more about Patton here.

You can click on image to see the actual video.

Later that same day, I received another video email from Patton telling me that my shoes were on their way.

It's pretty humorous, I suggest you listen to it here.

My shoes arrived in just a few days and here is what I found....

Inside the box of shoes was an additional pair of inserts, one is labeled support, the other strengthen, there was a tasty sample size LARABAR, and on the lid of the box are some brief notes about the Altra's describing The Technique, The Transition, and The Fit.

The box states that they should feel like you are wearing slippers, I will vouch for that!

Ok, so what, they have a couple of cheesy videos and they shipped my shoes pretty quickly. 

Let me tell you. 

Here, in my opinion is what sets them apart from the competition. There was one more item in my box, it was a hand written thank you note.

Really, a thank you note for buying a pair of shoes!

I was stunned and impressed that John at the Natural Running Store actually took the time to write me a personal thank you note for buying a pair of shoes. Very cool!

But wait...that's not it. The day after my shoes arrived I received a personal email from John asking about my training and goals. 

I have to tell you that because of John and the service that I received from the Natural Running Store, I now know what it truly feels like to be a VIP. The best part, it didn't cost me any extra!

As a side note, I really don't have anything against RRS. They have always been pleasant on the phone, they have a huge selection of running shoes, clothing, and other accessories. But the personal service that I received from the Natural Running Store was second to none and if they start carrying clothing along with their shoes, I will be hard pressed to go anywhere else.

You can learn more about the Altra Instinct here.