Tricks of the trade

Well hello.

I am officially over my brutal head cold, and back in the running habit! Over the weekend, the Oyster Festival took place, out at Boone Hall Plantation, and I must say, it was the most successful event that I have seen out there - we are estimating between 10,000 and 11,000 patrons! If you were out there on Sunday, you know what 11,000 people looks and feels like. The weather was awesome as well - despite the influx of rain on Saturday, the Boone Hall grounds were not terribly muddy (we did lose a lot of acreage parking-wise because 2 fields were first frozen and then flooded once they thawed), and the temperature was a cool and crisp 49 degrees, but very sunny! My nose and forehead even got a little sunburned, which was surprising. All in all, a GREAT Sunday to be outside and amongst friends.

Monday's run proved to be much harder than I thought - I kept getting lightheaded and having to take breaks. My running buddy (still need a name for her) was great, though, and whenever I would stop to walk, she would keep running a block or two and circle back for me, which motivated me and also kept her running the whole time. Last night (Tuesday), I ran 2 miles on the treadmill instead of cross-training to work on my endurance for tonight's run. Afterward, my shins hurt so bad I had trouble walking up the stairs to my apartment. I iced each shin for about 10 minutes and then went to bible study (more on that in another post).

Today's run was nearly perfect. My buddy chose to run 5.5 miles this afternoon, so she said that our run was focused solely on me, which scared me at first, but ended up being awesome. Since she had already gotten her workout in, she was happy to run at my slightly slower pace, which allowed me to run steadily and concentrate on my breathing and form. I went at lunch to The Foot Store and got a new pair of kicks because a few little birdies had told me that might have something to do with my shin splints. The guy hooked me up with a pair of Brooks (switched over from my trusty Asics) and they were nice and shiny and I was feeling very excited. To give you an idea of how broken-down my old shoes were, he practically bent them in half in the store - my new shoes hardly give at all. With my new shoes, a new attitude and RB's (running buddy) patience and motivation, our 3.5 mile run was enjoyable and uplifting. RB is very knowledgeable and inspiring when she can tell I'm starting to get a little down in the dumps, and that's been a huge help to me.

This weekend, Pookie is having surgery (again!) - this time on her broken arm. She fell while in DC this past weekend and broke her arm in 3 places! Poor Pookie. On Saturday we have another 5-mile attempt, and I'm a little anxious, but excited as well. Sunday is the SuperBowl - I'm pulling for the Colts. Who are you pulling for? PS - its nearly time to start fund-raising for my little excursion down South. I also need to share with y'all some pictures of some fun stuff I have from Habitat :)

XOXO