Pain Speed and Pleasure

Pain
As you may notice from my week(ness) log, I've bee lazy resting this week . . . for my upcoming race this weekend - The Shamrock 5k & 15k - yea, that's it.  Seriously, my feet were a little sore after my 12 mile run last Saturday.  I've been plagued with a condition that I thought was a drinking injury (the disease of Kings - let's call it the King Krippler), since my last race New Years Eve.  However, King Krippler usually clears up after a week or two and since I've been fighting it for two months now, I'm sure there's some other reason.  After consulting many other sources, my conclusion is TFP - top of the foot pain.  This is an issue Barefoot Ken Bob warns newbies about.  Am I still a newbie?  I've been running since August of 2009 - ages ago.  I've logged 400 miles!!  Why is this still happening to me?  Though I may have logged 400 miles - a cool number - I think I've been pushing it just a bit.  The first time it happened was my first race - the CF 5K in September.  Then in the GNYER, I was hit again.  Some sources blame it on the vff's, believe it or not.  They say if you tighten them too much they can lead to TFP.  I don't know, but I've been keeping them loose ever since I read that and, I was barefoot in the CF 5k.  I wore the vff's in the GNYER 'cuz I was a scardiecat.  I think that my race excitement/enthusiasm is probably to blame.  It's funny, I'm sure every runner has begun his racing career shooting out of the gate like a bat out of hell (though, don't bats like warm temps?).  And every veteran warns that you should start your race slow and if possible finish with a negative split.  Well, I guess I am a newbie after all.  Kind of cool - calling me a newbie at my age.  I don't feel new.  On the other hand, running has brought new life to . . . um . . . my life.

Speed
I ran my fastest yesterday.  I wanted to try to run a short distance as quick as possible - I think they call this speed work.  So, sans shoes and The Pooper, I ran my 2.4 mile "Quickie" on the streets of Cuyahoga Falls.  It was my fastest run ever at an 8.5 min/mi pace.  I've never gone flat out like that before - yes, you are supposed to laugh at the "flat out" part- but I'm happy with the result.  I had not broke 9 min/mi previously.  The very first Run of My Life in August '09 on the same trek, was at 15.6 min/mi - I took 3 walking breaks.  Yesterday, it was a gorgeous day of sun and 36 degrees.  The pavement was warm and the spectating kids stared.  I love it when normally outspoken kids can't find anything to say - but you know they want to.  That look of befuddlement is priceless.

Pleasure
Today I took the Pooper on a 5.66 mile to Glen Trail, crossed Front Street to hit Gorge Trail then back.  It was awesome, muddy, crunchy snow, sunny beautiful, slow, and most of all fun.

Here are some post run pics:

Because Barefoot Josh is so enamored with foot pics.  This is a post run cooldown pic.

The blister is old and from a previous run.

Kind of out of focus - I don't seem to have the ankle flexibility as does BFJ.

The Pooper on her snow perch for a post run cool down.