Looking Ahead

I just checked the Across the Years website and I'm in for the 48 hour race, along with more than a half dozen other Badwater runners I know, including Lisa Bliss, Phil Rosenstein, Gillian Robinson, and a few new ATY faces who have Badwater ties.

Looks like Debra Richmeier is coming back too, and Tracy Thomas is in the 48 hour this time. The women's 48 hour should be very competitive and VERY fun. I can't wait! Looks like we will have a great time out there this New Years.

I started running slightly longer this week. I managed to work up to 30 minutes most days this past week, including my work days. My feet didn't hurt by the end of the day even with running before work. I got some good bike rides in, including a 50 mile ride one morning to Flatiron Reservoir past Loveland.

My feet are still shedding like a snake but they feel better. The itching has stopped and I am using a ton of lotion on them to try to soften them up.

Speaking of feet, the Drymax socks are working great too. I've been wearing them everywhere, running, biking, to work, around the yard. I use the walking, tennis and golf socks for work, and my feet stay more comfortable later in my shift in all of them. Standing on my feet all day and wearing cotton socks isn't the best thing. The Drymax socks are thicker and give my feet a softer surface to stand on and they really do stay dry after 13 hours.

I like the sport socks and the lightweight mesh running socks in my bike cleats, they are thinner and give my cramped feet more room, and keep my scrunched up toes dry.

So far I have tried the regular running socks and the lightweight ones and I like both of those socks. I really notice a difference in how dry my feet stay in the regular running socks. They are thicker socks and I usually don't like thick socks because of the size difference in my two feet. The thick Drymax socks stay dry and don't cause a problem wth friction or seams. So far I haven't tried the trail running socks, the hot weather running socks, or the maximum protection socks, but I will be doing all of those soon, as I get into my fall training runs.

I have been riding the roads and looking up at the foothills, wishing I could be running the trails along Devil's Backbone and Coyote Ridge. I will be, soon enough. I am going to sign up for the 24 hours of Boulder and use that as my big training run before Across the Years.

This past week I was exhausted, but it was probably because I did a night shift last Sunday and it didn't feel like a normal night shift. I was dead on my feet by 2:30 am and never got a second wind. Then trying to sleep all day Monday the girls kept waking me up barking at the birds who decided to build a nest in our gutter, the baby birds were starting to fly and driving the girls crazy.

Then Tuesday I did my civic duty, remember that jury summons I got before Badwater that I postponed, well I had to go to the courthouse that day and it took them all day long to choose the jury for a criminal trial that was supposed to last 8 days. Fortunately I didn't get picked, but it was late afternoon before I got home and I missed my nap time. I've been sleep deprived all week. Then work has been busy busy busy, and my last two shifts this week I was running all day long, nonstop without time for lunch and not getting out on time either. I was ready to drop when I got home at 8 pm on Friday.

This weekend Dennis and I had plans to go to the cabin but we were both exhausted, so we stayed home and did a little yard work and a lot of relaxing. I haven't been up in the mountains all summer.
We will try to go in the next few weeks and run the trails between Como and Breckenridge. This is the best time of year, in the early fall. Time to hit the trails!