Sunday, March 1, 2009

Toying around with the idea of a half marathon

It's at the end of this month, but I'm nervous I've lost too much of my "running muscle". I gave my knee some ample time to heal from the full marathon, and have been doing some intense cardio at the gym 3-4 times a week. Throwing myself into a half at this point seems like a bad idea, but something's drawing me to it....

There's also a 4 mile trail race next weekend at Old Tucson studios! Ever seen Tombstone, Frisco Kid, Gunsmoke (the TV show), or any John Wayne movie? They were all filmed at Old Tucson Studios! http://www.oldtucson.com/ What a rich history, huh?

It's weird knowing that another TNT season has already started (Rock N' Roll San Diego and Seattle), and that I'm not a part of it. It's also amazing how easy it is to blow off a weekend run since there's no team to hold me accountable!! :) Although, I can't deny how nice it is to sleep in on my Saturdays. I know that I will NOT have that luxury come Nike training time. With the season beginning in late May and going through October, we'll be starting around 5am to avoid doing a 20 miler in 100+ degree heat. Ugh! But I still get a little twitterpated thinking about it, only a couple of months to go! San Francisco, get ready!

In other news, for the locals reading this, Fleet Feet has finally moved to their bigger store on Tanque Verde! They're right across from Udall Park and in the same business strip as Zona 78 and Frost. I helped them move most of their inventory on Valentine's Day (at night) and we all had a blast. During the month of March, they're hosting a "Grand Re-Opening event" at their store, so go check it out and say "hey". Enter for your chance to win shoes, hydration systems, GPS watches (!!!), you name it. Check out their page for clinic dates with Zoot, Keen, and Superfeet (my favorite!) http://www.fleetfeettucson.com/index.php

One of the many unfortunate side-effects of this crappy economy is that local businesses are falling prey to the big box stores. Pete and Jeanne (the owners) are amazing people, as made clear by the huge amount of support they've received from the Tucson running community. To be EXPANDING right now speaks volumes. For three years in a row, now, Fleet Feet Tucson has been rated one of the top 50 running stores in the country. Boy are we lucky!

I cannot say enough about their story and their philosophy (or FITlosophy, as they like to say) of making sure you have the best equipment for YOU. It's all about how YOU run and what your body does naturally (for me, I pronate), and addressing it by the type of shoe (neutral vs. motion control) and making sure you have weather-appropriate attire. In Tucson, nothing is more important.

For the non-locals, Fleet Feet is a franchise, so check for one near you! http://www.fleetfeetsports.com/store-locations

And that's about it for now. See you out there!

2 comments:

o2bhiking said...

I always swear, when I finish a marathon, that I will stay in "marathon-shape" and I do - for about 2 weeks. It is too easy to sleep in until 6, and say "oh I will run tomorrow." My race is just 8 weeks away, and I know when it is all done I will enjoy those first couple of Saturdays, not having to get up at 5:30. But after that little break, I will think of all of the TNTers out there each Saturday and miss it.

Nike should be fun. I would like to do that for TNT some day because I have a sister and two nieces and a newphew in the Bay area. I know it is mainly for women but I think men are allowed, just in a huge minority. Good luck with picking up training again, Elsbeth! Art

Katie said...

Nike will be awesome!! I've thought of attempting that myself. Don't push yourself too much, too fast. Give yourself ample time to heal -- it's something I'm trying to learn myself!