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November 16, 2024

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Location:

Snoqualmie,WA,

Member Since:

Jan 31, 2008

Gender:

Female

Goal Type:

Boston Qualifier

Running Accomplishments:

Marathon PR: 4:17 at Portland Marathon, Oct. 2007

5K PR 24:37 2009

10K PR 52:58 2010

Have run 22 marathons to date.

No injuries, ever.   :)

Short-Term Running Goals:

Qualify for Boston (4:05 for my age/gender) - or, perhaps, to use my desire for a BQ as a way to get in the hated speed work so I don't just get slower and slower over the years.  This goal is "under (re)construction" right now, until I figure out whether it is truly what I want. :) 


Long-Term Running Goals:

To continue learning about myself and about running, and to enjoy being a fit, happy runner for life.   To always know why I am running and the best way to get the most (both mentally and physically) out of my runs.  To keep a sense of humor and remain optimistic about myself as a runner.  To enjoy running more and more with every passing year. 

Personal:

Baby boomer generation.  Jogged a little in my 20's and 30's.  Started running seriously in 2002.  Low-carb runner since January 2010. 

I love long runs and cold, cloudy weather.  I don't believe in "junk miles."  I am an optimist.  I adore dark chocolate, fog, my family, and knitting -- not necessarily in that order.  

"As every runner knows, running is about more than just putting one foot in front of the other; it is about our lifestyle and who we are."  -- Joan Benoit Samuelson 


Favorite Blogs:

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Miles:This week: 0.00 Month: 0.00 Year: 0.00
Brooks ST3 Lifetime Miles: 891.35
Vibram Five Fingers KSO Lifetime Miles: 23.77
Brooks ST3 II Lifetime Miles: 965.17
Lunaracers II Lifetime Miles: 198.23
Mizuno Wave Universe 3 Lifetime Miles: 104.14
Asics Piranha Lifetime Miles: 536.83
RunAmocs (Softstar) Lifetime Miles: 16.23
Piranha II Lifetime Miles: 219.53
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
7.260.000.000.007.26

58F, clear skies.  Objective - easy & slow. 

I got a late start and felt rather stiff and slow today, so I actually had to run the last couple of miles on my dreadmill.  Mitigation: watching a bit of Race for the Soul.  That's a great movie; I highly recommend it.  I don't believe I'll ever be an ultra runner because of my fear of being alone on trails, but I get a lot out of seeing other runners take on the challenge.  So many barriers we face are just in our minds.

On Old Shoes....   I noticed this morning that I have accumulated an unusually large pile of old running shoes.  I was retiring my old Triax 12's and as I opened the cupboard where such shoes live, it struck me that the thing is actually overflowing. 

What on earth am I keeping them for?  I do think there is a good chance of a coming depression, with hyperinflation, but in such a scenario, would I need so many old running shoes?  Would I trade them for produce on the black market?  ("...and these babies have only 450 miles on them, so how 'bout you throw in an extra tomato?") 

I used to send old shoes to Tanzania through an organization called "Shoe4Africa," but my current view of heavy running shoes now makes that an act of international hostility. 

And why oh why is it so hard to just pitch them into the donation box?  I know the Nike store near me takes shoes and grinds them up to recycle the material, but there is something very horror-flick about that.... Just grind them up? Like they have no feelings?!? 

(internet face slap) Okay, I'm going to go put at least 2/3 of these into my donation sack. The truck is coming today and I swear I am not going to look back; liberation, here I come.

Brooks ST3 Miles: 7.26
Comments
From Carolyn in Colorado on Mon, Aug 31, 2009 at 12:36:58 from 198.241.174.15

Your posts never fail to make me smile and I can use a smile today.

I gave a pair of old running shoes to a coworker who walks in them and loves them. But I've got a couple of other pairs hanging around. I need to go through my closet (and the kids closets) and get a big donation pile ready. I get calls about a truck in the neighborhood quite frequently and if I've got stuff ready to go I say yes, stop. But if I don't have stuff ready, I say no because I have no faith that I'll be ready by the time the truck comes.

From auntieem on Mon, Aug 31, 2009 at 13:03:22 from 67.182.145.8

I just wash them then drop them in the Value Village box. I don't like the recycling (grinding up) idea, because the shoes are still too good for that! After we run our 500-700 miles on them, they are still perfectly good shoes, so I just pass them on.

You'll have a whole new closet!

When is your next fun workout?

From SnoFlake on Mon, Aug 31, 2009 at 13:05:53 from 24.18.192.33

Race for the Soul is a great movie, I agree. Nice run today. Good luck with the shoes! I hope we don't have to start trading them for produce.;-)

From Metcalf Running on Mon, Aug 31, 2009 at 13:51:21 from 207.225.192.66

WOW I feel bad... Aunteem washes them before she donates. I usually just drop them in the donation bucket at the shoe store when I buy new ones. I guess I should start washing them.

From JD on Mon, Aug 31, 2009 at 14:14:56 from 64.65.159.206

"Internet face slap"! Hahaha!

My old shoes become dog toys. Though, now we have a dog who can actually eat the shoes and I'm worried all those funky synthetic materials might be unhealthy for her.

I also regret letting go of all the shoe boxes...I just recycle them, but it seems like they should have a higher purpose.

From Snoqualmie on Mon, Aug 31, 2009 at 16:22:24 from 24.18.192.33

JD - As bad as I am about keeping shoes, I have even more trouble letting go of shoe boxes. So many uses! SnoFlake helps me enforce a limit, don't you SF?

From auntieem on Mon, Aug 31, 2009 at 18:41:30 from 67.182.145.8

Ha, Ha. Yes, I wash them, but you have no idea how badly the shoes from our house smell! Its not me, its the kids.

From SnoFlake on Tue, Sep 01, 2009 at 10:59:12 from 24.18.192.33

Yes, I help Snoqualmie keep her shoebox collection under control, and she helps me with my empty tissue box collection. Why I keep empty tissue boxes, I have no idea. They can be useful sometimes -- we have one that holds a large amount of scratch paper, which we use very often.

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