Running on Pillows, with a Bunion. An Ode to a Shoe

like many things in my life of late, training for the triathlon has been frustrating. particuarly because of the more or less constant pain i have been experiencing. the pain is primarily in my right foot and residue from an accident circa 1998, and it's been a real bitch when trying to motivate myself to "hit the pavement" so to speak.

but, alas came a brand of shoes with extra cushion in the toe bed to prevent aches in my developing bunion and with stiffer sides to give me stability to (sort of) solve my long lasting achilles tendon problems. today, i begrudgingly went on a run, but to my delight it felt like running on pillows. 3 painless miles. i should have done more, but it was dark. and i have lsating to do.

so, for now, i'll just have to thank saucony for their brilliance in shoes and hope that the pain doesnt come back.

What a Difference a Day Makes

yesterday, i was riding my bike from work to an unplanned cubs game. north bound at navy pier the police officer says to me as i'm waiting for the light to change, "i love blue eyes. you want me to stop traffic for you?" my response was, well, you could do that, but i'm in no hurry. if i'd only known that there would be a million people out at 6:00 on a tuesday enjoying chicago's first real 80 degree day, i might have taken that officer up on his offer to speed things along.

and then today. i'm running home from work. this time, i'm going south, so less people is to be expected. except today, my only other interaction was with a goose. the goose hissed at me for running too close to it's chick. i picked up the pace. i'm pretty sure that goose could have done me some major damage.

True Signs of My OCD

sometime ago, someone sent me a package. the package contained a large amount of bubble wrap. after enjoying whatever was in the package, i decided to save the bubble wrap because it would one day provide me with a good stress relief activity. instead the bubble wrap collected dust in my room until it along with the other junk that had been accumulating started to stress me out, so i threw it away. and the thing i saved to prevent stress caused more than it ever could have relieved.

and, i've now had not one, but two LSAT anxiety dreams. maybe i should wait until october...

Triathlons for the Geometrically Challenged

sometime this week i decided it was time to bite the bullet and invest in some triathlon foot wear. clip on shoes and real running shoes. i told myself i would buy the running shoes that fit best regardless of price and that with the bike shoes, i would get something decent that actually fit me.

but, in addition to having the vertical challenge of being four feet ten inches, i also face the horizontal challenge of having very wide, flat feet. that are a very small size five and a half. i went to the running store where you go when you know you have problems. they gave me some shoes sent me to the street gave me some options then said that they didnt carry my size in many brands. (you know you're in trouble when you go into a "serious" running store and they give you nike). they found a few for me to try and promised to order them for me to test. and then i'll shell out the most i think i've ever paid for a pair of shoes with the hope that my calf muscles will stop aching and my toes will stop throbbing.

and at the bike store, they were all about the sale. they got it, but only because i want to take advantage of the coming weekend's warm weather to try my luck with these new, fancy shoes. they gave me a few to try, and the sales person pulled out last season left over small sized when i told her there was no way i was paying $150 for a pair of cycling shoes that i couldnt get in and out of quickly. and you know you're in trouble when you tell the woman you wear a five and half and she gives you a "US five" from a brand that sizes only in mens. i tried on the five and thought it was odd it was so large. i looked inside and discovered that she had tried to sell me a 38 when i wear a 35 on a good day. we went over this a bit and i settled on a pair of "us fours" which are supposedly size 36. they seem to fit well enough, though i'll have to ask around as to how they are supposed to fit.

so far in my quest to dress for the triathlon, i have had to special order both my bike and my running shoes. my bike shoes i got because they were the only ones left from the previous season. i've given one shot in running in a swim suit to test the support, but that was a no go. so the next task...outfitting the geometric challenge that is my bust.