New Trail Shoes and More

Photo from here

Mountain Mist 50K is in less than 2 weeks and it's taper time.  I can't say that I feel really happy with how I've prepared, but it's close to how I trained last year and I did okay.  I really meant to post more about my training, but all I can find the energy to say now about it is that it's been hard.  I am trying to do marathon training (since I only have 6 weeks before my next marathon), and training on the trails doesn't fit too well with that.  I did a 20 miler on Saturday on the roads.  We've had nothing but rain for a loooooonnnng time here in Huntsville, so the trails are nice and muddy right now.  It would have been really interesting to run on them this weekend!

I know I shouldn't care about how my new trail shoes look, but I do and I'm hoping they get really muddy really fast.  I had a pair of Nike Pegasus trail shoes from a couple of years ago to run in, but I have since decided that I actually like my toenails and have thus had to go up a half size.  Since I run for Fleet Feet, we can order shoes directly from Nike for a good discount.  So I ordered a pair in my new size and they did not have the right color.  I had them order another color even though I could not find it online at the Nike store. Mistake!  When they came, they were WHITE and LIGHT GRAY with a little mint green trim.  Trail shoes!!!!!!!!!  Who runs trails in white shoes?  They are so nice looking that I actually wore them to church this morning (I was working and had to dress in T-shirt and jeans, so I thought, "Why not break them in?"). No, the above is not the picture of them.  That is a picture of trail shoes the PROPER shade of gray to be used on trails!  I can't find a picture online anywhere but I will try to take one before they start looking like real trail shoes. :)

Guess what?  MORE rain tomorrow!  Oh goodie!  But this week, it turns into a cold rain.  The good part of this is that I have learned a great method for drying your shoes---stuff them with newspapers and leave them in front of the refrigerator.  Who knew?