The Good: I have a new running buddy, and we're a good match. And by good match, I mean that she humors me enough to keep pace with me, even though she could leave me in the dust. I think that I will be able to help her reach her goals by encouraging her to stay on track, and she's going to push me enough to help me overcome my comfort zone pace. I know I can do more, I know I can be better. Sheila's going to help me get there.
So...yesterday, we went running on the Johnson City end of the Tweetsie Trail. I've never run that end, and I was really looking forward to it. (Unrelated...I figured out how to add pics again...yay!!)
The Tweetsie is an old rail bed that runs between Johnson City (where I work), and Elizabethton (where I live). Currently, it's about 6-ish miles long, but they're still expanding the Betsytown end, so by the time they're done, it should be over ten miles long...great for training for longer distances, too. I usually run the Betsytown end, and even with the relentless grades, I've really enjoyed it, especially the parts that are away from high traffic areas. The Johnson City end is complete, though, and they really did a great job with it!
The best thing about the trail is that it's a composite trail...easier on the feet and joints, and probably better for the overall training, because you have to dig in to keep your traction. It's also incredibly shady for the most part, thank God....which brings us to the Bad.
Yesterday, it was hotter than the surface of the sun...I'm sure of it. I've been running much later in the day, just to take advantage of the cooler temps, but meeting Sheila after work had us both running much earlier than we were accustomed to. That's both good and bad....good, because it gets us home earlier. Bad, because I was sweating profusely the minute I stepped out of my car. Before my warm up, even. Holy cow.
I think I must have sweated twice as much as I drank yesterday. That's really unusual for me. Maybe that's what led up to the Ugly portion of the show...not sure...but my socks rode down into my shoes, and I felt my heel stinging about halfway back to the car. When I stopped to pull up my sock, I found that a blister had already formed, popped, rubbed raw and bled all over my sock and shoe. Pics or no, I will spare you that one. I limped the rest of the way back to the car. Here, have a nice pic of the actual rail beside the trail, instead....it's lovely.
Even the strap to my sandal hurts today, and that's WITH a bandage on it. I may have to use moleskin for my run tomorrow. But you know what? Of all the runs I've had over all the years I've been running, this is the very first time I've ever had a blister, much less a bad one. So I guess overall, I've been pretty lucky with it.
Tomorrow is another run day, and we'll be running directly after work...even earlier than yesterday, so it will most likely be even hotter. I'm going to do my best to hydrate as well as possible between now and then. Hopefully, it will help. But either way, it's good training...I need to learn how to run in the heat as well as the cold this winter...and that will be ten times worse.
