New Shoes and a Partial Solution

8 miler today. I was a bit apprehensive going out since it’s the longest mileage in a good long while. And Eldar’s shin splints have him sidelined at the moment. So, it was up to me to entertain myself.

Thanks to Barry at Westchester Road Runners for hooking me up with new running and walking shoes (plus insoles) on Friday night. Yes, that’s my exciting evening…spending an hour picking out new running shoes. Though, I watched Deadliest Catch, too.

Anyway…new shoes broke in without incident. Well, no more incident than a few grandiose mud puddles. So far, I am blister free.

And I rocked it at 10:15 pace! Which is stellar for me these days. Felt terrific until the last mile. Though I think my fatigue was more mental than physical. But it does remind me to start rethinking my breakfast strategy now that I’m upping the mileage. I don’t think Newman’s Own Sweet Enough cereal is really the breakfast of champions (though it is one of the only cereals you can buy that isn’t filled with science experiments- and even it’s not perfect…but I digress.)

Ran south on the Bronx River Pathway even though E doesn’t like me to run that way alone (thanks to a few darkish underpasses where we have seen random discarded clothing lying around). But lots of folks out to run so I did it anyway. And I thought it time to solve the mystery of the disappearing trail.

We know the trail continues further south, but it dead-ends in Hartford and we can’t figure out where it picks up. Even shows a break on the “official” map. But I asked a guy who had passed me on the way out if the trail picked up. He says there are 2 ways-one through the neighborhood and another down the access road of the Hartford train station. I opted for the latter since my helper didn’t know the street names to use on Route #1.

Peaches at the train station farmer’s market!! Yippee-maybe it’s summer after all.

Anyway, found MOST of the route, but didn’t see the semi-hidden access point he mentioned and I was already halfway through my mileage so needed to get back. But the good ‘ol Internet provided the solution. Now just need to figure out the neighborhood route.

All in all…a good morning and a much needed confidence builder!