Dear Running of the Pink friends,

    

    While it is uncertain if we will be able to hold The Running of the Pink, it makes sense that we all get in shape as though it is going to be held on June 6^th.  I have tried to keep this blog about how you can start running even with little prior experience, but today I would like to give a surprisingly good report on my progress using the tips we have been sharing.

    

  On Thursday I jogged three miles on the treadmill and was slower than last week at 11 minutes per mile. A little disappointing to have slowed down, but our point has been to do the miles and not worry about the time, which WILL solve itself. On Friday, at 50 degrees, I jogged a somewhat hilly three miles and scored 10:30 per mile with no walking. I was encouraged enough that I went out on Saturday and finally tried four miles. I scared myself with four 9:59’s. Mixing the treadmill with the elliptical has worked. The extra miles also helped my weight, which had stalled at 187. I am now down 19 at 186, with a base goal of 180 and a stretch goal of 175. My original goal for the 10 K was to make it without walking. I have toughened this up a little looking for 11 minute miles with a stretch goal of 10’s

Equipment

    I am a minimalist on equipment. As a fat boy, I wear shoes with lots of heel cushion (I will tell you a story about these in a moment). I strongly recommend a light wind shell with a front zipper because you can adjust your inner temperature as you warm up or get cold turning into the wind, by zipping up and down.

   

   I was visiting with a new runner who asked me how much water she should take along on her runs. She was hauling along a quart container, which must have been a pain, and then was throwing up two miles in. I have had great success drinking 3 or 4 ounces of water before I run, which have carried me easily through 6 plus miles. I would recommend a little toilet paper (a good story about that in another week).

    

   My shoe story is that I have always purchased my shoes from Gun and Reel, too often for their bottom line, from their half price rack at Crazy Days. I was out of town and had forgotten my shoes, saw a store where they video you running, measure the hot spots on your feet and match you to the exact shoe you should wear. I am all excited about becoming a movie star until the “consultant” turned out to be an 18 year old kid, working on a stringy goatee, who watched my wonderful running video and looked at my foot hot spots and said “you need XYZ”, and I speculate, runs to his half price bin, tears off the sale label and charges me full boat, because I was in his video. What I did learn was to buy a shoe ½ size bigger than normal so that the shoe fits during and after your runs. The best ending is that I just bought a pair of Asics Kayanos from my Gun and Reel friends and they are great.

    

   Keep up your workouts and your attitude. This is a great time to run, mentally and physically.

Casey