"Honey, We Are Not In Boulder...."

I could not believe what I just heard....

"What?!"

"I said we are not in Boulder...we do not have any trails around there for that kind of shoe".

I was floored.  A few weeks ago I walked into the run/walk shop downtown and asked the nice kid (I will call him a "kid" since I have crossed the 30 mark and he looked to be still waiting for puberty to hit) if they carried the Salomon brand of trail shoes. I did not think that was an outlandish request, however, his next response was even more hysterical than the first:

"But we do have a pair of Salomon shoes nailed to the wall as a display if you want to see what they look like....they are not for sale."

#$()*%)#$(*%)#($*%)(#$*% NAILED TO THE WALL?!

Needless to say I left that store wishing shin splints on the kid and won't be back.

Now, this exchange happened because I am in desperate need of a trail shoe for my running adventures. I love my road shoes and am extremely loyal to Saucony...but my ankles and feet are killing me. The different grade changes (douche grade) and rocky trails are just too much. I need trail shoes...and I found the shoe I need. Take your time...see their beauty...love them as much as I do....

Say hello to the Salomon XR Misson trail shoe. Did I mention that I love and need this shoe?! Lucky for me I have found them...in Lexington. My heart is happy....now I just need to get them. OH..did I mention I have a birthday coming up? ;)

Anyway, I truly believe that my run at Raven Run this weekend would have been that much better if these babies were on my feet. The run was great...my downhill abilities were straight out of a video (or so I thought...look out Kilian Jornet!) but in the case of this run...what goes down at high speed needs to come up to the parking lot in the end (*groan*).

So I ask you...have you ever wanted to lay down in a field and quit?  Has your body, especially your legs, ever told you that you were crazy and the best thing to do would be to stop...drop...and just wait for someone to pick you up? I had that feeling. The downhill to the Overlook of the Kentucky River was high speed...feet off the ground....hitting each rock and then launching up in the air like an animal. The rush was fantastic...people looked at us like we were out of our minds....but I loved every minute of it. The reward was even better...an overlook of the Kentucky River, resting on the rocks taking in all of nature and its beauty. But as we all know....after a few minutes you have to brush yourself off and head back up the trail..thru the fields and back to where you started. I really wish I did not have to do that. Half way up the rock trails I swear I could not feel my legs. They were shaking so hard that I had to walk for a while. Finally, I did my "Eat and Run" mental check list and decided that I was not going to die and was not injured...so I sucked it up...turned up the music and made the long run back to the car. It was an exhausting pain that made you want to just lay down..but at the same time make you wonder if you could do it again. As the wind blew thru my hair driving back down Old Richmond Road I swore I was in heaven!

Those trails were awesome and I cannot wait to do them again. The muscles used were totally different from the typical road running most do....and more intense then the grass trail running I do behind the house. I figure if I can get as much as I can in before the winter...then I will not feel so bad if the weather keeps me from them for the next few months. I hope this is not the case.

Now that I got that under my belt, I have a few road runs to do this week. Tuesday is the 6:30 West Sixth Runners club. I hope to see a few of you down there...I promise you will like it! Wednesday will be a regular long run around either the neighborhood or the grass trails behind the park. THEN..Thanksgiving morning is a 5K at Keeneland!! I can't wait. The one thing I hate about Thanksgiving is how much people eat. I figure, run a 5K before and the urge to consume an insane amount of food will not be there!

I am also going to figure out how to get my running progress linked to this page. Give me time...I think passing legislation may be easier.

Oh...and if you are looking for a hysterical blog to read, might I recommend Dakota Jones blog on this platform. Look for "Living the Dream". He is a young ultrarunner/mountain runner who has the best sense of humor. I almost peed myself reading about their adventures in go carts in San Fran! If you have trouble finding it..just google "Dakota Jones Blog" and it will come up.

Until then...perhaps I need to be in Boulder. At least then I could go in and tell that kid that I was going there....

Till next time :)