Contemplation

Today was a Pink Floyd kind of day.  Got a lot rattling around in my head and needed to clear things up.  A couple of hours on the trail is good for that.  Jax and I went to the Long Trail and headed north from Pico.  It's a fairly mellow stretch, maybe only 1000 feet of climbing over the entire 10 miles we did.  It's a good thinking kind of run.  There's something about the lonely guitar the resonates with me when I'm out there.

Jax was in his glory.  We managed to do sub-14 minute miles the whole way.  I know that's snail slow to a lot of folks (Rick, you bastard), but for me it was a big jump.   Maybe 2 min per mile faster than the last time we hit the same stretch.  Kind of weird when I think about the 10 minute trails I used to do in residency.  Of course, the terrain up here in VT is ridiculous, especially relative to what I was doing in Mass.  Everything is rocky and rooted and steeper than all get out.  When I hit a stretch of just dirt or pine needles it's like a breath of fresh air.  In the Berkshires, big climbs were 500 ft.  Here, big climbs are 2500 ft.  On the other hand, I know the nastier the terrain, the better workout I'll get from it in the end.  So time isn't the focus, other than racing against myself.

Things seem to be going really well this summer as far as my running, and I'm very pleased.  In a week, I'll be in Haiti, and running in the mountains there.  I'm excited.  It's great fun to run the trails there, cruising past the little huts and plots of corn.  The children start to follow, and some run along, reinforcing that I'm fat and slow.  But they laugh and sing and yell and want to hold hands.  My runs there become a mini traveling circus.  I used to marvel at how those kids ran along barefoot.  Not so much anymore.  The minimalist shoe movement has markedly changed my attitude.  Big thick padded soles are for suckers, and now I don't run in them at all.  

A couple of weeks ago Kim and I hit the EMS up in Burlington.  I picked up some NB Minimalists and the Merrell Trail Gloves.  Both seem to be good shoes, but I'm really digging the Trail Gloves.  Something about 'em just feels right.  They have this great big toe box that feels weird at first.  I was concerned that I might end up slamming my toes against the front of the shoe, but it doesn't happen.  The guy who hooked me up had the good sense to talk me out of going half a size down.  I need to do more time in the Minimalists and do a better evaluation, however.  I've had only one significant run with them.  So there's insight to be gained and I need to get away from narrow thinking when I find something I like and tend to forget about all else.

Time to include a shot of Jax.  This was a bit ago when we did Pico to Killington and you can see him in his ever-patient position ... waiting for me.  It almost makes me not want to sign up for races, as I can't run with him ....

Thanks Jax.  You make my life better.  I hope that I do the same for you.