Christmas Comes Early

It's beginning to feel a lot like....fall running season! Man we were overdue for some new shoes and Road Runner Sports came up big. After searching STL for some new shoes, Aimee and I took note of our favorites then checked them out online. We found exactly what we needed: size, color, free shipping, VIP discount, additional online coupons, and saved about $150! Oh yeah!

The shoes are getting water protection sprayed on them tonight and will be broken out tomorrow morning. The breakdown: Aimee went with Asics GT 2160 and Saucony Kinvara 2, while I got some Asics Speedsters and Saucony Mirage. Fall racing here we come. Next up is Drury 12k on Saturday and Route 66 1/2 on Sunday both in Springfield.

Frustrated runner

A little blog venting today - I apologize in advance. This morning was a reminder that fall is here, which I am really excited about, but that with fall comes later sunrises. We tried to run a tempo run on the golf course this morning and it was pitch black. I almost fell twice and stuck my leg once before I decided my tempo run was going to be a jog instead. In Springfield we were able to run in the middle of the roads or sidewalks because they were lit throughout the night. I miss tempo runs on Battlefield. We really like it here and are getting settled in nicely, but running has been the biggest drawback. There are some good things about this area like how I feel much more safe running and the HS track is really nice. But, the logistics of getting to town on a small two-lane highway, hills, and lack of lighted paths are starting to frustrate my running motivation. Argh! Sorry to be the Debbie Downer, but there aren't always perfectly paved paths for Our Life on the Run.

Feeling Like Old Times

Jones Dome 9/11/11.

This weekend, Aimee and I traveled to St. Louis for our long run on Grant's Trail. Running on the trail and driving through South County STL and Fenton to get to that trail made me feel like being back in Springfield.

Much like South Creek and Galloway Trails in Springfield, Grant's trail is about 8 miles long, paved, mostly flat, and runs through suburban communities. One big difference between Springfield Trails and Grant's Trail is the number of people using them. Aimee and I were never without another runner, walker, biker, rollerblader, or rollerblader being pulled by their dogs. Probably the coolest thing about Grant's Trail is running through Grant's Park and being able to see all the Budweiser Clydesdales.

After running, we spent the day in STL shopping and looking for new running shoes. We came across a couple new running stores in the area and familiarized ourselves with their websites in case we needed to find or register for a local race. We were excited to find some new shoes, which we ended up ordering online, and are ready for them to get here soon. Our fall running schedule is starting to hit full stride and now we'll be ready!

Rally Cap for the Braves (9/10/11) did not work.

Bikes!

So, after months (maybe years) of wavering, Aimee and I finally broke down and bought some road bikes. This officially gets us 2/3 of the way to a triathlon. Unless you are Aimee, and you can already swim, which means she could do one tomorrow (very jealous). It's not that I can't swim, because I can, its that I can not swim multiple laps in succession without stopping to rest.

We purchased our bikes on Thursday from a local shop here in Farmington that also has two stores in STL. After buying the bikes we immediately rode them 6 miles home and returned to get our cars later. The next day, instead of driving the 5 miles to work, I rode my bike. Today, we took a leisurely 12 mile ride out in the country instead of running. We love our bikes, but currently our butts do not. We both think we need to invest in a more padded seat.

I am looking forward to my new adventures with the road bike, but will always keep running at the top. Once I learn to swim, look out triathlons here I come; but who knows when that will be. Totally off topic, but worth writing about, this weekend was the first football game of the season for Mizzou. Aimee and I, along with her parents, Joe and Andrew went to the game. Before the game, Aimee and I met up with some of my family: Aunt Linda (mom's sister), Uncles Scott (not pictured, he was cooking eggs), their son Kevin (not pictured he was playing hillbilly golf), their daughter Sonya and her husband Dustin. It was a blast and we look forward to going back!