she likes me

Mother Nature likes me. The sun came out and it was a perfect day for a walk.

Heading over to Aardvark I tried the intervals. I discovered a problem. Waiting at Broadway and several other major intersections lets you rest. It really does't work as well for building endurance.

I tried on 6 different styles of the Vibram's. None worked for my feet. My toes aren't perfect. (I am my mothers daughter.) Merrell's also makes a "Barefoot Pure Glove Shoe". It looks more like a shoe but feels like a slipper. They didn't have my size. That gift card and coupon remains in my wallet.

then I headed up to New Street and across the bridge to the Campus Square farm market at Lehigh. They gave me a lovely new grocery bag and a guide to local foods. Not much produce yet at the market, but lots of baked goods. I bought a small container of apple butter from Bechtold's and some pineapple salsa from the Easton Salsa company. Too bad I cna't go again. Starting in 2 weeks I work T/W/Th. Next week I'll be at a conference in Jersey. Bummer.


After shopping, I headed home. Total mileage 3.9 miles. I'm calling that 4.

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When I was on google pedometer I noticed that the star of Bethlehem and the trail is on the map. When Bonnie's foot heels we are going there.

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I received a silly medal at the MS walk. Promptly lost it. Found it today between the gear shift and the passenger seat. Attached the medal part to my three-day backpack.

calculated risk

At 5 am it was bright and sunny. I thought, yeah the rain is over. I can walk.

For a change I have the day off. I have choices. Walk first thing, or wait till late morning and walk to the south side farmers market and then uptown to Aardvark and look at Vibrams. I have a 10% off coupon and a $100 gift card burning a hole in my pocket.

If they are comfy and I like them, should I break them in at the Relay? I'd always have my Birks to switch to. Hmm.

I took the risk and decided to wait. It's 9 am and looks all black and rainy again. The birds are still singing.

It's a gamble. Hopefully Mother Nature sides with me today.

51:07 alone!

Today was the 20th annual Morning Star 5K. It started at first and Polk streets at the skating rink. (Near the blast furnaces.) Since it's Celtic Classic weekend, there was runners in kilts. Dogs too!


I was alone. Bonnie is on her way home form Dizzyland.

The plan was to walk from home, do the walk, T'ai Chi, then walk home. But T'ai Chi was canceled and I overslept.

I wasn't sure if I'd have enough time to walk down there, and relax a bit before the 5K. I had planned to leave at 7, figuring it would take a half hour, with enough time for construction / traffic issues. But didn't get out of the house till 7:20. Would that be pushing it?

So I decided to take the car part way. I parked it at the CVS and put 2 hours on the meter. I could have walked from home. I was there in about 11 minutes. And the construction was pretty cleaned up for the "special event" weekend.

The race began promptly at 8. The man standing next to me was wearing those shoeless shoes. (right) Did I mention them here or just on the every two feet FB page? They are called Vibram Five Fingers. They are part of a movement for barefoot sports. Beth and I are going to check them out after the Avon. They are very expensive, and I'm buying a new computer, so I doubt if I'll purchase them. But you never know.

It was a tough course. We left the rink, headed out second, over the Fahy, and down Lehigh Street. Then we went thru the festival grounds and up the Main street hill to the bridge, up Main to Broad, up Broad to New, and down New to the Fahy, and back to the rink.

There were  a lot of hills. I kept pace on the hills and didn't stop. Bonnie usually loses me on hills.

There was a lady in front of me the whole time, who stopped an used the port-o-potties at the festival. She past me again, by Market street flying up the hill. WTF? I think she didn't do the loop thru the festival, I think she skipped it. Or else she was one of the cheaters who run part of the time. They drive Bonnie and I nuts. (If you want to run, sign up as a runner for Pete's sake.)

After the hills were over, I decided I was going to pass "potty lady". It took me until half-way over the Fahy bridge, but I left her in my dust! "Jillian" would have been proud. The only reason I could power walk that fast and far was we were going downhill!

I finished in 51:07. I think this was a personal best.. It surely was a PB alone! It was exciting. There was plenty of people behind me. Including one woman who was really, really large. (Lyd before WLS large.) She was pushing a stroller, and finished about 30 seconds behind me.

The course seemed long. When I measured it on google pedometer it was about 3.3 miles. It seemed like 3.5!

Yesterday I walked with ML in the morning 2.25 miles, and then Betsy and I walked to Wegman's. It's about 2 miles each way. If I lived that close to a Wegman's, I'd never walk to Ahart's again!