Friday night, I got back on the trail, and ran the Greenway for the first time in weeks.  I’d taken two weeks off after Gasparilla with a terrible cold, and after my escapades in Chattanooga last weekend, I gave myself another week off to heal my blisters.  I’d been itching to go run, and it was time.

Strapping on my Hoka’s, I headed off to the trail.  I knew I wasn’t going for speed, this was just to clear my head, and comfort my soul.  And run, I did.  (And Yoda, I am, apparently.)  It was glorious out there, and I pushed through, running most of my familiar 5K course, and only walking a bit.

But once again, the toe box on my right foot starting impacting my “Tulsa toe,” and I found myself finishing with some discomfort on my right foot, and a little post-blister party on the bottom of my left foot.  To say I was unhappy is an understatement.

Yesterday, I trekked off to Fleet Feet to talk with them about new shoes.  I’d had no issues whatsoever with blisters until I went to the Hoka’s, and I was beginning to believe they just didn’t fit my feet or style correctly.  That’s a crying shame, as I really love the cushion they provide!  I explained what had been going on since November’s trip to Tulsa, and the look on my shoe fitter’s face told me that I was likely guessing right.  I had a shoe fit issue.

She brought out a couple of pairs of Nike Vomero’s, which is what I’d run in since I started this craziness four years ago, along with a pair of New Balance 1080’s.  I ran a little in each, and came home with the New Balance shoes.   We’ll see how those work over longer, real distances.

I mentioned that I needed to comfort my soul with a run.  On Tuesday, cancer took another life close to me — this time, a wonderful co-worker, and guy just three months younger than me.  Yesterday, Darla and I went to the visitation for him.  I’m just sick over this, and it brings up all the “how’d I escape?” questions from the muck inside me.  That’s an answer I’ll never know, but I know that I can run, and as long as I can run, I’ll continue to raise money for fighting cancer.

This race benefitted the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

Race Course