3 weeks 'til my first 100 miler! Kelly

I'm so excited for you, I can hardly stand it. Jack gonna be your crew person? We could definitely do loops in the Arcata Forest, but we would have to sit and really study the map to figure out which trails added up to the correct mileage. I think the longest trail is less than 4 miles. Well, I guess I'd better get going to the BBQ. Have a great Labor Day, all!

Good luck on your 100 miler Kelly!! Which one are you running? Got in another 5 hour trail run today. It's miserably hot and humid (which is rare) today, so we were slow. Spent about 20 minutes in the creek afterward though, which felt really nice. - Chris

Kelly, The RD is taking food requests? Sounds a little like the last meal for a death row inmate, lol! Chris, I know what you mean. Hot + Humid = Slow running I did run today, as I promised myself, but it was not any cooler than usual. Those meteorologists are compulsive liars, I swear. I ran for time today because I was "exploring" a new area and ran for 1 hour. I know that does not sound like very long, but I think it is the longest time I have ever run. I'm kinda proud of it. I ran in my new shoes and I think that the left one is on the small side for my foot. I rubbed a sore spot (can't tell if it is a blood blister under the nail or not) on my second smallest toe. I do not want to return the shoes, but this has not happened with my old shoes that I used for a year or so. Granted, I do not think I ever ran for that long or that far before, but I wonder. Any suggestions from you guys? I will probably try taping the toes on my next run and see how that goes. So, once again, I am in awe of those who can run for hours. I ran for one and already have a foot problem. Sigh. Maybe I am just finding my "running feet." Kitrin

Kitrin - First, stop apologizing, girlfriend! This is the place to ask all those questions. And running for an hour - good for you! There are people who couldn't (and wouldn't) walk for an hour, let alone run. Are you new to running period or just trail running? Regardless, it will take your body time to adjust. Running on trails is very different compared to road running. My feeling is it's much more taxing, but it is so worth it. Yes, your feet will change as you run. And with longer distances, your feet will swell to a certain degree. The rule of thumb that I was told was to buy at least one size larger than you usually wear. This will give your feet room to move and swell. It will make a big difference. I normally wear a 9, but I buy at least a 10 in my running shoes. And remember, when you're running trails, your feet will move more in your shoes, i.e. on the downhills, they'll be sliding forward. The larger size gives your toes the room to not be slamming into the ends of your shoes. If you continue to have blister problems, look at www.zombierunner.com and check out the kinesio tape. I use that in combination with these http://www.spenco.com/product/602-2nd-skin-square-moist-pads-1-inch and it works really well for me. With regard to the pads, you would have to buy from a dealer since they can't be purchased directly from Spenco. I can't remember off-hand which online distributor I used. Keeping asking questions. That's what we're all here for - to support one another.

Kitrin, I used to always get toe blisters and black toenails; I thought it was just part of running, until I read somewhere about shoe sizes and started getting size 11s instead of 10s. That little change has made a huge difference. Keep on experimenting, enjoying the process, and taking pride in your accomplishments! Kelly, It looks like we'll both be going for distance PRs on the same day - here's hoping it's a good one for both of us!

Hey Kitrin, if those are brand new shoes, and I think you got them at REI, remeber you can trade them back in no questions asked. Run in them for 5-10 runs, then decide if they fit correctly. You have to break them in doing the type of running you will be doing in the shoes. If they don't fit, get another pair, no sweat!

Great job, Dan! Climbing can be a real &itch. My coach has me doing specific exercises during my trail runs to better prepare me for climbs. They're called steady states. I hate them, but they work. You need a long enough section of continuous, or almost continuous, uphill to accomplish them. If you run with a heart rate monitor, after an hour of running you slog (slower than a jog, faster than a walk) your way up a hill for 3 minutes at 80-85% max heart rate, i.e., my heart rate usually in 168-170 range for this. After 3 minutes, power walk for 2 minutes. Switch back and forth for 25 minutes, ending with the 2 minutes of walking. Finish your run. I do these once a week.