Breaking the Silence, Ending the Streak

Sorry to get all Half-Fast on you. You know how it goes. Work gets busy. Running is little to none. Blogging material escapes you. To make a short story longer, I didn't feel like blogging and now I do.

With deadlines met and my idle thoughts returning, I got back outside to run after a three-day break. Of course, I picked a day that was supposed to approach record temperatures. And so I picked a route that would keep me mostly in the shade, Hampton Hills.

I didn't feel like wearing shoes, but I also wasn't sure if my feet could handle my first barefoot run on rough trails so I brought along the Hippie Shoes just in case.

The trail I run at this park is kind of like a three-part course over 3.2 miles. The first part is in the woods on mostly smooth dirt, with a river crossing and a steep uphill. The second part is through a field of rolling hills and tall grass. The third part returns to the woods with less than smooth dirt and gravel and steep downhills and a few uphills.

My soles were fine and dandy until that third part. I left the huaraches in the car. My plan was to run one loop barefoot to see how it felt and grab the Hippie Shoes, if necessary, for a second loop. Oh yes, the footwear was necessary.

The jagged rocks and gravel, steep wood-plank steps and exposed roots tortured my feet during that final third of the trail. My form was already suffering from fatigue. I couldn't relax and adapt my footfalls to the terrain. But overall, I was happy with my longest toughest barefoot run yet.

After I grabbed my Hippie Shoes, I reversed route to find the Enthusiast and Dobson. I was hoping to run two loops for 6.4 miles, but my first lap was so slow that I didn't have time for a full second without making my companions wait. Instead, I ran to them and we all ran back to the trailhead -- about 5 miles total for the day.

And because I know my audience ...

Still cute after ruining your shoes ...

Beer Tasting Snapshots
I tried two new-to-me brews in the last week, but since I skipped my usual Tuesday post, I'll have to catch you up with a quick update:

Unibroue Terrible: Bubbly dark Belgian ale, 10.5 ABV, 4.4 Hiccups

New Holland Imperial Hatter: Well-balanced hops, 9.4 ABV, 4.2 Hiccups

[Drunkard's note: The Booze Hounds Beer Rating scale (0-5 Hiccups) is based on a complex mathematical formula that would be impossible to explain to such a dunderheaded audience. Let's just say the higher the score, the more likely I am to drink it again. If Natty Light is your control beer, mark it zero.]