More off-season rambling.

Yesterday I got my first racing flats and I LOVE them. They are super light, like wearing really thick socks. The guy that sold them to me at Albuquerque Running Shop suggested them for building strength in my lower legs. I'm supposed to wear them for one short, easy run each week, at least in the beginning. I did a couple miles on them yesterday, and I was expecting to feel some discomfort since these have much less padding and support than my NB-767's.

I really enjoyed my run. I felt like my feet were flexing and moving in a more "natural" way. The guy at the running shop thought that I have an advantage, since I'm on my feet all day. I'm also supposed to have an advantage due to my childhood running around barefoot in Alabama, but we'll just put that aside for now.

I also went and got about five inches chopped off my hair today, and I feel much perkier.
Well, actually I shouldn't say "chopped". It has come to my attention that my hairdresser occasionally reads my blog so I will instead say that my hair was lovingly and skillfully shaped by the inspired shears of Tammy. In any case I feel perkier, more athletic, too. Tammy is the only person I've let touch my hair for nearly 6 years now, and we discussed whether or not Sweet Baboo would notice, as I was pretty sure he would notice immediately, because he's that way.

So about two hours after Sweet Baboo arrived home I finally said to him, "Well, I think it's time for your trap question of the day." He laughed and said, "what is it?" and I said, "What's different?" and he didn't have a clue.

Well, hell. I feel perkier, and that's what matters.

I'm pretty sure he's busy thinking about his two upcoming events: First, there is a 300K brevet (190 miles) ride in Phoenix this weekend (I will wait for him and make him things to eat when he is done. I am not 'friends' enough with my saddle even enough to plan a century, much less this craziness)

Second, there is the February 17th Mt. Taylor Quadrathlon.

What is the Mt. Taylor Quad, you ask? Well, it is pure insanity.

On February 17th, the racers, including Sweet Baboo, will race 42 miles to the top of Mt. Taylor, 11,301 high. First, they bike 13 miles, climbing 1800 feet. Next, they'll five miles on gravel roads climbing up 1200 feet. Then it's a cross-country ski that rises 1200 feet over two miles, and then snowshoe up 600 feet over a mile to reach the summit.

At that point, the race is half over; they have to then do everything in reverse to get back to the finish/start line.

Yeah, I know what you're thinking. I want to do it too. But no way I am ready. I've hiked Mt. Taylor in the summer, but not this. Maybe I'll give it a shot next year. Or the year after that. Or sometime around 2010. It's just crazy enough to be worth doing once. This year, however, I plan to attend with a thick coat, blanket, my daughter's old cheerleading pom-poms, and a thermos full of coffee. And my cute new hair.

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