After my last race (Born to Run 30) in May, I decided to run more. I used a step-counting, fitness challenge at work as an excuse to run every day. I ran every day for 17 days straight, and at least 8 miles for each of those days. I should have taken some days off or cross-trained on some of those days. Consequently, I developed a twinge in both my heels, which was probably the early stages of the dreaded plantar fasciitis. I shut down my running, and have been hitting the elliptical machine since then (with a couple more recent 5 mile runs to test the running waters). After a chiropractic visit and maybe a good massage, I'll probably ramp up the miles again soon. I'm turning 40 in August, so I'd like to run an 50K or 50 miler before the summer is over, just to mark my passage into the "masters" division.
On a side note, I did have a wonderful trip to Hawaii at the end of June! If my heels weren't bugging me, I would have been able to run the Kona Marathon while I was there! We went on a 6-hour fishing trip (which cost over 700 dollars). My brother in law is a serious fisherman! For 5 and a half hours, we got nothing! And then a blue marlin hit one of the lines! Estimated at 9 feet long and 120 pounds, it was a monster (relatively speaking, since these fish can get a lot bigger). My brother in law got strapped in "the chair" and pulled in that fish in about 10 minutes - a surprisingly short amount of time for such a powerful fish! It was amazing to witness the action. It was a dream come true for any serious fisherman!
The next day, I went on 1-hour helicopter ride with two of my sisters to tour some inaccessible waterfalls on the island. I always thought those helicopter rides were overpriced, so never even considered them. I really, really enjoyed the ride! It was almost magical and epic. It was as if we were flying beside these majestic waterfalls. It was all just so beautiful. We also spent a lot of time on the beach and at the pool. Having my parents, siblings, and nephews there made it all extra special. It was a truly epic vacation that I will never forget.
I've been reading a lot of great Western States race reports lately! I even dreamt that I was running Western States last week! It is still my dream race, and I hope to make it back there someday. Never give up on your dreams, people, no matter how crazy or unattainable they may seem at times.
