Blogs, Blisters, and ....curbs?

Okay, so i've been complaining about my blog getting a little lackluster. I have been thinking about things that I might want to write, but none of them come out quite as good as I hoped, or as good as they sounded in my head. Here's what I've come up with. I haven't been pushing myself hard enough. The better thoughts (i.e. better blogs) always happen when I'm at the edge of my perceived limits. I discovered this as I was running harder than I think I've run in a while!

On to Blisters, I read in, I think it was Ultramarathon Man about how his blisters got so bad that the doc at one of the checkpoints lanceted them open, filled them with super glue and wrapped his foot with duct tape. I thought as I was reading it, man, how could you ever let someone do that to your foot? Well this is how. I ran 4 miles today--4 measly miles, and I had a blister for maybe 1.5 miles of it. If you would have asked me to describe the blister before I took my shoe off, I was sure there would be blood. and it had to be at least the size of a dvd (yes, I realize that is bigger than my whole foot). and regardless of the size, by the end, it hurt. I got home and the little bugger was no more than the size of a nickel. I cannot even imagine what it felt like to run I think upwards of 50 miles with a growing blister on your foot. I'm pretty sure fairly quickly I would let someone superglue my feet back together as well.

Now curbs. I tried to think of a word for curbs that started with a 'b', you know to go along with the theme, but no dice. If you have a suggestion, please let me know!
Curbs are a funny thing. I ran through my neighborhood today and at a certain point the sidewalk sort of stops and I take a little jump (jump is even too big of a word) down onto the street. On the way out, I don't even notice it. It is just another step in a long series of many steps. On the way back however, little wimpy non-curb somehow transforms itself into a mountain. I'm not quite sure how it manages? I get to that stinker of a curb and it threatens to trip me. Somehow, I know in my head, that if i can get my feet up over that monstrous curb, I am home free. I can make it to the end of my run. and I did. I scaled the mountain and made it back onto the sidewalk. Home!! it was glorious!

Disappointment...sort of.

So, I got to spend ten days on vacation at the beach. It was amazing to just wake up and know that there was nothing on the agenda but to hang out with some of my most favorite people. I ran and relaxed and read and swam a little...bliss!
I had just finished reading Born to Run which was oh so inspiring. I don't know who wouldn't be inspired to run after reading that book. The story is so touching. Then out on the beach this week I read Ultramarathon Man another inspiring read. That man is AMAZING. The things that he has been able to make he body do are incredible.

The disappointing part is... reading about all of these amazing athletes that are so passionate about running does not in fact make me an amazing endurance runner. It has improved my attitude and gotten me excited about my running, but the actual endurance--does not just change at the close of a chapter, darn. I guess I've got to keep logging the miles in my sneaks.