Heading to Big Sky Country

distance: 4.3 miles (outdoors) total program distance: 22.6 miles pain level: naught

I'm off to Missoula, Montana next week. I've never been, but somehow I know a dozen people from there (I swear there are all of 12 native Portlanders left in the city). (Hyperbole content of the previous sentence: elevated.) They all say its gorgeous, and I have a list of Things To Do and See. I'm excited about getting some time off, going horseback riding, snowshoeing, hot springs-ing, relaxing. And I get to run in a whole new state! Joyous day! Seriously though, I'm bringing all my gear and I plan on following my schedule while there. I don't know if I'll have internet access or not, so there may be no posts. But come on, it's Montana not Borneo! (And even Borneo had internet cafes.) Hopefully I'll be able to update.
My run last night was good. Again, no discomfort, but I'm beginning to think it might be the shoes after all. When I got back inside I took them off to stretch and immediately my right big toe (which had been hurting for reasons unrelated to running – note to self, don't leave a large heavy chair in between your bed and bathroom, drink a full glass of water before hitting the sack, and then try to navigate in the dark at 2am…) began to throb and my right front calf got a little achy. So perhaps the Mizunos are indeed marvelous. As I have no desire to scientifically experiment and determine which change is responsible for my now pain-free running experience, I'm going to keep things just the way they are.
Digression: As I mentioned earlier (I think, I'm too lazy to check), I started running again this summer as way to exercise outdoors on weekdays rather than be stuck in the gym starting longingly at the sunshine. I know a lot of people really hate gyms, which is fair enough – I don't particularly like going myself. But what I've found is that if I bring my clothes with me and plan to go after work, I will go. If you've ever tried to make a commitment to a gym, I think you know what I'm getting at when I emphasize that accomplishment. No matter how sincere you are about getting fit, it's really easy to talk yourself out of going to the gym, especially if you have to go home to change and then try to leave again. Your couch becomes a black hole sucking you, a beer, and a bag of chips into downward into a spiral of laziness and indolence. Today feels like one of those days to me, and I'm really wishing I had brought my clothes to work so I could just head to the gym, run on the treadmill, plod home, and fall into the sweet embrace of my couch.