Running for Sushi

I am having such a hard time today. Maybe it was being roused from a warm, cozy nest — my first in months, as sleeping in the same bed as my pillow-stealing boyfriend makes it hard for me to make a nest out of pillows and blankets — at the ungodly hour of 6:30 a.m. in order to eat an hour before my 5 mile run with my lovely friend.

Then I ran five miles.

Finishing with hill repeats.

Ugh.

This reminds me that I didn't update you on the 5k we ran on Sunday (belated happy-4th!). We broke 30 minutes, running a rather pathetic 29:42 (I was running 26 & 27s in high school), but granted we pushed and ran 9:45 minute miles when we normally travel distances of 4+ miles and go much slower (10:45s). AND I've only been back from Italia since last Wednesday and had 3 running days under my belt prior to the race.

I was just glad I finished.

But I regress. So we ran 5 miles this morning, though we run in the evenings usually. She has a meeting tonight and the roads we take for the longer distances get a bit sketch after dark. So we ran this morning.

I also normally cop out after 4.5 or so during the week, because I'm not as built up in my endurance as she is, but I'm skipping tomorrow because my sister is flying in from New York for a couple of weeks. So I'm playing hooky.

In order to stretch my legs out after sitting for a couple of hours (I work a sedentary desk job doing layout for a newspaper), I walked to a nearby sushi place, Obento Sushi, on the corner of F & 6th in Eureka, CA. My sister lovingly refers to their menu as "fake sushi" as it consists of less adventuresome contents like cream cheese, chicken, lox and benign veggies like cucumber, green onions,  and carrots, but damnit, it's still pretty good. Perfect for not completely blowing the work my five miles did this morning.

DO YOU HAVE A PLACE WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE OF HOME/WORK/SCHOOL THAT YOU LOVE TO GO TO EAT? WHAT IS IT AND WHY DO YOU LOVE IT?

With my new (relatively) shoes though, my joints are handling the roads pretty well. Yes, if you must know, I'm an old lady at 23 with my knees and hips after a long run. If you're looking for good shoes in Humboldt County, hit up the Jogg'n Shoppe on the corner of 11th and G in Arcata. They don't have a huge selection, but the owner is a great guy who loves to talk running and will hook you up with the perfect shoe — even if it means ordering it.

If you're not a HumCo resident, check out the Running Warehouse.com. They do an excellent job explaining (on their website, no less) what kind of shoe you need for the kind of runner you are. So definitely check it out.

I personally prefer the Mizuno Wave Alchemy, which I've been rocking since 2001 (and my freshman year of high school).
 

They're great, hugely supportive, and perfect for people who over-pronate a bit and is predisposed to shin splints and knee problems. They update them every year or so, but the core support system doesn't change. I have narrow heels too, so my biggest problem finding running shoes is finding ones that will stay on my heels without causing problems. These ones rock. Love 'em!

WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE RUNNING SHOE AND PLACE TO BUY IT? LET ME KNOW!

For those of you interested in drooling in jealousy over my Italy trip, check out my photos here and let me know what you think!

Ciao,
kc

TODAY: 5 miles
SUNDAY (7/4): 3 miles