8/13-14/14. Wed. Thurs. 5 mile runs.

8/13/14. Wed. Up and out by 0600 for 5 miles at dawn.  My 14 year old got up with me and rode the beach cruiser along side for the whole run.  We stopped and watched the sun rise over the Atlantic ocean. It's different every morning, but just as incredible.  I'm glad we could share this together. Pretty much an uneventful south Carolina run.  Got back, drank my coffee, and took T to the gym. Again, I foam rolled, and then messed around on the bars for a while while she worked out. I think my grip strength is a little better. I did some one-handed chin ups on each arm (gripping the wrist of the arm hanging from the bar). Pretty much a party trick, not much harder than a regular chin up, but i never tried one before.  Then another day at the beach playing in the ocean.

8/14/14. Thurs.  the last 5 mile run in SC (one more long run over the weekend, then my east coast running is complete). Nobody would wake up with me, so I ran it alone.  Like usual. I think I am used to the solitude and I probably do better with it than when I try to run with someone else.  I set my own pace, I tune out the world and knock out my miles.  I do try hard to look around and see my surroundings, to really appreciate where i am and what I'm doing.  But after a run, I tend to block it all out and try to forget the time spent on the road. I think its a mental defense mechanism, keeps me from going crazy.  Physically, For the most part i am feeling pretty good.  Hips, knees, quads, calls, all pretty good.  My toes are not faring so well.  The purple/black middle toenail has gone gray.  I suspect it is coming off sooner rather than later. the black spot on the end of that toe has not gone away, but it no longer hurts.  The next toenail over has started to bruise up and go purple.  And worse, the toenail of the big toe on my right foot has started to bruise.  Just 5 weeks and 6 days to go, and my toenails are really starting to show the abuse.  Makes me think about Marshall Ulrich, the ultra-marathon runner who had his toenails surgically removed.  The doctors had to cut them out and then burn the nailbed with acid to keep them from growing back.  He said if he had known had bad it would hurt, he never would have done it.  But now that they're gone, he's happier without them.  Now that's just crazy.  Although mine are bruised and painful and a few might fall off, I really think its a small issue in the grand scheme of things.  Maybe I'd think differently of I was a professional, though.