#DadBlog: Balance and Consistent Activity

Mike Caterini

Sunrise, and I’m rummaging through the fridge for post morning run smoothie ingredients, having been inspired by Amanda Carney’s Vanilla Blueberry Smoothie recipe on the FTGMA website.   Let’s see…Almond beverage, OJ, frozen pineapple core, hemp hearts, over-ripe banana, Greek yogurt of unknown age.  It’s probably OK, and how can you tell if yogurt is bad anyway?  I discover a bag of brown rice protein under the kitchen sink.  It’s as dry and gritty as road sand, but appears edible and should promote digestive tract scrubbing.  I throw everything into the blender along with a few ice cubes, mix it up, and have a taste.   Mmmmm…not bad.

Smoothies may be the greatest advance in nutritional science since the multivitamin. They’re simple to prepare, portable, easily digestible and economical.  Just throw any old fruit and left-overs into a blender and voila, you’ve created a refreshing, nutritious and delicious meal.  It’s basically a milkshake without the guilt.

Almost time to hit the trail. I must admit that running has never been a very enjoyable experience for this heavy set, duck-footed athlete.  However, two things that have made a big improvement are Hokas and Feetures.   The ” Hoka One Clifton” is a cushioning shoe designed to support a runner’s natural form;  I’ve found these shoes absorb impact well, with the result that I’ve been able to run more comfortably for a longer time.    Feetures,  aka  the “Orthosleeve FS6 Compression Foot Sleeve”, support and hold my feet in place.  Since wearing  these two items,  I haven’t experienced the painful plantar fasciitis and ankle rolling that had laid me up for months in the past.

Off I go on this drizzly spring day.  The edges of the trail are saturated and the trail is littered with puddles of all sizes that I avoid without difficulty. Turning left on the waterfront trail, walkers and cyclists are nowhere to be seen.  Ducks and geese have the shoreline all to themselves this misty morning.

I feel a bit winded about a mile into it.  No wonder, my watch displays an average speed of 5.4 mph.  That’s a bit too fast.  I would like to finish at that speed but not now.   I dial it back and settle into a comfortable cadence at 5 mph.  My goal is run at least 4 miles in 48 minutes.  Everything is now going as planned

Ahhh.  Not again…in the distance I spot where I cracked the ice 2 weeks ago.  But now it’s a huge puddle that spans the trail and is about a yard long.  Too far to leap, I’ll just have to take it in stride.  SPLASH!…my left foot lands deep in the ice cold puddle… SOAKER!…schlomp, schlomp, schlomp  squish my Hokas.  This icy footbath is a bit premature, but may be a blessing in disguise since this is the farthest that I’ve ran in a year.

I finished strong in my soggy shoes, having logged 4.1 miles in 48 minutes.  Time to dry out and get my smoothie on.