A little chatter

Sunday, December 04, 2016 · Mike Davis

Good morning.

December is in full gear and only 21 days till Christmas! Wow, so crazy how one day it seems so far off and just like that, Christmas trees are seen on vehicles headed home. Such a great time of the year and I hope you find time to enjoy it.

This week I went to a local running store in Southern Pines and due to the lack of choices I took considerable risk and got the Saucony Kinvera’s. They are a 4mm drop which is always a risky style for my flat feet. They felt great in the store and even better when I took a jaunt down the street outside the store. I gave thought to calling Runners Alley and having them ship me a pair of the same shoes I have been wearing, the Saucony Triumph, but I did not want to wait and decided to take the risk. Well, talk about baptism under fire, my first run in them was yesterday’s 75-minute run! Probably not a smart and it probably would have made sense to do something shorter the first time out with them. I did tell myself if things didn’t go well, I would turn around quickly. Well after 75 minutes and 8 plus miles, I could not have been happier! Oh, my gosh, they felt great and the run was one of my best yet! Around the last mile, I felt a little sensitivity on the bottom of my left foot but, that foot has been a problem for a while now. These sleek lightweight running shoes were awesome to run in and I am eager to run again and see if I may have found gold! More to come…

Our “Winter Pacers” running group has gotten off to a great start with our best turnout yet! Keeping the momentum going from the great fall running right into winter running is so important. I certainly am pleased with the great job coach DeeJ Swallow has done with the group and am proud of her. While I am taking up residence in North Carolina, the great NFLR coaches are taking us to the next level. This winter running group does not cost a penny but if you attend enough runs you will get a knit running hat and possibly more. Come join the gang for a run on either Saturday at 8:30 from Penny U Coffee house or Wednesday night at 6pm from the Seventh Settlement Brewery. Both places are in Dover and more information you can go to www.nofinishlinerunning.com.

I would like to pat myself on the back a little if I permit. The past month or longer, I have done a decent job of foam rolling both before and after my runs. It is quite easy to skip pre and post run exercises but the payoff is so great. I have also set up a short post-run circuit that of stretching, planks, foam rolling and I finish with pushups. Really a great compliment to my running! Planks are awesome and as I get better with them, I may incorporate some variations to planks that my wife shared with me. Always good to try different things and change up occasionally. The pre-run foam rolling and stretching takes all of 7 minutes, while the post-run take exactly 11 minutes. Well worth considering.

Time to get along and get ready for church.

Hope you have a great day and an even better week!

God Bless!

Mike