keeping your shrimps pretty in pink

In case you were wondering, toes are critical if you're a runner. They're essential for balance, which is important for that perfect stride we all work so hard for. Don't believe me? Try running your next 10k without toes.

Normal socks act like an oven-mit around your feet, causing your toes to rub together and get all hot and sweaty. Subjecting your feet to such a miserable breathing environment could lead to blisters, black toes, and other nightmarish hot spots like this:

(photo from getty images by AFP/getty images)

If we don't wear mittens on our hands all day long then it's only smart to not wear them on our feet when we're running for extremely long distances. San Diego-based Injinji founders Randuz and Joaquin Romay made it their business to redesign the basic structure and shape of the traditional sock in 1999 with the Injinji endurance tetrasok. You can read about their story here.

These socks combine the comfort and dexterity of bare feet with the protection of a seamless sock, allowing your foot to perform freely and naturally inside your shoes. I received a pair of these bad boys for christmas this year.
I'm not the most foot squeamish person on the block.. even so, I never thought I was brave enough for toe socks. I have to admit, they are a little weird at first, but once I was off and running I didn't feel them at all. What's a little cloth between my toes anyway?

My ankle is just about healed enough to get back into a regular training routine.  

On saturday I enjoyed a beachside run with ginger.

(6 miles)

And then felt well enough to try for some more distance in Nisene Marks.  Ginger has taken to my stationary routine and I literally had to drag her out of bed for our run....

(9 miles)

running partners

I don't have many running partners..so the few I've had mean a lot to me. I generally like to run alone, or with my dog. Having a 2 hour stretch of time all to myself is the greatest! I can think about anything I want...or nothing at all. I can run fast when I feel like it, and slow down when I can't keep up.

My first running partner in California lived in an adorable little cabin just down the road from the beach. We would run a mile and a half along the promenade, do some adorable little stretches, and then turn around.
Not only would she meet me 3 days a week (sometimes more) at 7 AM for the same run, but she always offered a hot shower and a cup of coffee before my full day of classes.

here's her adorable little blog

http://boundlessoptimism.blogspot.com/

and here she is feeding cheezy soup to her hot brazillian lover

Springtime in February

Cherry Blossoms en route to the east field.