Thank You Goody's StayPut Hairband

Yes, my life has been changed. In my mind, anything that makes running less of a battle for me and more of a pleasure or easier in any way deserves praise and in this case, a blog post:
Oh dear Goody's StayPut Hairband, with tiny plastic/rubbery weave that holds the band on my head while I run, I love you! You even come in lovely color combinations that always seem to complement my fabulously drab running wardrobe. I have never had a headband that would not slide up the back of my head and be completely useless, leaving all the wispies that refuse to stay plastered to the rest of my wet, sweaty hair and constantly stick to my face wild and free to annoy the crap out of me for the duration of my entire run. But with the fabulous invention of the StayPut hairband, I am now wispy free during my runs! Yay.
It's a small thing, very small, I know. But when I run, my capacity to be annoyed by anything more than doubles. And so I'm delighted with this tiny improvement.
Speaking of running, I am in the middle of changing my form for good. I am attempting to eliminate the energy-wasting, detrimental-to-the-hip bouncy running, and substitute the smooth, gliding, almost-shuffling run that only moves forward and not up and down. So far, my dad's theory that running slower is more painful than running faster has been proved right. My hip is no longer giving me any trouble. However, the muscles in my legs are having to adjust to the new movement. I can go faster, but I cannot go farther. I am hoping to run the Tom King Half-Marathon in March, but I'm doubtful at this point. However, I shall continue to run, whether fast or slow, because there's always the chance that I could improve my endurance and surely I could drop a few of these pesky pounds hanging around my mid-section (Dear God, PUH-LEEZ). So, I am concentrating on running 10 minute miles. Now, if you're a Melanie or a Michelle, or even my dad, this must feel like being stuck behind the car going 45 on the Interstate. But for me, it feels like I am trying to run so fast that I will not be hit by a car going 5 mph. (And if I was really running 10 minute miles, this would be possible, for I would be running 1 mph faster than the car, assuming I am like a machine and take no walk breaks and find a good pace, etc.) Hey! That's encouraging! I could run faster than a car. (Just forget the 5mph part and it sounds good.)
My run this Saturday was supposed to be 4 miles and I made the 4 miles; I just didn't run them all. My first mile was about 11 minutes, so I was off, but had run only once on Thursday that week, so turtling (a new adjective meaning performing at a rate or speed slower than anticipated) was to be expected. I ran the first mile, took a few ridiculously long walk breaks between running the rest of them. After the walk breaks, I really do feel refreshed. I sincerely feel that my muscles have been given a break. But my stamina is not up to par. I keep remembering the summer I came home from Shorter and got myself to the gym every single day and was up to 4 miles per day! I can't believe that was my body. Good grief. Ah, the good times. Oh well.
So, on Tuesday I shall put on the old runners and my fabulous hairband that will stay put and rejoice that technology has once more overcome genetics.

db