Ragged Mountain Running Shop

Since not very long after I moved to C-ville, I've had people tell me I should go try out Ragged Mountain Running Shop.  They have a wonderful reputation for being a family-run, community-supportive small business, who also provide excellent service.  I've been resisting for a few lame reasons: I knew it would be crowded, it's near the school, and I knew it would be pricey.

Well, you avid readers might recall that late last year, I joined the ten-miler training program.  This program is run by the patriarch of the family that runs Ragged Mountain.  He always had good tips (what I could hear at practice, anyway) and I really like the program notes I got signing up for this training. It was also just a really good group of people, and I liked it a lot until I got a stress fracture and had to get off my foot in December.  I decided then that when I started running again, I would start at Ragged Mountain, buying the right shoes.

See, the staff is very well trained, and they're mostly all UVa student runners themselves.  I was helped by a really friendly, not overbearing young woman named Claire.  She watched me walk and jog in my bare feet, then in many - many - different pairs of shoes.  We finally settled on one pair of Brooks and one pair of Nike's - one runner for the road, and a trail runner for the gym and offroad.  I was so impressed, not only with Claire, but with all of her coworkers, who were friendly, respectful, and tidy, and did a wonderful job managing crowd control.

I also bought a couple of running outfits to get me motivated, and was pleased with the selection and quality of choices.  I got some really comfortable, functional and still cute things.  As I was checking out, I had the pleasure of meeting Audrey, who is the daughter of the owner-family.  She was so nice, she gave me a free t-shirt and a coffee mug, and we chatted about the training programs her folks run and about one of her duties - buying the clothes for the shop (she does a good job).

So, this might seem like a bit of a bucket-list stretch, but it really isn't.  I've been wanting to go to the shop for years, and I'm really glad I finally did it.  Tomorrow, I'm excited to start using my new gear.  And when I need more shoes, I know where I'll go.

Cleansed!

So, that was alright.  And what better way to break a cleansing Lenten fast than by the priest handing you a cup of champagne?

Yup, that happened.  And then I ate chocolate-covered strawberries.  And Indian food.  And ham.  And mac-and-cheese.  And Jimmy John's.

And then I woke up this morning and was like "oh my god must have fresh fruit!" and had an apple with almond better.  And it was good.

Here's to integration, moderation, and Spring!

Day...9?

Okay, so now I'm cranky.  Weird, huh?  I've been able to add more and more variety, and the Whole Foods in town has an organic salad bar that has been a lifesaver, but I'm still very tired and cranky.  I need a cheeseburger.

Also, my stomach has been hurting a little the last couple of days.  This is weird, because I would think everything I'm eating is pretty digestion-friendly.  I might not be having enough water. 

I don't understand how people live on a raw vegetarian diet, seriously.  I'm so low energy!  What are they eating?  Maybe if I had sushi - does that count?

Three more days.  The good news is: my pants are too big!  That happened pretty fast, huh?