Fartleks - It Has Been A Long time

I ran again today with Mike after work. After deciding not to do hills since Mike's knee was a little sore, we decided to do 5.5 miles with Fartleks in the middle. We set off at an easy pace of about 8:40 or so and then after 2.25 miles, we started the fartleks. We ended up running 8 sets of fast for 1 minute, slow for 1 minute. This took us about 1.5 miles out and then a nice easy run back to work to finish. It felt good today for me. I could feel my ankle but it was the usual.

That was until I went to the grocery store to get supplies for camping this weekend. While walking through the store, my ankle just kept getting more and more sore. Not to the point where I couldn't walk or anything, but just to the edge of almost limping a little. Now I am starting to get a little worried about this. I have twisted my ankle before and even did it once during a track workout, but this feels different. The soreness feels like it is in the middle of the ankle just below the ankle bone but above the heal. I am due for a check up with the doctor so maybe it is time to make an appointment and get this checked out as well.

Like I said, I am camping this weekend so i was planning on a 13 miler Friday morning before we leave. I have now decided to scratch that plan and give it a full 2 or 3 days rest from running. Am I disappointed? You bet! But this may be nothing. the uncertainty is not fun. I don't go to the doctor often, which I know is not a good thing, but I think now is the time. I am off work all next week so maybe I can make an appointment then. I have a nice long run planned for next weekend that I would really like to do. I will be in Door County and would love to run from Egg Harbor through Fish Creek and add about 10 more miles in Peninsula State Park to make it at least 20. We will see.

In other news, I saw something yesterday I don't see often at all and it made me really think. I was grocery shopping (again) and as I left, I saw an lady with a shopping cart full or groceries being arrested for shoplifting. he police were waiting for her and the store knew she was going to do this as she had been for a few days. At first I was feeling like it is a good thing and that what she did was wrong and she deserves to be arrested as stealing is wrong. But as I thought about it, I still feel her arrest is the right thing, but I wonder what led her to do this. It is possible she was just a petty thief and this was a log time coming. But what is she is on hard times and can't afford to feel her family (I am only speculating here). If this is the case, she still should not have done what she did, but I wish someone would lead her to a help center to a church that could help her. I know my church helps out those in need even if they are not members of the church. Anyways, I said some prayers for her last night in hopes she will get herself or her situation figured out.

The economy is real bad for some out there. I just hope people make the right decisions during hard times.