And they're off!

So much for my wanting to keep looking for a better-feeling pair of shoes...

This morning, the kid and I decided to race each other. She loves to brag about how fast she is (according to her she was the only girl who received an award for making the President's Physical Fitness time for the one-mile run). And I am all about proving what great shape I am in. So I decided we should put our speed and my seemingly inferior Gel Enduro 6s to the test at the local track.

We started off running just under 100 meters/yards (however a typical track surrounding a football field is measured). I figured there was a pretty good chance she could beat me here, because I am not that fast when it comes to sprints. (Actually, I am not that fast no matter what the distance is.) But I ended up edging her by a few seconds without pushing myself to the limit, as she seemed to be doing.

After we had a chance to catch our breath during a short walk, I asked the kid if she wanted to race once around the track. Based on our sprint and the fact that I am better suited for longer distances, I was thinking I had this one in the bag.

I thought wrong.

I really had to push myself to keep up with her. In the end, because I was kind of winded, I decided to slow up just a bit, and she won. I was both impressed with and surprised by her.

After that, we (well, mostly I) ran a quarter mile a few times and timed each other. I completed my first quarter mile in 1:53, my second in 1:50, and my third in about 2:00, taking breaks in between. Jordan ran her quarter mile in just over 2:00; she seemed much more content timing me.

Based on Jordan's complaining and her pretty much stopping between runs, it appears as if she is not ready to join the cross-country team (not that she wants to). But I think she did pretty well for an almost-8 year old. As for me, I did manage to get in just over 1.25 miles. Pretty pathetic, but running nonetheless.

As for the shoes: When I first starting walking to the track, the shoes felt uncomfortable. But once I started running, they felt fine. These shoes are no Gel Enduro 5s, but hopefully they won't embarrass me too much. :-)