Whew...Relief!

So it was a nerve racking two days of nursing my back. Some icing, lots of stretching, and most painful, no running.
Yesterday morning, I cashed in on an early birthday present from my parents and headed to Fleet Feet Sports, shameless plug, to ask if I was still in the right shoe, and to purchase a new pair. Turns out I AM in the correct shoe, so I purchased a pair, and prayed that my run last night would go smoothly.
Truthfully, there is nothing like sliding on a new pair of running shoes and breaking them in. So I slid on my Brooks Defyance 3's, the only shoe I have been in over the last two and a half years, three marathons, and 3000+ miles, I think they are great, and once again, another shameless plug, and set off on a 3.2 mile run, just over 5k, at a comfortable pace. Just over 20 minutes later I finished the run, with no pain, and quite excited that I had just put in 3 miles at under 6:30 per mile pace, after 9 hours of work, and after two days off. Woohoo!
I woke up this morning before heading to the trails to put in 6.5 miles wondering if the back would be sore. Luckily it was not, and the run was great! Most importantly it was all done in time for me to watch our boys beat Algeria in the World Cup, what a day!!
Tomorrow, going to try and go long in the morning as Friday will prove difficult to get a run in because of my hours and some commitments that evening. It looks like I will not run Davies Plantation as exciting as that run would be, but not wanting to spend, and with the Firecracker a week away, I am going to step aside from that one. Besides my mind will be on World Cup Action anyway.
FYI Another great commitment to the NYC Marathon this past week, Shalane Flanagan, Bronze Medalist in Beijing in the 10k, and US Half Marathon Champ, committed to the Marathon, and it will also be her debut. She joins, Meb Keflezghi, American defending Champ and Athens Silver Medalist in the marathon, Deena Kastor, US record holder and olympic bronze medalist in the marathon, and oh yeah THE world record in the marathon, Haille Gebrasselessi!