Let's go running!

I am signed up for the half-marathon next month for kicks. I don't want to do another full marathon but I can do a half in my sleep. As Keithers pointed out, we ran one together just cause one evening.
I went running with a dude from BOE yesterday and I doubt they will want to do that again. Ah well. It is fine with me--I like to listen to music while I run. I think the beat helps. Yet, I feel rude to run with someone and have headphones in, so when I run with people I have to try to make conversation. This distracts me from the awesomeness of running. I don't mind running with a partner, but I wouldn't want to do it all the time. It is a fun thing to do with someone but the focus is then on the bonding and not the running.
Anyway, today I got my package from The Running Store. Which is just in freaking time! Despite the fact that I got to surprise my mailman in my boxer shorts (I am sure they aren't used to that in Japan), I was really happy to see my new running stuff had arrived. My old shoes were really starting to show their age:

I have had them for a year this month. Which is way past the time you are supposed to have running shoes for. I also have put a lot of mileage on them...they were the ones I ran the marathon in. Consequently, my runs lately have been ruining my feet a bit.
But all that is gonna change baby! I got some road runners here! Check out these cushioned lovelies:

Don't those just make you want to go running?
On a related note, I want to ask y'all a question. I think it might be a lady thing (thanks genes) but I could def see it happening to all sexes; do you have a problem with chafing? Whenever I go on a run that is an hour or more, I end up with my thighs looking like this:

It isn't that bad, but it hurts like hell. I don't really know what to do about it. I don't think my thighs are really that big either, so I find it annoying. I guess it didn't happen when I was 100 lbs though, so if I ever want to be a size 0 again I guess that could be a solution. Maybe it would have happened though...I never went running for quite as long as I do now.
In any case, let's go running!


Update:


Awesome.

Done running. Awesome.