Broke in a virgin pair of Inspires…twas a cushy and blindingly white ride.

So a few months ago, I mentioned that one of my race goody bags included a sample bottle of NatureMade calcium softgels. I’d put off using it because, like most calcium supplements, it’s Calcium carbonate which stops me up, poopwise. Which is too bad because Tums are a cheap source of calcium and those Viactiv chews were pretty tasty but both of them were problematic.

As a replacement, I’d found some other chews by Citracal, whose products use sodium caltrate, much better for poop issues. They’ve stopped making them though, so I’ve been taking their calcium pills, the “Petites” which are laughably huge horse pills despite that moniker, but that’s the problem with calcium citrate, it takes up a lot of space. One serving was 2 pills for 400mg and I need 1000/day, so I was never taking enough.

So I was looking at this bottle of NatureMade Calcium softgels and each pill is 600mg, which is impressive, even more than a Viactiv chew, which would mean only needing one pill twice a day (can’t take too much calcium at once, you have to split it up). I decided to go ahead and try the things, poop problems be damned, and wonder of wonders I had no poop trouble at all! Must be the gel or something. Whatever, I’m a convert.

This is all leading up to this: I finished the last softgel so on Saturday I go to Target to get a real bottle – no luck, no softgels. I was going to order some online and then yesterday in the mail I received my free sample of Calcium from NatureMade which I’d forgotten I’d signed up for. They send you two bottles of 14 each, so it’s a great freebie.

Btw, they’re doing this offer for all their Softgels, so if you’re a boy and don’t need calcium, go choose something else. Free stuff is fun!

One last unrelated thing that was making me laugh the other day was sometimes I lurk at the messageboards at LetsRun.com. There was this one old post about why is it that you can be a fit runner but sometimes getting to the top of your stairs will leave you wiped out? I thought I was alone on this, but if those hard core guys are experiencing it too, I’m in great company. Which made me think of another bit of goofyness…

When I started running, I remember being at the grocery store, standing in line and realizing I’d forgotten something. I remember distinctly feeling like an elegant gazelle as I ran back to the dairy section, like “wow, running has really transformed me! I’m sleek and agile, look how good I look!” It was such a great feeling.

Cut to the future (now) and why is it when I’m not in running attire and have to cross the street fast or run back through the grocery store, I now feel like a clodding oaf? It’s like I can’t remember how to start running or I run weirdly and don’t know what to do with my limbs. It cracks me up! My running is so improved but my “civilian” running has completely regressed. Wonder if any of you notice a difference either way? If so, please share…