Thinking of Deadwood

My Deadwood half marathon is quickly approaching but lately I've been thinking more about riding the Mickelson Trail on a bike than running it. The George S Mickelson Trail is 110 miles in length and goes from Deadwood to Edgemont. It was built along the old BN rail route and traverses the Black Hills region linking several of the Black Hills mountain communities. The path is crushed limestone and the trail offers spectacular views along the route. I would enjoy taking several days to ride the trail stopping along the way to enjoy the mountain towns.



Something to think about at least....

Snakes on a Trail

No, it's not a movie sequel but a running hazard this time of year. Last Saturday, Jim, Vince, and I came across snakes in the middle of our path on two separate occasions during the course of a 15.5 mile run. The second time it happened to be 2 snakes who appeared to be mating. I felt like I was in the middle of a Discovery Channel show and of course we had to stop, watch, and take a photo with my cell phone. The men thought they were probably bull snakes. I suppose it'll be Tick Week for our run next Saturday.

We seemed to do a lot of stopping and going on that particular run and I really had to crack the whip on those guys as the temperature was quickly rising. By the time we finished it was a blazing 80 degrees and we were sure hot, tired, and dusty from the trail running. But that didn't stop us from going into City Brew at the end of the run for cold drinks and treats.

Snakes on a Trail:

Mother's Day Weekend

What a fabulous weekend I am having. My 5 mile race went very well yesterday and my finish time was 45:24. I got to meet Lisa Rainsberger at the packet pickup and then spend some time with her at a dinner party last night. Lisa is the last U.S. female to win the Boston Marathon. She's very down to earth and cool and her 6 year old son, Ian, is adorable.

We joined 4 others on a long run this morning. Everyone else stopped at 12 miles but I continued on home which gave me 15.5. I was getting pretty hot and tired but it went reasonably well. I remember a few months ago when my first 15 miler was absolutely miserable. While it's still not easier, it's definitely easier than the first time.

My hip has been feeling a tad better but I'm still being careful to ice and stretch. The chiropractor said my vertebrae look good but that my hips are a little unlevel which is probably causing my problem -- along with some piriformis or sacroiliac issues contributing.

Here's a photo of Lisa and myself at the packet pickup.

Chiropractors and Black Magic?

Today was my first visit to a chiropractor and I left feeling disappointed and skeptical. Why, you ask? Because he didn't DO anything to me except take a few xrays of my low back region and do some other black magic to check my electrical force or nervous system or some such thing.

I told him what I thought my problem was and all he could say was something like, "Are you in the medical profession because I don't normally have patients who use that kind of terminology."

Next appointment is Wednesday but I'm not getting my hopes up.

New Trail Shoes

Cut back week.

My new Brooks trail shoes got a test run of 11.5 miles today and it went well. They really make a difference on the varying trail conditions. Although, I did get a small blister in an odd spot -- on the side of 3rd toe -- so will need to remember to apply some Glide next time. But I think that was more caused by the very uneven trail than the shoes.

I ran with a friend from the running club and we had to scramble over many BIG rocks to keep to the trail. In some places we were very close to the edge of a cliff and that made me a bit nervous considering the footing. At one point, I wished I would've brought my cell phone in case of someone slipping. Next time I will take it with me for sure.

But we made it through the 8-ish mile trail portion fine. I did catch a toe on either a rock or a root and nearly went down but managed to keep my feet beneath me. The balance work I do in yoga definitely helps me with trail running balance and ankle strength.

I am feeling more and more confident about my upcoming 30k trail run. :)

Chiropractor appointment on Monday to see about my left hip/sciatic problem.

Aches and Pains

I seem to have a few little aches but nothing major. I hate complaining about physical problems.

My latest issue seems possibly related to piriformis or maybe an SI joint causing some irritation to the sciatic nerve on my left side. On the pain scale, it's very low. In fact, it really isn't painful but more of an uncomfortable burning sensation that seems to fade in and out on the left side of my low back and thigh area, depending on my body position. I made an appointment with a chiropractor in hopes of nipping this in the bud asap.

I am also still having some issues with my left hamstring. I think I may have some small tears at the insertion point so have backed off of yoga for a bit for fear of causing more harm. And then there's my left knee. Sometimes I get a sharp pain at the top of my knee cap when climbing stairs or running up hill.

Interesting how all my problems are on the left side -- something must be out of whack.

Tomorrow is my long run of 11 or 12 miles and I've been trying to find someone to run with. Hoping it goes as well as last week's 15.