Update - two days later

So, got home to a nice hot shower and a cold porter (Red Hook? one of my favs) and a home cooked meal. Thanks Jon!!!

Ended up hanging around the house not doing much that night but stretching my legs out - oh yeah, and opening up a blister under the callus under my bunion on my left foot. Pressure was building up and it was really starting to hurt! Bandaged up my right heel and left bunion to keep the area clean and headed to bed.

Sunday I got up and was able to walk - easily - downstairs. Greeted by coffee and current scones (starting to sound like a food blog). Needed to head to church as it was the day to say good-bye to our Associate Pastor. Gave me a chance to touch base with another Superior 25k runner and talk Half Voyageur with yet another of the ultra runners at Peace (he is planning on the Superior 100 this fall).

Got home, took the dog for a three mile walk along the SHT behind my house. I am a lucky gal, living just 300 feet or so off of a long distance trail! I am the Section Leader for this portion, so took the opportunity to go out and survey my section for maintenance issues. Porter is slowing down a lot, so a leisurely pace is perfect for him. I also took the time to note all the wildflowers and trees that were leafing out, budding or blooming. There were a lot! I had quite the list by the time we finished up our walk. Really nice considering that this is an urban portion of trail (I am only two miles from downtown Duluth) and the area above my house was a farm in the not-to-distant past.

Highlights were: (l=leaves; b=buds; f=flowers)
strawberry (f)
violets (f)
marsh marigold (f)
wood anemone (l, b, f)
wild garlic (l)
bellflower sp. (l)
cherry sp (l, b)
and a...


magnolia warbler

Like the rest of the SHT my section has some good hills on it. Not quite as long as the ones during the race, but steep enough. Good way to loosen up the legs after Saturday's run.

Arrived home and headed out to the grocery store with Sarah. Funny thing on how the family insists that there be food in the house ;->

Got home from that, hauled six bags up the steps to the house (36 steps - this my be my secret weapon in hilly runs, built in stairclimber everytime I leave the house) and took a look at my lawn. It was time for the first mow of the season. Actually it was way past time. Since a power mower was at hand I wussed out and relied on fossil fuels to help me knock the tall grass back down to a reasonable height. Other than the front yard most of our yard is at quite a severe slant. We long ago got rid of the grass alongside the steps, so it is just the side yard that has to be mowed on the angle - this happens to be the largest part of our yard.

For the almost 10 years that we have lived here we have done all of our mowing with a reel mower. Old-fashioned, human-powered, quiet, and non-polluting. Works great if you stay on top of your mowing, not letting the grass get too long. Long grass entails a few passes and is hard work. Long grass coupled with a steep slope.... gas-powered was the answer yesterday. I got all of the lawn mowed. Good workout one day after the run. Especially those treks up the hill to the top of the yard - multiple times. One section of our yard is steep in two directions, double the challenge and no real way to avoid hauling the heavy mower uphill. I also like to avoid any wildflowers in the yard, making things interesting on the slopes. I have some white, with purple speckles, violets in my yard. Can't bear to mow them over, so went around.

By the end of all of this I felt like I had done a long run.

Today I rode my bike to work. Pretty easy on the way there. It is only about 2 miles and the first mile is almost all downhill ;->

Now, the ride back is a whole 'nuther thing. At some point you just have to face it and pedal uphill. I ride a mountain bike with some pretty knobby tires and some very low gears - perfect for Duluth streets! The ride up Lincoln Park Drive felt a bit harder than last Friday's.

My legs feel great and - the most surprising thing - my right knee is bardly bugging me at all. Did I mention that I opted to go without my orthotics during the race. Makes me wonder....

Tomorrow my plan is to run to work. I don't have to be in until 11:30 am so I have time to be lazy in the morning and still get a nice run in. I can run over half of the distance on trails (combination of SHT and illegal ATV). I have just enough time to get in some good training before the Half Voyageur.