August Mini-Vacation

Took a few days off and headed north to the Gunflint Trail. The original plan was to take the motorbikes on their first camping trip. Thursday night, while performing a pre-trip fluid check on the R65 we discovered:

- the oil in the gear box was pretty nasty looking, requiring a change (which we accomplished, as well as changing the oil in the final drive) and

- the final drive filler bolt had stripped threads.

This meant the bikes would stay at home and I would spend much of Thursday night doing research of fixing stripped threads in a BMW final drive.

Plan B involved loading the Fit (my trusty blue car) with our mountain bikes and way too much stuff and heading north after taking care of some business in town Friday morning. We had left the motorbikes behind due to mechanical issues but ended up dealing with a tire issue on the Fit. While stopped at a scenic overlook midway along the Gunflint Trail we noticed that the left front tire seemed a bit low and would need to be pumped up. Luckily Mr. Wildknits had tossed the full-sized bike pump (as well as the frame pump) into the car. We (well really Mr. Wildknits) spent a lot of time filling that tire in the next two days! We finally arrived at the Trails End Campground and set up camp in the site we had reserved alongside Seagull Falls.

We explored the campground via bike, then headed back for dinner and beverages while we watched the sun set over Gull Lake. The next morning we pedaled over to the boat landing and hiked the nature trail along Seagull Lake. This campground is in the area affected by the Ham Lake forest fire and, while devoid of large trees in many places, the fire was good for the blueberry crop! We snacked our way along the trail which ended at the lake shore where I spotted this tiny little plant. Since my wildflower field guide was back at camp I took photos:

Common Pipewort

and later looked the plant up in my favorite field guide - Newcomb's :

We headed back to camp and after packing up drove down the Gunflint trail with a plan to run the Magnetic Rock Trail.

Mr. Wildknits heading up the trail to the main attraction.

I climbed up on a bit of the rock that had fallen off to lend scale to this photo. I am 5'2" on a tall day.

After our run and a picnic lunch at the trailhead we drove to the Flour Lake Campground. We checked out sites before settling on this one:

It was a bit of a hike in but the reward was a small, private sitting area right on the lake. After setting up the tent we brought the chairs down to the shore and just sat - enjoying the sun, the view, our reading materials and a little bit of knitting:

A White Admiral butterfly (Limenitis arthemis arthemis) took a liking to our gear and hung out with us much of the afternoon.

After this nice break we set out on the mountain bikes to explore the surrounding area. We headed out on some ski trails that link area resorts, but after about a mile turned back as the ground was getting steadily damper (aka boggy). We ended up back on the gravel road, though I kept turning off on side trails until Mr. Wildknits requested fewer detours and more riding ;->

Sunday we packed up and set off for town. But first another run! Our original plan was to explore the Daniel's Lake Trail - a spur to the Border Route Trail. Once we tracked down the trail (the guide was less then explicit on how far the parking area was from the trailhead) and got a look at it we opted instead for the Lima Mountain Trail. This is Minnesota's fourth highest peak at 2,238 feet. It is a relatively short, but steep trail. The run had the added challenge of being overgrown with several downed trees. The best view actually occurred mid-way up on a exposed shelf we traversed. Once we reached the summit we were a bit underwhelmed by the view:

There was an extended family that was also hiking the trail and Mr. Wildknits and one of the guys set off through the underbrush to find the remnants of the fire tower. Mr. Wildknits came back with this little guy (or gal) to share with the kids:

Sphinx Moth species caterpillar

Remnants of the fire tower

USFS electrical "closet". There was evidence of old batteries and electrical hook ups inside.

We finished up the run with a playful sprint down the road back to the parking area. After a bit of exploring in the area, playing with the seedpods of Jewelweed, and a picnic lunch it was time to pump up the tire for the drive into Grand Marais. We stopped briefly to enjoy the view from the Pincushion Mountain parking area, then made the final drop into town and found a gas station with a working air hose for a final filling of the tire prior to the drive home.

One of the highlights of a north shore vacation is a stop in a restaurant for a meal of locally caught fish and chips. We bypassed the Dockside as it was busy and instead headed to Beaver Bay and The Crossings at Cove Point. We had an excellent meal of fresh caught Lake Superior Herring (aka Ciscoes).

The next two day's of our vacation were spent at home taking care of chores, having a new set of tires installed on the Fit, picking up some new to us canoes, and getting in a nice run on the Knife River section of the SHT with some bonus miles for me into the village of Knife River and down Hwy 61 to the wayside rest near Stoney Point.

I headed into work Wednesday very relaxed, caught up on my sleep and, I hoped, ready to dive back in.

Edit: Not sure what is up with Blogger but this last bit was invisible for awhile(sorry - looked okay when writing and missed when posting). I can't explain the font changes. Get what you pay for I guess!

Seen on a Long Run... Part 2

Thimbleberry!

131 (million) steps. Hard to capture how steep these truly are.

Yes, this is on the Wild Duluth race course.

Field Garlic (Allium vineale) - alien. "Serious pest of lawns,

pastures and meadows" according to Newcomb's Wildflower Guide.

Common Dodder or Love Vine (Cuscuta gronovii). "Parasitic plant with yellow or orange stems and dense clusters

of small, white flowers... Tightly twines around the stems of other plants and absorbs their

sap through tiny suckers." Newcomb's Wildflower Guide.

Sam enjoying a post-run Coffee Creek ice bath.

Small waterfall on Coffee Creek below the trail crossing. This also makes a

great sledding run in the winter when the creek overflows the ice and refreezes.

Hanging out with the water striders, other aquatic insects and, as it turns out, leeches (shudder!)

Downstream view.

Todays run was a bit shorter than planned at 13.1 (or so) miles but did include The Big W and the Piedmont hills. Rather than continue on to Lake Superior for an ice bath (15+ miles), Sam and I decided to play it safe (my schedule called for 14 miles, she ran her first 50 mile two weeks ago) and ran back to Coffee Creek to soak the legs. The temperature was perfect! Cold enough to make you hesitate, but not so cold your toes went numb immediately.

Seen on a long run...

Last Saturday I left my house, hiked up the hill a few hundred feet and headed west on the SHT. This route involves hills; lots of them! I ran an out and back course with the turn around at Highland & Getchell which is just at the start/end of "The Big W" as the next section (to Magney-Snively) of the SHT is fondly referred to. Along the way I saw:

This rock formation which is large enough for me to crawl into;

Monotropa uniflora

aka: Corpse Plant or Indian Pipe.

Also found raspberries and blueberries which meant I had to take a few snack breaks. It was a glorious morning for a run and I had the most fun I have had in a long time. I ran with a friend and this was his longest trail run ever. Fun to bring someone else into the fold!

Later that day I joined my youngest daughter in her move across the state to Grand Forks, North Dakota. It was a long day of driving but offered us a great opportunity to chat and, once we arrived, to explore her new home together. Sunday, while waiting for the rest of the family to join us, we headed to the Greenway and I ran while she biked. I have never been to Grand Forks so this was a wonderful way to see a bit more of the area and check out the Red River (which was still over it's banks). Finished out the day with a bit of cross-training (aka the moving truck arrived and we unloaded it) and then drove back home that same night. By Monday morning I had logged 22 hours of sleep in 5 days. Not ideal for functioning at work!

Based on a week of consistent running I sent my application in for the Wild Duluth 50K. I decided I should finally commit and hope that this will help keep me on task as far as training goes. I tend to be more motivated when there is a goal ahead of me (and money on the line).

It seems to be working so far as I have logged runs on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday (which are for running to - and from - work after all). Tomorrow I will hit the trails again, this time tackling The Big W and many more hills on my way home on a point to point run. Sunday I am scheduled to run again and have yet to sort out where that will occur. I do know my legs are much happier on trails than pavement so suspect I will opt for another section of the SHT.

Orchid!

Found the "mystery" orchid this past Sunday on my long run. The working identification from botanists at the Minnesota DNR is the white form of Platanthera psycodes (Small Purple Fringed Orchid).

Also seen was Corpse Plant (Monotropa uniflora) just emerging from the ground. Gotta love these flowers! I was lucky enough years ago to witness a bumble bee pollinating them (back in the days before digital cameras - at least in my life).

The dewberries and strawberries are abundant along the trail and the blueberries, raspberries and thimbles should be ripening soon. Perfect supplement to the typical long run fueling options.

Running has been coming along slowly. Seems that I have more "difficult" runs than not, but am hoping that trend will change. The fibula is fully healed, now I need to get the rest of me (particularly the mind) back into the swing of things.

Garlic Scapes

Spent some time Tuesday morning, before running to work, cutting the tops off my garlic plants and weeding the garlic bed. There is some volunteer flax, thanks to the straw I used for mulch last winter, that I am attempting to leave in place so I can gather seeds and increase my flax crop (maybe someday there will be enough to experiment with linen or seed production?). Occasionally I am a bit overeager in my weeding and the flax gets pulled along with the undesirable plants. Tonight we incorporated some of the scapes into dinner (a broccoli, tomato saute served over whole wheat pasta). Yum!

Our cucumbers are producing already and there are zucchinis on the way. The eggplant and tomatoes are flowering as well. I am not sure if the peppers will produce this year - they just don't look all that thrilled with what summer has offered so far. The broccoli, cabbage and brussel sprouts are surviving an onslaught from the cabbage moth worms with the help of liberal applications of BT. So far (and I dread to even mention it) the deer are staying out of the gardens.

Last week my neighbor shared pictures of the bear that was hanging out in his yard. I am assuming this is the same one that broke through the rope and got into the garbage the other morning. Ah - urban wildlife!

Speaking of photogenic wild animals:

Red Fox Kit

This little guy (or gal) has become a regular visitor to Mr. Wildknits at his worksite. It was born this past spring and at some point sustained an injury to a hind leg. We think it is the same kit the DNR wildlife folks assisted for a time, which may help explain some of his habituation to humans.

Sunday Drive

Mr. Wildknits and I took the BMW's out for a little jaunt last week. I was excited to check out some bits of Northern Minnesota I have not been to in many years and talked Mr. Wildknits into taking a day off from work to check out some backroads and visit friends. I also had an ulterior motive - I had finished the "secret knitting project" and wanted to deliver it.

We left Duluth and headed north on Hwy 61. After a brief stop in Two Harbors to top off the tanks (there were no gas stations for the next 70+ miles and neither of us is quite sure of the mpg's on our bikes) we headed north on Co. Hwy 2. The road is in great shape, and is pretty straight and wide until after the intersection with Co. Rd 15. Here it takes a bit of a jog and then narrows considerably.

Co. Hwy 2 at the White Pine Picnic Area

Our first destination was the White Pine Picnic Area (part of the Superior National Forest). The pines are old and very tall and some grow so close to the road that they have reflectors marking them to avoid a collision at night.

White pine

This turned out to be a nice area to take a break and explore before heading north to Hwy 1 and then west to Ely.

A couple of airheads in the pines (1976 R75/6 & 1984 R65)

Of course I found a few species of flowers on the short hiking trail:

One-flowered Pyrola (Moneses uniflora)

Common Wood Sorrel (Oxalis montana)

Hwy 1 has a reputation amongst motorcyclists as a fun ride. I finally had enough confidence in my bike handling skills to tackle its twists and turns. Granted, it was not at high speeds, but I would argue that no one should be taking blind curves on a narrow road bordered by bedrock very fast - on two wheels or four. Add on the very real opportunity to see moose and a bit of caution is prudent. Within a few miles I was grinning as we navigated the road. The scenery is amazing!! As we road along I would see flashes of lakes, streams, bedrock and blue flag (wild iris species) amongst the varying hues of green from the trees and underbrush. Since it was a hot day I was hoping the moose were all off hanging out in shady ponds to stay cool.

At one point I noticed a car deep in the ditch to my right. I think it would have been hard to see from the vantage point of a car and wondered about it. There was no where to pull over (no real shoulders) and I had several cars behind me so it wasn't until 6+ miles later that Mr. Wildknits pulled into a side road. He had seen the car as well and we were both concerned that there may have been people still out there. Luckily the road we pulled into was the entrance to the Voyageur Outward Bound facility and there was a staff member sitting in her car in the pullout. She overheard us talking about the situation and volunteered to drive back and check on the vehicle*. She also got to witness my less than graceful attempt to turn on a down sloping gravel road and the subsequent "dismount" (the bike is okay, though windscreen is scratched. I got a lesson in gravel road slow turns and why my Aerostitch jacket was a good investment).

We continued on to Ely and stopped at the local DQ for a snack and to get directions to a friends house. It was time to deliver the knitting project I had been working on since April.

Healing Shawl (Malabrigo Aguas)

We topped off the tanks in Ely and then headed southwest on Co. Rd 21 to Embarrass to visit some friends. It was a nice time playing with a baby,

touring the new chicken housing,

and discovering a new (to us) species of inchworm.

Eventually it was time to head home. We hit Aurora as the town was gathering for it's Fourth of July parade, so had a bit of a detour before we found the road out of town and towards Hoyt Lakes. From there we headed south and then east until we reached Co. Rd 44 (aka Pequaywan Lake Rd). This was another narrow, twisty road through the woods, skirting several lakes and taking us through the town of Brimson (site of the Brimson Sisu run) before eventually morphing into the Normanna Rd on the outskirts of Duluth. At the turn onto the Jean Duluth Rd we stopped for a break. And boy was I grateful!!! I had been trying to telepathically communicate my need to get off the bike for the past 20 miles. Not only was I thirsty but also a bit 'saddle sore'. Mr. Wildknits is much more comfortable on his bike and will stand and ride as needed. I am not there yet and needed a break off the bike before the cross-town journey home.

Junction of Normanna and Jean Duluth Rds

This stretch of Jean Duluth was the worst road we were on all day! At times I thought bits of my bike would rattle off. Fortunately it improved after 5 or so miles and we were back to smoother roads for the rest of the journey. All told we put 232 miles on the bikes that day.

*We have never heard the outcome of the vehicle in the ditch. I am hoping all the occupants were okay (and not still in there when we spotted the car - our worst fear).

Running

Monday, July 4th I headed to Tofte with a group of friends for the Tofte Trek 1ok. This race takes place on trails in the vicinity of Carlton Peak. The first half is all climbing and while it seems reasonable that the second half would then be all downhill I swear I ran a few ascents then as well. This race also has a well-deserved reputation for being muddy. This year, with all of the rain we have had, could have been an epic mud year. As with many small town races on the North Shore, it was also a great opportunity to catch up with running friends - kind of like a running family reunion.

I am still trying to recover from 3 months off related to a stress fracture. While my brain thinks I should be able to jump right in where I left off, my body has other plans. This was a hot race and early on it became apparent that my choice to carry a water bottle was a good one. I ended up power hiking a lot of the ascents in hopes of having something in the tank for the downhill bits. This allowed me to really enjoy the mud puddles! I waded right through the middle, never going past my knees and getting mud splashed all the way up to my arms and chin by the end of the race. I figured I may have been in contention for muddiest runner until I saw a little girl that was taking great delight in stomping through the puddles (she was in the 10k walk - and an inspiration!).

My performance at this race was useful in getting me to drag out some old schedules and get a bit more methodical about my training. I haven't used a schedule for over a year, but since I am essentially starting from scratch I decided it might be nice to have a plan for building my mileage back up to something that might allow for a return to Ultras this Fall.

Knitting

With the shawl delivered it was time to cast on a baby sweater for a co-worker that is expecting in August. I chose the Tomten Jacket by Elizabeth Zimmerman (6th pattern down). I thought I had the month of July to work on this sweater but learned last week the shower will be this Thursday!! Fortunately I chose a worsted weight yarn and the knitting is progressing nicely, though it will be rare to see me without needles in hand if I am not running, at work, or on the bike.

Gardening

Our transplants finally made it into the garden over the long holiday weekend. Poor things! The broccoli and brussels sprouts were immediately set upon by the cabbage moth worms. This meant a trip to the local feed store for some BT to sprinkle on the plants. I hear that our tomatoes are not too much smaller than those planted out at the normal time (yes the weather has been that bad!). It will be interesting to see what produce we get this year. In addition to the broccoli and brussels sprouts we also put in:

eggplants

cucumbers,

anaheim peppers

hungarian hot wax peppers

three + varieties of tomatoes

(Celebrity, Sungold, and 'cherry mix' - heirloom seeds I picked up at the Landscape Arboretum)

zucchini

These plants join our garlic bed in the front yard terraces. The strawberries are setting fruit and are in desperate need of a good weeding (oat straw is a good winter mulch but leads to a weed issue in the summer).

I had thoughts this spring of giving up gardening when it seemed that the weather was never going to warm up and allow us to work the soil or put the plants out without little tiny jackets to keep them warm. I do still wonder if growing 4 beds of garlic would be unreasonable; it is such an easy crop relatively speaking, and might actually result in enough garlic to meet not only our needs for the year, but also provide 'seed garlic' for the following year.

So Happy to be Running Again...

I was even smiling when I did a bit of an ankle roll on a steep descent next to a semi-busy road today. Yup - I am that person!

So far this month I am only three miles off my cumulative mileage for April and May. My right leg is feeling fine and I am optimistic the stress fracture is a thing of the past.

Today, though it is not Thursday, I ran to work. It was a beautiful day and it seemed foolish to commute via car. I dawdled just long enough paying bills that I ruled out the longer run I had (rather foolishly really) originally planned via the SHT to Cody street and then to work and opted instead to hit the roads and take the "medium distance" route to work. This involves some hill work. First a climb up the 4 or so blocks to Skyline Blvd and then the 0.8 mile descent at 40th Ave W. This route is a good test of fitness. Can I climb the hill without getting too out of breath, recover quickly for the gentle ascent along Skyline, and then after 2.2 miles it is time for a fast paced descent on a steep hill with semi-decent shoulders, lots of hairpin turns, poor sight lines and, thanks to HWY 35 construction, bumped up traffic.

That descent is the only chance I realistically have of running something close to a 6 minute mile. Wow, is it fun!

After the hill I turned onto some relatively flat roads for a few blocks, then it was down hill again towards work. Today I took a bit of a detour west to stop at a local store to stock up on lemonade and fig bars for my office.

I had one of my fastest times on this course despite making a concerted effort to keep things pretty easy overall. This gives me a bit more confidence in my ability to run a decent 5K in 11 days. I will be returning to Knife River to participate in their Solstice Run on June 25th. This is a fun, small town race held to support the local Recreation Council. I have run there off and on for years and last year set my 5K PR despite the hilly course. This year, due to the stress fracture I was not sure if I would be able to run at all and certainly did not expect to run very well. My last few road runs are indicating that I may be able to pull out a respectable time after all!

This past weekend I had planned to run 7.5 miles as my long run (sticking close to the 10% rule). I joined some friends on the SHT above my house for a nice, leisurely run. When I got home I found a text from a young friend of mine asking if I wanted to join her on an "easy 2 miler". I try to never turn down a new/returning runner so said yes. I ended up logging another 3.3 miles (on roads) which included a climb to Skyline, a loop around Enger Tower and then a descent back to her house (with a wicked little hill thrown in at the end - she seems to have gone to the Gene Curnow School of Running Course Design). The next day I biked to and from work and the legs felt pretty good, even on the climb home.

I am still holding the line at no ultras for the summer, but I am a little more hopeful that I will be racing at Wild Duluth and maybe even something before that.

Thursdays ARE for Running To Work

Today I ran to work! And back home!

My last run in this series was 2/24/11 (the week the initial injury occurred that after much denial was diagnosed as a stress fracture).

It felt hard! My legs felt slow, my pack felt heavy, and my breathing felt off. I tried to focus on taking it easy yet keeping the pace up (this is a road run so a good opportunity to work on speed).

I was pleasantly surprised to arrive at work in a time that would have thrilled me last year!

The run home was a challenge. The wind was out of the east (off Lake Superior) at 15 mph with gusts of an unknown velocity that were high enough to slow me down almost to a stop. I had only made it a block from work when I was laughing at the absurdity of trying to maintain any type of pace in these conditions.

I chose to use a local hiking trail to climb the final mile up the hill, which allowed a break from the wind and pavement, and then it was back at it for the final blocks to my house (and the 36 step climb to the front porch).

My leg is feeling great (aka there is no pain) and I am hopeful that I will now be able to start building mileage again as well as getting back the conditioning lost over the past 3 months.

I am not planning on running any Ultras this summer but hope to be back for my 3rd Wild Duluth event in October.

Being injured has freed me up to volunteer at even more races and I have been having fun taking pictures at various events and had a blast at Zumbro 100, Chippewa 50K and up at the Spring Superior Races in May where I worked the finish line. I already let Andy Holak know I was available to resume my old post at the Jay Cooke Aid Station for Voyageur. I highly encourage everyone to spend some time volunteering at a trail race!

Other Stuff

Knitting on the secret project is progressing well, though when I discovered a mistake 32 rows back I was a bit heartbroken. 117 stitches per row all ripped back. On the other hand this yarn is a lovely merino that is an absolute joy to knit, so reknitting it wasn't too devastating.

The weather in northern Minnesota has been cool and wet. Very cool, very wet. Spring has been slow to come and while much of Minnesota was sweltering in 100+ degree heat we were barely getting into the 60's here next to the Lake. While I am not a fan of temps in the triple digits I am ready for it to warm up a bit and stay there.

We have yet to get the garden in (and there are frost warnings tonight so I am glad I don't have to be out there covering the plants). The weeds and lawn are going crazy though and there is much to do in the yard to prepare for the vegetables and keep the lawn under control (mowing a slope means you try very hard not to let the grass get too long).

I have had the motorcycle (1984 BMW R65) out a couple of times after successfully changing the oil and filter myself (with much tutoring from Mr. Wildknits) and doing a few other maintenance items. The winter gloves are still in rotation as the temps are just too cool for my fingers otherwise.

Sunday I got out for my first mountain bike ride on the single track at the Piedmont trails. I had already run that morning and my legs were toast! I ended up walking a few more sections of trail than normal.

I have been trying to commute via bicycle as much as possible and figured out a way to layer up that kept me warm(ish) down to the upper 20's. The strong winds this spring have added a bit of resistance training to those commutes as well! I have been enjoying those commutes and plan to keep them in the mix as the summer progresses.

Not much

Things I have been up to of late:

• taking photos at the NMTC Runs
• knitting (finished the toe socks, started and set aside a scarf, started and set aside another pair of socks, and now working on a secret project).
• checking out what is blooming:

From Chippewa 50K

• Watching the new bird arrivals:
White-throated sparrow

Pelicans

What I am not doing yet is running. I spent two weeks in an air cast and taking it very easy. Last Wednesday 15 days after the diagnosis (and many, many weeks after the initial injury)I ran for 10 minutes. No pain!! The next day I continued to be pain free until I squatted down to get a chart off of a very low shelf at work and tweaked the injury site. Apparently the fibula plays a role in this type of movement! The area got progressively more achey as the day went on and I spent time both at work and at home icing it.

Since then I have not run and went back to using the air cast as well (mostly as a reminder what not to do!). Yesterday I walked about three miles (in two separate walks) and today the leg is feeling okay. So, I am thinking if there is no increase in the level of discomfort tomorrow I may try another short run.

Chippewa 50K Photos

Brief Update

It turns out I have a stress fracture of my right fibula. And I can blame it on the kick during a soccer game on February 20th. Apparently that set the stage and the following weeks' running did me in.

I fought that diagnosis for quite some time and even managed a bit of running here and there until I finally gave in and got x-rayed. At first we didn't see the bit of fuzziness that indicated the fracture. About two weeks later (with a run or two thrown in - and some bike riding) when things weren't getting any better I went in to see a Sports Medicine doctor. He diagnosed the stress fracture based on exam and another look at the x-rays.

So, I now have an air cast/splint and strict instructions to do nothing running related for two weeks. Biking is okay because:

I do not use clipless pedals (so no twisting of the lower leg) and the trails are too muddy for single-track mountain biking, so I will not be riding any technical trails with a chance of falling/needing to get my foot down in a hurry.

The funny thing is my leg is almost too short for the cast so biking is a bit uncomfortable anyway.

The Spring Superior races are off my schedule. I am being allowed my annual spring trip to Isle Royale because it is 3 weeks away and our intent was to base camp anyway. I will not be running the trails out there as originally planned and was told I had to be "very leisurely". Backpacking is out. Lucky for me it is a perfect time for spring wildflowers and now I have a perfect excuse to dawdle along identifying plants and taking lots of photos.

He seems to think I can be back at it in time for Voyageur - if I behave myself, but no PR's ;->

I am already looking at the calendar and thinking that may - or may not - be reasonable. There is always Wild Duluth 100k to look forward to in October though!

On the bright side, not being able to run for the past 7+ weeks did teach me that I can bike in temps down into the 20's in relative comfort (stole a pair of Mr. Wildknits winter gloves).

My knitting is also getting more attention. I finished the toe socks and promptly cast on another pair of socks, this time using a Nancy Bush pattern from Folks Socks. But right now I am very involved in knitting up a 'secret project'.

Going on four weeks...

...since my last long run.

It all started on Sunday, February 20th during a soccer game. Two of us went for the ball, I got to it first, the other player got me instead. He caught me just outside of the shinguard and ankle padding on the lateral side of my right leg. Ouch! - but nothing too terrible, happens all the time in soccer. I continued to play with no problems (Can't remember if the kick was in the first or second of the games I played that night).

Monday was a holiday (and normally a day off from running) but friends were in town, so I ran. Nothing too strenuous - 7.5 miles of hilly snowmobile trail (Same route I had run the day before with another friend). Conditions were quite firm, leg felt fine. By then I had forgotten about the kick completely.

Tuesday I ran again. 6 miles on snowmobile trails, still pretty firm so footing was stable. Noticed a sore spot on the outside of my leg and remembered the kick. Again, nothing too bad and soon forgotten.

Wednesday met up with the winter running group for six miles on the Lakewalk. Nice run, solid footing, leg felt fine.

Thursday (which is for running to work) I was feeling a bit tired so opted for the short route. It was icy through the park and I was forced to take it quite easy. I did notice a quick spasm in the calf early in the run, but it quickly resolved.

Friday was a day off from running. Instead I finalized plans for an adventurous long run with my friend Sam in the woods outside of Gooseberry State Park.

Saturday Sam and I headed north. We were going to run the snowmobile trail out of Gooseberry until it met up with the North Shore State Trail. Sam's goal was 18 or so miles. I was happy with 17. We both forgot that we would be climbing a lot as we headed inland out of the park. I could tell I was tired from the jump in mileage that week (my weekly mileage had been topping out in the mid-20's and I had hit 30 by Thursday). To complicate matters, none of the mileage signs seemed to agree with each other, the state park map or Sam's GPS.

The trail was quite firm, but not hard, and the small amount of snow that had fallen the day or so before was well packed down by the snowmachines and groomer. The footing was as ideal as it gets for winter running. I had put screws in my trail shoes for this outing and Sam had her yaktraks on. We encountered very little ice that day (a pleasant change from the icy conditions leading up to this run).

I was definitely feeling the gradual climbs and admit I was a bit whiney at times. Nothing like long gradual uphills to make you feel old and slow. To add to my problem the water tube and bite valve on my hydration pack kept freezing. At the first break I had to stop, take the pack off, disassemble the hose and mouth piece and thaw things out (I quickly learned to tuck the hose/mouth piece into my armpit to keep it warm not just inside my jacket).

As we climbed we left the lake, and the clouds, behind and emerged into the sunlight. It was gorgeous!!! We encountered only 18 snowmobilers the whole time we were out and they were all very generous in sharing their trail.

Sam outside an adirondack shelter along the trail.

Believe this is on a branch of the Gooseberry River.

There was an outhouse off to the left.

At the junction with the North Shore State Trail.

Even in the single digits there was open water along the trail.

My best guess is something in the weasel family - pine martin perhaps?

I love how the photo makes the tracks look raised vs indented.

Fun with shadows

Sam went on ahead as we neared the turn around point as she wanted more miles than I did (and I am slower). This also gave me time to enjoy a break and a snack while I waited for her return. The trails meet up in a open area, so it was nice that there wasn't a wind. The run back to the park went much faster (or so it seemed) and it became evident that indeed we had been running uphill the whole way out!

In the last miles my right lower leg began to hurt. Soon it took a lot of focus to set the pain aside and push on (it helps that we had been out for over three hours and I was ready to be done). As we neared Hwy 61, with each step it began to feel as if something was about to 'give' and I got a bit worried. We made it to the park headquarters and headed to the car to grab our dry stuff and then back to the building to change. I was a bit gimpy at this point, but no worse than I have been after many a long race.

The plan was to stop in Two Harbors for pizza and we found our way to Do North Pizzeria.

By then, despite the clothing change, I was just chilled enough to have lost circulation to my hands. One of the staff was kind enough to fill a glass with hot water for me so I could warm my hands. I think one look at them convinced him I wasn't nuts for the request.

Raynaud's flare (from a different episode - grocery stores can be hell with this phenomenon)

Sam, trying to fit into the frame with the pizza

16" pizza after two runners finish up.

By the time I arrived home my leg was stiff and climbing the 36 steps to the house with my gear was a bit painful. Iced my leg, applied arnica and figured things would be better in the morning.

Sunday I play soccer. I woke up with a lot of pain and unable to descend stairs or walk normally. Not wanting to let my teammates down I thought I could at least show up and stand in front of the goal. I suited up, tried to take a few "running" steps and immediately knew I was done for the night. I couldn't move without severe pain. My lower leg looked normal, no bruising or swelling. But it was incredibly tender to the touch in the area I had been kicked the week before.

What the heck?!?!

That Monday I had a co-worker (PA) check it out as I was a bit worried about a stress fracture. She poked around a bit and thought it was most likely soft tissue damage. So: ice, arnica, rest. By Wednesday the pain was a bit better but I was still limping so I scheduled an appointment with my chiropractor for some deep tissue work. He did an exam and came to the same conclusion - muscle/tendon trauma. Worked on the area for a bit, applied some kinesio tape and said to take it easy for awhile and keep icing. Running wasn't advised but it was up to me. (My legs felt great after the long run - other than this one area - which made it hard to want to take any time off).

I did walk three miles that evening. Painful - but more in a tight muscle sort of way. I took Thursday off (it felt very, very strange not to be running to work!).

Saturday morning (3/5) I met up with friends for a run and then breakfast in a nearby town. It hurt to run, but by taking walking breaks I made it through 5 miles. Once I stopped the pain was constant and I took the 800 mg ibuprofen a friend offered.

Since then I have managed to run only one mile on three separate occasions. Each time the run starts out feeling okay, if a bit painful, and then gets worse with each step. Not good. I have continued getting some deep tissue work and seem to be making progress (can walk down stairs without pain, no longer limping, not waking up due to pain, etc).

This Tuesday I went back in ready to ask for an x-ray as it just seemed like this was taking too long to heal. Often stress fractures/hairline fractures do not show up on x-ray initially so I had not been in a hurry to pay for a procedure that wasn't going to be definitive and wouldn't necessarily change what I was doing. After some discussion (I am not fond of being x-rayed for any reason) I opted for another exam first. My chiropractor noted some "crunchiness" to the tissue (and I continued to have to hold myself onto the table when he was working on the area) and opted to try a new technique utilizing a stainless steel tool. Within less than 5 minutes the pain in the area diminished greatly! Pressure that only a few minutes before had me on the verge of tears was now easily bearable. It was like a miracle. The tape went back on, I left and proceeded to ice the area as often as I could that day.

Tomorrow I get to test the leg. I plan to join friends for a nice short little run (nor more than 3 miles). The area where I was kicked is still slightly tender to touch but overall feels more like a healing sprain than anything else. I am hopeful that things are on the upswing and I will be back in training mode soon. I am also hoping that I did not lose too much conditioning over the past few weeks of idleness.

OKC:

Being idled by injury has freed me up to do more knitting. I am well under way on the 2nd toe sock after stalling out trying to redesign toe #5 and getting the fit just right on the first sock. There will be a separate post on the socks, but here is a sneak peak:

BTW - blogger is acting up and messing with the fonts - not sure why. So, my apologies as I cannot seem to figure out what the problem is.