How … HOW … did it get to be March already??? I know February was a short month, but still …
Clearly I am behind in my postings … pancakes and Cheez-Its really don’t keep y’all apprised about my life. Of course, I blame Facebook for much of this. It’s such a fun and easy time-suck, but I never intended it be a substitute for the blog. So let’s do some catching up, shall we?
Rocky Raccoon
February started off with a weekend in Huntsville, Texas, volunteering at the Rocky Raccoon 100 Mile Trail Run. I love working races! It’s a chance to not run, to see lots of friends, and to help and celebrate other runners achieve their own racing goals. It’s also a way to give back to the sport that I love and that has given me so much. I spent all day Friday and Saturday morning working packet pickup, meaning I got to check in every single runner … I spent a lot of time sitting down, but it was great to see so many friends! The highlight of the weekend, however, had to be pacing my friend Naresh for the last 20 miles of his race … his first 100 mile finish! I get so much joy out of pacing … being a part of someone else’s race success is just so gratifying, and this experience was no exception. Naresh had a great finish, and being there and being a part of it … wouldn’t trade that experience for anything.
The Neck
Unfortunately, the next couple weeks after Rocky Raccoon were spent dealing with brutal and chronic neck pain, leftover from my fainting accident in December. It culminated in a CT Scan, which thankfully showed no fracture or arthritis. I’ve been spending lots of time rolling my back on the foam roller, stretching out my neck, applying ice and heat … and it’s doing much, much better. Turns out the key is to avoid all that chiropractic and massage therapy … my neck does not like to be touched. It still hurts occasionally, but nothing I can’t handle, and it’s usually a sign that I haven’t been working on it enough and have let my back get too tight.
Doogies Run 25K
Of course, no month would be complete without a trail race! It’s probably a good thing I hadn’t done a 25K before now. If I’d known how much fun shorter races can be, I might never have started running ultras. ;) I’m mostly kidding … I get a lot of satisfaction out of pushing myself over long distances. But after Bandera 100K, I decided it was time to back off a little and focus on some shorter distances … with the goal of hopefully getting a bit faster. This race fit nicely into my spring plans, so I decided to give it a shot and see what it felt like to run a shorter distance race.
It ended up being a great experience … a fun course and I was able to run pretty much the entire thing. I was a little more tired than I’d hoped to be, but still finished the race in 2:43 … which was good enough to finish 3rd place overall and the 2nd place female. It was a small race, but I’m still excited … it’s the first award I’ve gotten in a race. :) Next up is Rocky Hill Ranch 25K in about 6 weeks … a similar type of course, but a little more challenging. With a little speed work, I’m hoping to equal or beat my Doogies time.
The Ankle***
Of course, all my grand plans for Rocky Hill Ranch are entirely speculative at this point … since I sprained my ankle during last night’s Wednesday club run on the greenbelt. I haven’t had a chance to see the doctor yet, so I don’t know how bad it is. I can walk on it pretty well, and the pain is not too bad. But it is very swollen. I’m trying to look on the bright side … I just finished a race, don’t have another one (other than some fun road stuff I don’t care if I have to walk) until RHR, and I don’t have to start training for my summer/fall ultras until the end of April. Hopefully with the right therapy and a smart approach (meaning not to push too hard) I can rehab quickly. I’m hoping I won’t have to take too much time off from running, and that I can at least do yoga in the meantime. And even if I can just run on the road for a bit, I can live with that. But right now, I just have to wait and see…
The Board
It should come as no surprise to people that I’m a really active member of the local trail club here in Austin, Hill Country Trail Runners. I’ve helped put on several club events, I volunteer at races, I host a trail run for the club every week … and I do all those things because the club and its members are one of the most important things in my life. I’ve never known a better group of people, anywhere. And I am truly blessed to count them as my friends. This next year, I will have the chance to give back to the club that means so much to me … as of the April meeting, I’m going to be serving as Vice President of the club Board. I’ve never really been the kind of person who joins clubs … I even resisted joining HCTR at first. But I think maybe my lack of involvement in clubs was because I just hadn’t found the right one. I’m so excited about this new challenge! It’s a chance to really make a difference and do something good for a group of people and for a sport that has become the biggest part of my life in the last two years.
Go Deep
The other big thing I’ve been doing for myself lately is getting back into meditation. I’ve got a lot going on right now … I’m in a bit of a state of transition with a number of things in my life, and while I think most of the changes coming down the road will be good changes and healthy ones, even positive change can be overwhelming. What I love about meditation is that it helps me get to that quiet, still place inside me, where all the answers eventually become clear. I’m even doing a weekend class next month to help me develop my own practice, and I can’t wait.
That’s about it … lots going on and lots to look forward to. My friend Karen is in Austin all week, and I can’t wait to catch up with her. And Jolly will be here in 3 weeks, so obviously I can’t wait for that!
Keep me in your prayers that my ankle is not badly sprained! I’ll keep you posted!
*** Just got back from the doctor, and the situation is even better than I had hoped. My ankle is definitely sprained, but it’s not bad. The range of motion is good and it’s not too loose. Basically, I can just let the pain and swelling be my guide. I can walk over the next few days, and then if that feels ok, I am cleared to try running on the road or Town Lake. If that all goes well, I can try hitting the trail again in 10 days to 2 weeks. And I absolutely need to start ramping up my balancing exercises … the ones I did to rehab the other ankle last year. I’ve been letting those slide, and while that’s not what caused this sprain, those exercises will be the key to a successful recovery.
