Saying Goodbye to April... with a Tiny Little Run

   I had no plans of running this morning after yesterday's run, but seeing that yesterday's run would give me 129.8 miles for April that really bugged me. Then of course I was actually feeling so much better by the evening that I thought to myself "a tiny little run can't hurt", but I didn't want to get up early just to run .2 miles to get to 130 so I decided I would run 1.2 miles and put myself at 131 miles for April.
   In short, it felt great. No aches, no pains and no stiffness which is strange for the first mile as usually the first 15-30 minutes of a run are funky as you're trying to find your stride. But I was feeling good, if I wasn't trying to be cautious coming off of whatever it was my lower legs were doing, I probably would have pushed it to 7 or 8 miles. BUT, I am going to stick to the plan of being cautious this week and going by feel. 
   By the way, I woke up at 3:30 AM and got ready. Rocky and I took off at 4 AM and ran 1.2 miles in 13:07 with an average pace of 10:55 min/mile. Nice and easy, and it felt great.  Temperature was 52 degrees, but I decided to wear my capris anyways as I wasn't going to be running long enough to really warm up. I stopped the garmin at 1.2 but I think I technically ran 1.3..... but that would screw up my monthly average and I really want it to be even. Rocky of course though "what the heck" when we stopped at the driveway after only 1.3 miles, but I told him I've got to be careful otherwise he'd be running a whole heck of a lot less.
   This morning's run puts me at 131 miles for April, about 22 miles short of March which was 153.4 but I probably jumped it too much -
Last 6 months
November - 108.2
December - 135.5
January - 148.4
February - 114.4 (taking a few days of rest this month too)
March - 153.4
April - 131
  
    May is a new month, but I probably won't push it past 150 miles unless I am feeling really good and I won't even promise 150, as long as I can get 131 or more I will be happy.

A 4 Miler after 4 Days of Rest

   I've been itching to run since Saturday, and yet so nervous about how things would go. Almost scared you could say, I really hate injuries dang it. Anyways, since I was just going to go by feel this morning I set my alarm for 4 AM. Rocky and I were out the door by 4:29 AM, it was 61 degrees but cool enough for shorts and a short sleeves. I wore my bright yellow GT-2000 2's and my bright yellow hat along with my blinky vest thingy, since I would be doing a loop and the only loops around my house all have hills I wanted to be seen. Even with all that, some stupid mini van screamed over a hill and I actually had to jump to the side as I could see they wouldn't have time to see me (we were nearing the top of the hill as well). Sure enough they were hugging the side of the road, and had I not moved off the road they would have hit me (just another remind why I love the trails).
   Anyways, that was just before mile 1 so let me get back to the beginning. I didn't feel any soreness or aches or pains, but I was kind of stiff for the first mile or so. It wasn't my ankles either, it was my right shin and little areas on my calves. These had aches around the same time as my ankle started but not as bad, nothing to hinder my run this morning though. I definitely felt that 4 miles was a safe number to test things out and see how I am feeling, and I started it relatively slow for a road run.
  Rocky and I ran 4 miles in 43:47 with an average pace of 10:56 min/mile, elevation gain of 103 feet and a loss of 101 feet.
Laps/splits were:
Mile 1 - 11:16
Mile 2 - 11:02
Mile 3 - 10:54
Mile 4 - 10:31

   I did ice a couple of spots right after the run, took four of the Hammer Nutrition Tissue Rejuventor pills/capsules, 3 BCAA tablets and stretched my calves (icing was after all this). The run wasn't bad at all, but I am feeling a bit sore in certain spots, it's hard to describe - not really sore but weird...... if that makes any sense whatsoever, I don't know. It just feels good to get back out there and run, but I really can't wait to get back on the trails AND get back up to 35 miles a week - I think 35-40 mpw is a good spot for me.... if I can get there that is.
   As much as I want to run tomorrow, I think I will hold off until Thursday and go by feel again. I do plan on running the Audubon hills Friday though, I want to get back to them so badly.

Running Gods Might Be Saying Another Rest Day

  I've been trying to get excited about hitting the trails tomorrow morning, but I can't get over the nervous gunshy feeling. I am scared that I will be disappointed and find that things haven't gotten better..... 
  Looking at the forecast, it seems that the Running Gods (and Goddesses) have decided that tomorrow will be another day off from running, as they are predicting thunderstorms starting this afternoon and throughout tomorrow. That also means the trails are going to be filthy wet again, but I am okay with that I think. Grant you, I could get out there tomorrow and still try but if I am to be honest with myself.... I think I will take it as an omen and rest for a 4th day. I just hope and pray that these four days of rest have helped me, even if my 2 year old has me chasing after him on my feet all day.... I am not really feeling any pain or soreness throughout the day, and the last 2 days I would feel kind of "stiff" in my right ankle waking up in the mornings but not this morning. 
   I am going to babble and whine about this until I feel or know that I am in the clear of this. It is irritating and depressing, and I am not sure how I should go about getting back into running. Should I cut all my runs in half for this upcoming week? Or go by feel but not push it too much? I guess I am just so nervous that I'll get back to running and the pain will still be there.... and that I should have taken the few days off from running 3 weeks to a month ago when the strange ache started :( 

Gotta Keep Rocky in Shape

  This is day 2 of my no running, and it is a bit depressing.... especially when I received Trail Runner mag in the mail Thursday, so yeah that doesn't help. There hasn't been much pain at all since Thursday's 5 miler, so I am trying to stay positive and hope that this rest will help tremendously. Of course I don't think I can call it rest when I am on my feet chasing a 2 year old around..... he just doesn't know how to stand still or sit and play with something, he's just got to be on the move constantly. Luckily, I am not feeling any pain or soreness when chasing him so I guess that is a good thing... right?
  I do feel kind of achy.... or... stiff in the right ankle you might say, in the morning when waking up but then it goes away. The left ankle hasn't felt anything, though just a bit of my left shin has ached a couple of times in the last 48 hours. Anyways, hopefully, just hopefully with this rest and icing and taking Hammer Nutrition's Tissue Rejuvenation pills, I'll be in better shape come Monday. Those pills can't hurt I suppose, an ultra runner I follow takes them (Kelly Agnew) and says they help with his recovery. I can't even look at my RA or RW log summary right now, where it says in the last 7 days or last 30 days, I just can't bare to see it lol.
  Anyways, even though I am having to take a few days off doesn't mean Rocky should suffer so last night I ran him around our 5 acre property. I rode the 4 Wheeler and he chased it, that boy can get up to 25 almost 30 mph no problem so I'll call last night speed work for him lol. We did this for probably 15 minutes and then another 15-20 minutes of just riding around at 10-15 mph, then even slower when Dorian rode with me. Rocky definitely got a workout from that, then this morning we went around easy for 25-30 minutes at 10 mph. Then Rocky got a bath due to all the mud lol.
  That's the nice thing about having 5 acres of property, and thankfully Rocky can still get a good work out even when I am having to rest.

A Reluctant Decision

   After much debate, and arguing with myself I've decided that the best thing to do at this point would be to take a few days off from running :(
  Things just aren't getting any better with my ankle, in fact now my left ankle is starting to hurt. I can't keep pushing my already questionable luck until things get really bad and I end up having to take weeks or months off, especially since I'll be starting my training for my first marathon this June (marathon is in November).
   I want to complain, gripe and cry about it dang it. It isn't fair, I worked so hard to get up to a 35-40 mpw range and now I am having to fall back well below that, I am not even sure if that will help at all :( You will probably hear me complain a lot over the next few days but I am going to try and bike to make up for it. I am going to put my bike rack on the Tahoe, and Dorian's pull-along in the back so that I can take him with me for 6-8 miles in the morning and possibly another 6-8 miles in the afternoon or evenings to make up for the runs I'll be missing. I know Rocky will be very upset about it, as I can't take him with us on the bike but maybe after a few days of complete rest I can include walks on the days we don't bike.
  This is depressing!!!

Still Some Aches in Both

  I went ahead and bought another CEP ankle brace, hopefully it will get here by Saturday. Both ankles ache now, the aches come and go during the run and I am just hoping and praying I don't have to stop for a few days. Two weeks from this Sunday we're leaving to Tennessee for a week and I am pretty much expecting that to be a cutback week, most likely 20 miles or less running but hopefully some hiking. I am just holding out until then, hoping that whatever the issues are will stay at bay and not get worse until then. Heck, I'll take the entire week off from running if that will help.

   Anyways, this morning Rocky and I ran 5.2 miles on the trails. I wore the ankle brace on my right foot, but both were kind of sore. Nothing that affected my stride or anything, but that little ache that just irritates you because you would much rather have a pleasant, pain free, invincible feeling kind of run you know? So I would rather call it an annoying ache.
   The trails are drying up, deer smell funny.... like barn animals - pigs, cows and horses. We ran 5.2 miles in 57:57 with an average pace of 11:08 min/mile, elevation gain of 83 feet and a loss of 97 feet.
  As the soreness has returned, I think I will cut this weekends long run to 13 miles depending on how I feel.
Laps/splits were:
Mile 1 - 11:56
Mile 2 - 11:04
Mile 3 - 10:50
Mile 4 - 10:39
Mile 5 - 11:21
.2       - 10:32

Speaking of Safety and Risks

   Upon a reader's questions, I decided I would bloop about the precautions I attempt to take. Here are some of the precautions I take daily and weekly.

• I always make sure to be aware of my surroundings
• Noticing a suspicious car more than once - for example, up until last Wednesday's 9 miler I've noticed this same low-rider truck at the beginning of my runs, they (sometimes one guy, sometimes 2) drive extremely slow and park in front of a trucking company for a minute or two, almost waiting for me to get closer before they begin driving. I've noticed that more than 3 times over the last month IF my runs begin around 5 AM and not before, I've also noticed that same truck is parked at the water treatment plant just across from our house so my main suspicion is that drugs are involved but I've since decided that if any road run is close to 5 AM I will avoid that road.
• I switch up routes like a girl switches bras and panties, I try not to run the same route more than once a week and never on the same day of the week (same route every Monday or Wednesday for example). I always have to start off from my house but I can usually pick right or left, and then other roads to switch up. I am also always ready to dive into a ditch or wooded area for whatever reason.
• Usually I have no issues or no questionable situations between 3 and 5 AM, the suspicious events normally happen after 5 AM but sometimes I'll run in the evenings or afternoon in the city to switch up my times in case there is a stalker out there.
• I carry pepper Spray and a knife along with a dog that looks intimidating to most people.
• As for trails:
• No music whatsoever, never when on trails even during daylight. I like to have my hearing completely 100% , if I hear the slightest sound behind me or around me I will stop and take a look.
• Even if Rocky isn't an attack dog, by running in front of me, behind me and all around me I know without a doubt he will find anybody that is possibly hiding behind a tree or mud or wherever. He might not attack them, but he'll give away their position and give me a chance to have my pepper spray ready (or to grab a large stick/limb and beat the crap out of them)
• I try to go in different directions, never taking the same direction or starting off the same or ending the same if possible.
• My best defense overall is my awareness of everything around me.