Friday, September 17, 2010

One Step forward....

Hey all,


Sorry for the prolonged absence. If you have been reading this much over the past year, you know that I have run the gambit of injuries and migraines. Luckily, when I had the 2 cervical discs removed back in March, it eliminated a good amount of the numbness (not mental the physical) and the 2 to 3 migraines I was experiencing a week. Unfortunately it did not eliminate them completely, but I have only had about 4 since March. The 4 however have been real doseys though. Pain, light sensitivity, blurred vision, and nausea. Sunday, as we were celebrating Catie (my step-daughter's) and my birthday, a day late due to our hectic family schedules, we were just sitting down to eat, and low and behold the migraine aura showed up and within 5 minutes, I lose my eye sight. Puts me in bed early, and keeps me in bed with the exception of about 2 hours all through Monday into Tuesday morning.

Well here it is Friday, and although my eyesight THANKFULLY comes back generally within an hour or so, I am still to a lesser degree experiencing some of the migraine leftovers.

And (I apologize for the unnecessary length of this story) it has kept me off the trails, after I had a nice little roll going there over the past couple weeks. So regardless of everything else, I am finding the time to hit Gilbert with Belle this weekend.

Until then, Be Well ~ Sank

Friday, September 10, 2010

Sore but happy

Well for the first time a while, I was actually able to hit the trails for two days in a row AND able to get 2 plus 3 milers in.  Now I know that that amount is pretty light almost non-existant for Ultra guys.  But after dealing with my March surgery and the hamstring issues, I am PSYCHED. 

In fact yesterday I jumped out of the car, turned on the GPS on the Garmin and realized I left my 2 hamstring compression wraps at home.  It was getting late in the day, and figured I would go out and see how it felt.  Worse case I could walk it in, with the side benefit of hearing my owl friend again.  Left the lot, went in thru the gated area, and went out the first part of the heart trail.  And I by a half mile in, I forgot all about them. 
It was a really nice run all in all.  Today I have found that my quads are a little sore, but that good type of sore that means that we are making some positive steps.

I am very happy with the slow but steady progression.  Tomorrow I hit the big 48, only two more years til I hit a new age group; but I will definately spoil myself to a run, in between shingling the house - again. 
Just a short post today. 

Be well - Sank

Blog note:  I have created 2 new boxes this week.  One is to make note of giveaways that I have found on other blogs that I am going to share with the few of you that read mine.  And the second is a link to the Eastern New England Trail Series of Trail Races.  Hope you find one there that you can run.

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Late Dusk Friend

Well the cooler weather is coming (insert happy face here) but unfortunately along with the cooler late summer nights, come the shorter days.  I got out of work yesterday and rushed home (after picking up some dinner staples and the dry cleaning), borrowed Catie's car and hit Gilbert (with an hour timeline as Cate had to work last night). 
Not having my usual passenger seat coverage for Belle's dog hair residue, I decided to leave her at home and just get out there and have a nice quiet run for myself.  Leaving the parking and lot and up the side path hill, it was somewhat more shaded than usual, but enough light to navigate.  However that would change quickly as I got off of some of the wider and more used trails and into some of the more challenging and definately more tree covered pathways. 
Things were going relatively normal, when out of the dusk I heard (Click for youtube video of the sound) .  Now I had originally thought that it must be the Barred Owl that I seen almost a year ago .  I definately knew that it was an owl as it made it's call about 4 times over the course of a 2 to 3 minute span.  But it was high up in the trees and with the daylight failing there was no way I was going to be able to see it, so I just kept going.
Today I decided to try to find a website that had the calls of different owl, and low and behold it wasnt a Barred Owl at all but a Great Horned Owl.  Damn, I wish I had taken the time and had the light to have been able to see it.  Once I crossed over toward the Megley Trail I either fell out of ear shot or the owl simply went quiet. 
I have to say it was very cool.  Greatly preferred over the screeching Blue Jays that yell at me while I am working on the house.  Oh well, just thought I would share the story with you.
Take care and Be well ~ Sank

Post Edit:  Isnt that picture awesome?!

Sunday, September 5, 2010

Happy Labor Day

Well just kind of going to rant here for a minute.  That brings me to a thought, what exactly is a rant? 

Thank you for Google; anyway although I am not going to change the blog name, I guess what I want to do (replacing rant since it isn't really being angry or violent) is to put some thoughts to virtual paper.

Like most people I can go off on rants, but try not to, as the long and short term results are generally not worth the ramifications.  But I digress. 

The physical benefits of laceing back on the running shoes generally are summed up by; feeling better as I am able to get back into some sort of shape, the comradery of being on the trails with Belle, but most importantly the mental aspect. 

I can tend to get into these overwhelmed mental standpoints where the work vs. tasks vs. home life vs. husband vs. father vs. son vs. boss vs (insert more here) become so heavy in my mind that it is hard to put them in the correct places; both in priority and importance.  For those of you that have ever been in a Spencer's Gifts (are those stores even still around?) anyway it is like when you went into that store and saw that oversized lightbulb contraption with the lightning bouncing off the sides.  If you put your finger to the glass the lightning would concentrate to your fingertip.  Really cool; and as a kid you always had to try it. 
Again thank you Google (I guess it is called a Nitrogen bulb).  Anyway for me the running is a way to simply shut off the lightning and to put all the roles I play into there proper place.  Not that I am able or should put the responsibilities of life away, just be able to put them where they belong.

Honestly this is not what I thought the blog was going to go today, as I had thought that I would talk about getting back into Gilbert State Forest on a beautiful post Hurricane Earl sunny Saturday.  Not running as far as I wanted but more than happy with how it went.  Nancy is off in Wyoming (I'm kicking myself for not having her sign on out there as it is one of a few states that hasn't visit the blog).  She's out visiting her brother Eddie and family.  The kids are all at home, relunctantly getting ready for school on Wednesday.  And I am here doing jobs 'bout the house, trying to hit the trails a few times over this long weekend, and RANTing to the few that read this.

I hope that you are where you need to be in mind and body, that you can keep things in there proper place, and most importantly,
Be well ~ Sank

Thursday, September 2, 2010

A great running timeline - please read - Thanks JD

For those that may not read or click on my blogs I read list, take a few minutes to read this one from JD.  A very enjoyable and fun read.
Click here to read
Be well - Sank

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

September already?

Well came home last night to another 90 degree day, but decided that I was going to get in to Gilbert again; albeit without my chocolate friend; who is still nursing her sore paw.  She isn't limping on it anymore but figured with the heat and all it would be best to leave her home.  I have been fairly tired lately but went out anyway.  Went out on a new route this time, and figured I would take the Acorn trail out and then head down the Megley and back up my favorite path.  Now let me just preface this by saying that the Acorn is a real bitch of a trail and if you can run it without stopping you are a better "man" than I.  As I had said I have been fairly tired lately (not from too much training thats for damn sure) but about halfway through fighting the Acorn, it actually seemed like my legs were responding and I felt pretty damn good the rest of the run.  Definately not reading too much into it, but I am going to take it as a positive sign and leave it at that.

Not sure that the weekend will bring with hurricane Earl heading up the coast but I am planning on hitting Gilbert regardless.  That trail I like is actually really cool in the rain.  Lots of run-offs and water running over large rock faces; a very fun run no matter how long it takes. 
Take care all,
Be well ~ Sank