Hmmm...

Habit succeeds where inspiration fails.

Here I am.

I didn't know if I would ever blog again but here I am. Since my last post, I have volunteered at the Free State Trail Run and the Psycho Psummer 50K. Broke both my pinky toes running at Kill Creek in my Vibram 5 Fingers. Rediscovered biking because my toes were broken. Helped build new trails at Wyandotte County Lake Park. Spent a week in Colorado hiking and running in Rocky Mountain National Park. Had a blast running the Psycho Night 10K trail race. And generally had a large time.

Trail runners are a fun bunch. Read Sam's blog for an in depth Psycho Night race report from a fast person.

Ta ta for now.

Listen to your body. HA!

If I listened to my body, I'd be on my couch, guzzling ice cold Coke, eating a pizza and watching Firefly episodes. My body needs to be quiet!

Feets don't fail me now!

I am obsessed with my feet and footwear. Suffice it to say, my long bout with foot ailments piqued my interest in non-traditional foot gear. I plan to blog more extensively about this in the future but I wanted to post a quick note about my run at Kill Creek Park tonight. It ROCKED! It marks the first time I have covered the whole 7 miles in my Vibram 5 Fingers. Aside from a little hot spot on the side of one of my big toes, my feet feel better than they have in months.

I don't think I have been magically cured by my 5 Fingers any more than I think that regular running shoes are the root of all evil. But I do think that my feet are benefiting from the strengthening and toughening process that happens when you take to the roads and trail in what amounts to gloves for your feet.

Next thing you know, I'll be building huaraches out of old tires (or Old Navy flip flops already in process).

More later. Ta ta!

It's Raining in Wichita

Happy Easter Sunday. I shall celebrate by thoroughly enjoying Easter dinner and watching a bit of golf on the tube.

Foot recovery is progressing well but much slower than I would like. I've only managed 1 trail run in the last 3 weeks. That was a 7 miler at Kill Creek Park and the foot held up well but was sore for a couple of days afterward. I've been able to use the cardio machines at the gym to maintain some level of fitness but I'm really looking forward to being able to hit the trails 3 or 4 times a week again soon. My patience will be rewarded or I'll throw a fit. Planning to run at Kill Creek again this Tuesday (mud permitting) and see if my foot is improving.

Ta ta for now.

BH

I Have a Name!

I have been whining about my feet incessantly for the last month. Occasionally, I would sit by the trail, staring at my bare foot practically begging it to tell me what is wrong. Once, I even ran back from Land's End at Clinton Lake with my shoe insoles in my hand. I have bought shoes, changed socks, taken a week off, and contemplated burying myself in shallow unmarked grave next to the bridle trail at WyCo. All that has changed. I now have a name for the malady that has plagued my runs ever since Psycho Wyco.

Sesamoiditis!

Sounds horrible doesn't it? Not really. It just means that I've irritated the tiny bones in the ball of my foot that give you a little extra leverage when you push off your big toe. It's a form of tendinitis and it frequently occurs when you increase an activity like running. Especially on hills. A pretty accurate description of a guy who recently gave up the couch for the trail. It's not too much, just too much, too soon.

The good news is that I'm already getting better. A little time off. A little less mileage. Some shoe adjustments. And I'm back on the trail.

Yippee!

A more thorough description of the condition at: www.foot.com

Getting a little stir crazy.

So! I took an entire week off of trail running hoping my left foot would quit torturing me. I did do some work at the gym on the elliptical trainers and bike. Finally, Sunday, Susan and I went to WyCo and ran some of the horse trail plus the triangle. Just about 3 miles. While I didn't actually have to start favoring my foot, it was not happy. I'm going to continue on the low mileage plan for a few weeks but if things don't improve soon, I will have to consult a physician. I'm also going to try some different shoe options.

Other than the foot, things are going well. I plan to spend a little more time in the gym to make up for the reduced mileage.

S'long for now.