Batteries: Recharged!

Dear Diary,

Late this morning Sweet Baboo and I went for a run/hike/crawl on trail #130, aka the "Crest Trail". One hikes 4000 feet to the top (about 10,000 feet above sea level) and is then moving along the crest, hence the name.

Some day, when I can get to the top, I will know the CREST. For today, though, the plan was to just move out for an hour, gently, and then turn around and come back. I did about 7.8 miles total in 1:45:00, moving from about 6000 feet to around 7200 feet altitude and then back again, using a combination of hiking and running. I stopped once or twice to take pictures and stretch.

I forgot to charge my Garmin 305. I used it from time to time to check my elevation, but otherwise it would shut off if I tried to run it for too long.

I carried my Nathan hand-held bottle and wore a Patagonia bra-top, Cw-X running tights, race-ready fitness shorts, pink Injinji anklets, and my new New Balance 811 trail shoes. I could have left the tights behind because it got pretty warm. The Patagonia top they don't make any more, but it's a lot like the CW-X firm support top. What I like about it is that it's a high-necked crop top/bra and is great for running for us, um, Athena types.

The NB811s worked pretty well except that I might need a teeny bit of arch support in them. This trail is kind of u-shaped in some places, causing my feet to roll inward a bit. Lots of trails are like that; natural wear and tear causes them to dip in the middle, and for a few miles, it's no big deal, but for ten+ miles, it can be a big deal. Also, the mico-anklets from Injinji aren't so great; they sink beneath my shoe top and then the ankle parts of the shoe rub on me. All-in-all, however, the shoes gave me great footing and I was pretty comfy on this trail, which is coverred in most places in loose sand and lots of rocks.

This is going to be a great trail for me to train on and get ready for the Ghost Town 38.5 in January!

As for my leg, well, it was there, and it whispered to me from time to time but never shouted. I'm happy to report that I'm definitely on the mend. It actually feels better now after the run then it did before it. About 15-minutes in, I stopped and stretched, and then I stretched right afterward as well, especially paying attention to my calves and IT band.

And best of all, after a week of no running, the batteries are again recharged. Ahhh. I'm once again bearable to live with!

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