OK maybe running isn't quite the best description especially since I am mostly running/jogging on trails but who would have thought that after 20 years of hating running (and that's an understatement) while in the Navy I am finding trailrunning soo much fun. This all started last fall when I decided that after 4 years the screws in my ankle were still annoying me. Removal isn't an option as recovery from that is a year of minimal exercise/stress which means I couldn't even swim or ride a bike. So the only other choice is to start exercising it. Cycling while great exercise does nothing for the bundle of mixxed up nerves in my lower leg and neither does swimming no impact so the joint doesn't get stressed. I bought a pair of running shoes on a whim and started walking, just me and the dog, not really recording the miles just spending an hour or soo wandering the town. Before Xmas I started to run on the road with the dog which she really liked but my hamstrings and calves were screaming. So on a whim I took the dog out to one of her favorite hikes from when I was learning to walk again 4 years ago and we went for a run there. Well other than the fact that what I thought of as good shape turns out to be mediocre, my legs are much happier, not to mention the dog is ecstatic every time we head out now. There is no question I am slow and trail running is slow going even for a fast person. I got a chance to run this morning with a 2 legged person, an old friend from highschool who runs religiously and was able to match her pace for 2.5 miles of very technical trails. That makes me feel good (though she went out for another lap when I was done), showing her a new place to run was also nice as she admitted that most of her spots are feeling stale. The nice thing about trailrunning is that while the miles are nice its really the time running and the scenery that make it so much fun.


Two Replies to Seriously I am running...

Scott Hardie | January 22, 2013
It's good that you're getting out there and enjoying the trail. I have quite a few runner friends who routinely share photos of the wildlife they spot every weekend morning, so I understand what you mean about the value of the scenery.

Tony Peters | January 22, 2013
yeah a lot of the places I am now running are places that I used to hike on the weekends so I know them almost as well as my local streets. Once it warms up I will likely see more wildlife, not much out there now. Of course watching my dog run thought the woods is also highly entertaining.


vagabond-punk

The musings of Tony Peters, a perpetual child, no matter where I am I will find a way to climb something or go skateboarding Read more »

vacation and such

well my father, brother and I set out last thursday for Ithaca NY, my father and I on our motorcycles and my brother in his LandCruiser pulling a trailer/tent. The goal was to get from Rhode Island to Ithaca for a family reunion and back by using only back roads. We succeeded and we plenty of adventures to boot...my Go »

problems within problems

I read Daily Beast for mush of my news because I like the tone and because there aren't many conservatives left who don't deal exclusively in hate (Hannity Rush etc) I actually used to consider myself a conservative but I can't reconcile their embrace of ignorance nor their dismissal of a changing word. Anyway Meghan McCain wrote an interesting piece on the old guard's disregard for the internet Go »

Beyond annoying...

well I'm officially retired now, sorta looking for a job but content to work in and around the house for a bit. My one task that I need to accomplish is to complete my VA claim and boy is that annoying....I have my medical record all 5 inches of it and I have to prove each issue that I am claiming and when I first had it treated....this Go »

animals are family

one of our cats, Sketch was diagnosed with CHF (congestive heart failure) on Friday we spent the weekend at the the animal hospital before bringing her home late sunday night. Her Condition has been mixxed since though we hope for the best. Her heart seems to be OK and her lungs are free of fluid but she got severely dehydrated which has really messed up her digestive track. Go »

New adventures in Pain...

Well my cast was cut off yesterday...I got to take my first long bath without help in 7 weeks...oh did it feel nice. Go »

Pain on a whole new level

good afternoon/evening folks something happened on the way to work this morning, I touched my brakes and either my tires were cold or I hit some sand, the next thing I knew I was on the ground with my bike on top of me. The end result is I broke my right ankle. It's swollen a bit today and likely needs surgery I have an ortho appointment on monday and hopefully surgery on tuesday. Go »