Back it up to spring!

Since I last updated the web log a few eventful things have happened and were captured with a photo apparat.  After the Syllamo races in March, I managed to run a few more fun runs (races).  First was the sopping wet run called the Big Rock Mystery Run in Little Rock, Arkansas.  Running the Mystery Run means you do not know the course in advance, the distance is ~8-10 miles of mostly runnable hills (near the Arkansas River and Emerald Park) and an adventurous game of snatching a card at each of twenty or so check points.  If a runner blasts through without stopping or misses a check point and fails to grab a card, then X amount of minutes are added to their final race time.  It poured rain, the fog was beautiful, I was laughing and running and trying to keep my shorts from falling off.  Arkansas Outside photographers were there and captured quite a few stunningly calculated shots at great viewpoints.  The highlight of the race was when a few runners ventured into a stream drainage that tunneled under the earth for about 100-200 ft and dumps into the Arkansas River VIOLENTLY.  During the course setup, the RD placed a card check point in this drainage prior to the rainfall and had not anticipated the torrent to come on race day.  What a game!

 

The second fun run I participated in was called the Mount Magazine Trail Run.  This race is ~18 miles (+ a 12 mile alternative run) and has a stiff out and back at the end...three miles downhill, turn around, and three miles uphill.  I went out at a fast pace and did not sustain my calorie intake during that time.  I started to struggle and fell behind but only one female passed (my buddy) and I started to feel better with some calories. Onto the downhill section of the out-and-back, I ran through a stretch of a fluffy pile of leaves with hidden loose cobbles inside (without slowing down) and the next thing I knew I was on the ground sprawled out.  I grabbed my ankle in PAIN!!  I thought my race was over...a man passed me while I was lying there...then the 3rd place woman passed me while I was hobbling along trying to decide if I should finish the race.  Of course I was going to finish...but now it was only about finishing. 

I am smiling (post injury) as I approached the turn around.  I guess it wasn't so bad after all if I'm smiling

(photo credit C. Ferren)!

We spent the weekend camping, climbed ONE route on Mt. Magazine because we were overwhelmed by 5-6 different types of insects trying to eat us, and spent time with good friends.  Mt. Magazine is the tallest peak in Arkansas and a great state park to enjoy the Outdoors in Arkansas.
 

Deb and me at the top of Mt. Magazine cheers-ing the race/weekend!  If you've ever been out West, this sign may seem WHACK.  Clearly, black bears in Arkansas haven't learned to pry open cars to score food.

--------------------------------------begin whining-----------------------------------

So I've had this ankle problem for the last + year and I find myself rolling it, falling on the ground, feeling intense pain and my body then secretes a bunch of adrenaline and I keep on running.  To be fair to my adrenals, I've made some efforts in strengthening the muscles around my ankle with TheraBand exercises and sometimes wearing an ankle brace during my runs.  This all came about because of a single event when I sprained my ankle in December 2011.  I was on crutches and sometimes I think it might have been better if it had just broken instead of stretching everything out to the max. 

----------------------------------------end whining---------------------------------------- 

 

The following weekend I went to Burns Park to run a short 4-5 mile trail race with the Hash House Harriers of Little Rock.  I didn't know a single person there and ended up spending 7-8 hours that day hanging out with these folks.  This traditional annual race has been going on for decades and is also a 'mystery' course to the entrants.  Let me just say this, people were drinking beer before the race even started and everyone received a first place rattlesnake plaque.  No ankle sprains, first woman overall, instant new friends, and a bunch of beer and food. 

Unrelated to running, an amazing old friend of mine married a beautiful woman and friend at the Dunbar Community Garden.  What a great idea for an outdoor wedding!  This event lasted a couple of days and I was so happy to see the faces of people I have loved over the years and rarely see. 

Wow!  The three of us back together again...(whaassssuuuuup) Cotton Pony Ninjas!

While in Arkansas, we remodeled the house we were living in and were packed and ready for the trip to California.  We also packed our 'other' belongings in order to blast from California for a more ~permanent~ move to Maine at the end of August.  More about that later.

3 DAYS OF SYLLAMO-ARKANSAS--MARCH

3 DAYS OF SYLLAMO-ARKANSAS--MARCH

While in Loveland, CO a friend of mine (Ryan) provoked me to sign up for Three Days of Syllamo.  Syllamo is a three day stage race (50km, 50 miles, and 20km) that is held in the Syllamo Ranger District of the Ozark Mts in Arkansas.  The race took place mid-March.  I hadn't raced since early December and had taken the essential rest my body deserved.

I signed up for the 50 mile and 20km races (day 2 and day 3).  BAM!!! I had something to train for other than the usual "I'm training for life" running schedule.

I had one month until the race.  My goal was to strengthen my core and prevent the back pains or back tweaks I sometimes have towards the end of races or long runs.  I also worked very hard on strengthening the muscles that support my knees.  (Effort in both areas paid off 100% at the end of the race.)  I was also fortunate to be able to run a few times with friends (Ed and Wendy) who live on the front range. 

Brad finished his job in Colorado and we headed back to Arkansas a week or so before the race.  We went on a run near Petit Jean Mountain with my buddy Deb.  It had to be the most humid day in Arkansas so far this year and I felt like I had weights tied to my legs. 

Eventually race weekend came up and I was mega chipper about it!   I wish I had more photos some friends took throughout the race but I don't. Only finish line video footage of me talking 1,000mph...

Day 3 (~14 miles) Brad, me, and Ryan

After the race I was asked to write up a report and send it to the local ultra running group's newsletter (Arkansas Ultra Running Association [AURA]) about the race.
I've pasted it below:

Three Days of Syllamo – Stage Race

 

Three Days of Syllamo had always been planned as Two Days of Syllamo for me.  Excited to be back in the Ozarks, I headed up to Blanchard Springs to watch my friends start the 50K race on day 1 of 3.  By the end of the day I witnessed more frustration, anger, and disappointment from runners who struggled with unexpected heat, dehydration, sickness, and being lost (off-course).  These mini-horror stories did not amplify my positive psyche.  “Whoa,” I thought to myself, “this is going to be rough tomorrow.”  The next morning I rolled out of the tent, crammed food in my mouth, dropped off the drop bags, noted words at the pre-race meeting, and still had enough time to think about the race jitters.  I love the feeling of being nervous before a race.  It is exactly the same feeling I have learned to embrace when presenting my work to an audience of dubious scientists.  As soon as the sun came up, an hour into the race, I sprained my ankle and felt that horrific pain and adrenaline rush.  I kept moving.  With this being my first 50 mile race my only goals were to finish before 12 hours and run conservatively the first half and give it everything the second half.  At the second aid station I introduced myself to the Peytons and ate a delicious piece of St. Patty’s Day cake that was green!  I also noticed that a woman blasted through the aid station while I was flapping my mouth!

“Uh oh” I thought.  I was feeling competitive and needed to get going.  I caught up and passed the woman who blasted through the aid station.  Little did I know she would run directly behind me for the next 9 miles.  We hustled through this section, hollow after hollow, and then she blasted through the Cripple Turkey aid station while I knew I had to eat.  She was gone.  The next section went from road to trail, back to road and then an obvious, hard turn to the right onto the Ozark Highlands Trail.  There was a barrier (log + lots of blue flagging) in the road directing runners onto the trail.  For some strange reason I jumped that barrier and flew downhill on the road and eventually realized the guy behind me was no longer there.  I ran back uphill and hit my low point.  I thought over and over “Duuude!! That was so stupid!”  Finally, I started seeing the people who were on their return trip (out and back course) and I became stoked.  At this point, I realized I was 4^th woman and I knew I was going to see my pacer in a few miles.  A very strong-willed guy named Corbin passed me before mile 30 and we talked about how we felt at the moment.  He said the most amazing and neurotic thing, “My feet hurt pretty bad, and it’s motivating me to run faster.” and he ran faster.  I picked up Brad (boyfriend) and we ran like crazy to Barkshed trying to ‘close-the-gap’ on the woman in front of me.  In this long section (~ 9mi), we were able to pass many people struggling with the heat.  Each time I reached the bend in a hollow I wanted to stop in the shade for just a tiny bit of relief from the sun and heat.  As I approached Barkshed I could hear Deb, my friend and next pacer, and I started running faster.  Deb was ready to run!  As I left the aid station, I noticed the 3^rd place woman in front of me and she insisted I pass.  Brad and I had closed the gap. 

At this point, I was so tired of the heat that even the shade from a tree trunk was sweet relief for a moment.  At the last aid station, I had still not seen the woman behind me and so I chatted a moment with an old grad school friend working the aid station and crammed food in my mouth.  Between this aid station and the finish, I noticed a mess of turkey feathers.  I commented to Deb about the feathers and suddenly there was a third voice that said “Oh yeah, I noticed those this morning.”  I turned my head and realized I had been caught.  Two steps later, without saying a word to Deb, I was running as fast as I could and we did just that until the very end.  I finished in 10 hours and 33 minutes!  I feel very fortunate to have people in my life who were able and willing to have fun and pace me out there on Day 2.  I only had one complaint in my head the whole day-no real potato chips at the aid stations - only Pringles.

The real challenge was putting on my running garb the next morning in the misting rain to run ~14 miles on Day 3!  Day 3 was pretty rough for me.  I had an insatiable hunger the whole time.  The tough runners who completed three days of syllamo are so burly and such an inspiration!

DAY 1:  Photo by Katie Childs (Race Photographer)

DAY 2:  (~ mile 30) and DAY 3: (~ mile 13) Photo by Katie Childs (Race Photographer)

Front Range SnickSnack

JANUARY-FEBRUARY--2013

We left Arkansas for North Carolina at the beginning of January after having just travelled to Arkansas a couple weeks prior for the X-mas holiday season. 

TWO MINUTES after arriving at our home in western NC, B-rad received a call for a job in northern Colorado.  Holy what.  We packed our belongings up that night and left for Colorado the next day, after having just arrived on the east coast.  Sigh. ..but what a great opportunity this was going to be to check out a new place and chart some new territory. 

A short stint in Loveland, Colorado presented itself when B was offered a new contract opportunity.  Fortunately, these days my job allows me to travel and work (with the internet).  Immediately upon arriving in Loveland, CO we headed out to find the closest trails to town.  Quickly, I found the Round Mountain Trail located in the Big Thompson Canyon (Big Thompson River) that lifted ~1800 feet in 4.5 miles. The reward is not a view at the summit, but the relentless steepness in the last .5 miles that makes the heart pound.  I love moving in the uphill direction on foot as fast as possible.  Fortunately, in my world of trail running, the front range of eastern Colorado did not receive a ton of snow over the past two months and even the mid elevations were easily run-able.   

Loveland turned out to be a slow, sleepy, family town with excellent access to a handful of things that kept me very busy. In the evenings we would hit up the ‘rock’ climbing gym called Inner Strength and wear the body out.

One day I decided to hike up to Chasm Lake.  Chasm Lake is below The Diamond on Long’s Peak.  I drove up to the trail head via the Big Thompson Canyon and Estes Park.  After about two and a half miles of snow-packed, uphill movement I was completely knocked down off my feet in a gust above tree line.  The gust front was pushing 40-60 mph wind gusts above tree line and I became adrenalized.  The beautiful halo of misty clouds over Longs Peak in this photo above (about two hours later) would never have lead me to believe that I couldn’t stand on my own feet up there. 

In the first few days in Loveland I found the Devil’s Backbone Open Space.  The Devil’s Backbone is simply a spine of rock outcroppings stretching a mile or so.  This trail actually traverses across the buttes and hills that stretch from Loveland north to Horsetooth Reservoir in Fort Collins (~15 miles).  On this first day out at the Devil’s Backbone I realized I wasn’t able to run a particular hill that was steep, but not too long.  BAM! I had my first goal.  Perhaps coming from sea-level was going against me, the fact that I had been resting and not running much, or maybe the nice cushion I packed on during the holidays was dragging me down a bit.  All the same, I accomplished the goal of running up the damn thing with ease.  I know that I have to attribute al ot of my ‘running up hills with ease’ to a machine.  Never in my life had I trained on a treadmill.  I had access to a treadmill located in our HOA (neighborhood) that I could freely use anytime.  First, I discovered that no matter WHAT, the treadmill is extremely boring.  So, I went for the best workout I could get – I set the vertical gain to the highest setting and cranked out up to 5000 ft of vertical gain per session.  Even with this horrendously monotonous resource under my thumb I still wanted new trails outside.  I found a trailhead near the Glen Haven/Drake, CO area and found an equally amazing trail that meandered ~2000 ft vertically in ~5 miles.  I became extremely adrenalized out on this trail because of the remoteness and the feeling of being stalked by a mountain lion.  I know it sounds ridiculous to be ‘afraid’ and that the actual chances of even seeing a mountain lion are extremely low.  I took it upon myself to read the most recent reports published by the local governing agencies...hunting mountain lion regulations, population densities, geographic range in the winter, and human-lion incident reports.  I was doing every unadvisable recommendation perfectly.  I am a small human, running alone, running in their lower elevation winter range/habitat, and running really fast when I thought about being chased.  I did not become a snick snack.


 

 

in-review BLOG on 2012

JANUARY

i definitely started the year off right by taking a trip to hawaii with two very special people, kendl and joe.  we stayed on the island of oahu in a 'park' at a ~$5-10 / night campspot on the north shore beach called "Friends of Malaekahana" near Laie, HI.  other people could rent a yurt/hut style shelter...but we just popped the tents for a few days.  we spent our time doing the eat, drink, ocean thing and at least one great trail run with two other washington friends, james and candace.  we only spent a few days on oahu before we flew to kauai.  in kauai, we had planned to rent a car and ended up with a jeep.  we stayed with a mega friendly couple, mose and marin, who had made their home on a mountain top near the ocean. 

our main goal of the kauai trip was to hike out to the end of the kalalau trail to camp and play for a couple of days.  we collected different types of fruits along the trail and joe climbed up a coconut tree for an especially not so yummy coconut. we constantly awed over the whales breaching down below us on the nine mile dead end trail.  as we approached the end of the trail and into the wilderness area, nudists began to appear and a guy popped out of the woods and invited us to a potluck that night with the local hip pay community.  we put up the tarp and went out to the ocean with our rum and fresh fruit drinks to take a rest and watch the sunset.  while the area was magically beautiful, it was obvious that too many people had been living in the area with the abundance of feces, cockroaches, and a recent shipwrecked boat delivering a shipment to the community living out there.

(above) kendl made these beautiful necklaces for each of us

 out of seeds she found along the trail kalalau trail

the time was: RUM:30

FEBRUARY

in february we headed back to the pacific north west.  we spent an afternoon in olympia and then an entire week on orcas island, in the san juan islands.  rainshadow running put on two races during the next two weekends.  the first race, a 25 km race, is one that i volunteered for by standing at the top of mt. constitution while counting runners as they came through the aid station in snow and ice!  it was a mega wet and cold day, but as always, very fun to encourage folks running.  i was fortunate enough to stay in a house in moran state park throughout the week with my friends in the string band, the blackberry bushes.  they were hired to play during and after the endurance races in a lodge with a large kitchen, wood stove and an abundance of delicious local boundary bay beer on tap!  we played games, ate great food and enjoyed the trails of the island during our week at moran state park without cell phone service.  the night before the 50 km race turned out to be a crazy party night at a local pub while the blackberry bushes entertained a quality group of orcas island crazies.  i am sure i drank more beer than anyone who ran the 50 km race the next day and probably slept less then anyone else as well.  not my proudest race, but everyone thought that i would at least become sick or die during the race!  it was incredibly relieving to see all my friends at the finish line and be able to say "i told you i would finish!".  we left the park the next day and headed across the puget sound on the ferry to anacortes, washington and then down to olympia.  several awesome memories are stored in my head from orcas island, the trails and the hills there are unforgetabble and the place is definitely worthy of visiting over and over.  rainshadow running knows how to treat an ultrarunner with healthy foods and only the best local beer.  down in olympia, wa i was able to spend time with my buddy mark and we (incl. kendl) took a little trip down to portland, oregon to visit kendl's sister rachel who is a Doll.  The most interesting part of that trip was packing for a hawaiian beach vacation as well as a winter in the PNW full of trail running.

back in arkansas for the rest of february i ended up landing a spot in a sold-out 25 km race at the ever-growing Sylamore Creek 50km/25km from a friend who bailed out.  i think i placed fourth female overall and definitely had fun yucking it up with friends afterwards.  i met a new friend this year at the Sylamore, ryan from missouri.  glad we met and could enjoy future adventures on the trails!

 

(below) a photo snapped atop mt. constitution

after breaking down the aid station

 

MARCH

fishing in arkansas during march turned into a lot of work and food one day. we caught an abundance of crappy and bass and then had a feast on my parents' farm. mmmm mmm mmm!

ryan (new friend from missouri), brad, and i took a day to run and explore part of the ozark highlands trail (OHT) in north central arkansas.  we met up in the morning near haw creek where we left a vehicle and then pooled back up to the fairview trailhead on the OHT.  we spent the day running and hiking and jumping creeks.  eventually the rain started to pour and the trails were engulfed by the storm and turned into creeks themselves.  i actually bruised the top of my feet as a result of the suction of my foot submerging into the stream/trail and back out over and over.  this section of the OHT is beautiful and full of water and rocks.  we travelled about twenty miles that day, mostly downhill and met the first stray animal (a puppy) of our two day jaunt in the ozarks.  the next day, we woke up after a night of continuous rainfall and took a hike down to a stream near ozone, arkansas on the OHT.  we found a beagle and a miniature horse/donkey mix that followed us around for the next hour.  we eventually found the hillbilly owners of these free-roaming domestic animals and sadly they turned out to be meth-heads...it only took us and about six other people to find the owners after several hours.

 

APRIL/MAY

I worked at Freyaldenhoven's Greenhouses these two months...so much that I didn't even have the opportunity to do much other than work at least six days per week.

Work hard. Play hard.

somehow in april i managed to score a second job as an adjunct biology instructor at an online university.  wow.  a mobile job. why didn't i think of that like two years ago?

JUNE

 finally it was time to make my way back out west for work in yosemite national park in california. boo hoo.

on the bright side, i was able to spend (again) a few days in new mexico visiting my friend sam who is a genius.  sam and i went hiking, not in the sandias, but somewhere nearby albuquerque.  we headed up through this pass and i pointed up toward a rock pillar and coaxed him to go  up there with me.  he resisted quite a bit but finally gave in.  it was straight up but i was ready to do something challenging since i had been sitting in the car for so long driving across the country.  we headed up and it was two steps forward, one step back.  on the way down i remember sarcastically making up rules "if you're going to fall down, don't fall on one of these cacti that have three inch long needles.  we joked about mountain biking down something like this...i was laughing...and then like always, laughing and walking i ate it (fell) with my knee into a patch of cactus needles.  i am just glad it was me and not him. 

this is not the type of cactus i fell into (above), but it is eye candy to see the contrast in color with the flower and the grasshopper inside.

 

as soon as i arrived in the eastern sierra nevada, we camped out in mammoth lakes. the next day Brad, Gil and i headed up to Crystal Crag to climb.  Crystal Crag is a unique feature really close to the town of mammoth lakes with a butt-load of quartz and as you can imagine, climbing on rock similar to glass is pretty slick.  it is probably comparable to the flat irons of boulder, colorado in that it is easily accessed from the city.  it was early summer so there was still snow on the ground (below).  brad made a cool video of the stint and i will hopefully post it up soon.

 

 

i finally made it to yosemite to begin work and play.  here is a photo of me taken by breezy near the end of the trail called porcupine flat trail head which took us to this view of tenaya canyon and yosemite valley.  what a job when your office is one of the most majestic and unique places on earth.  i am very lucky.  we spend our days hiking, looking for american dipper nests, surveying vegetation along streams (riparian veg), and collecting algae, course particulate organic matter, dipper doo doo (shit), and aquatic/stream insects and many other things.  when we're not being scientists, we're rock climbing, trail running, swimming or making great food.  i also managed to continue teaching biology online during my work here in yosemite.

 

JULY

out working in the backcountry, we stayed near this beautiful pass in the clark range in yosemite national park.  the lake in the photo (below) is lower ottoway lake and is gorgeous.  on our way up to this place we did not have water and we had already hiked quite a distance.  being thirsty and almost to our destination we were moving fast.  we passed a couple guys on the way up to the lake not knowing they were going to be camping at the lake as well because we didn't chat with them much.  finally, after drinking, swimming, and eating some food we conversed with the two and found out they were actually hiking guides in the grand canyon (?)and were quite embarassed that we had so ferociously passed them earlier while also having already travelled further than them.  we had a good laugh and it made us feel good about ourselves because we're both quite competitive.

 

a backcountry fire and lake breezy and i enjoyed while working in yosemite.  the lake is washburn lake and is east of merced lake.  beautiful high country backpacking and work.

one day, while not working, brad, margaret, stark and i climbed up the regular route of the 900 foot fairview dome in tuolomne land.  it was a beautiful day, brad was psyched (above photo) and i followed.

 

brad and i also climbed up cathedral peak (above) near tuolomne meadows in yosemite national park.

brad and i were waiting for stark to lead the next pitch of the route called ounce on the drug dome in tuolomne (yosemite NP).  we linked the route called ounce with another route called the gram traverse.  i took a huge pendulum fall on this route that really took falling to the next level...sideways falling.  although i had to learn a few things on-site i did have one of the best experiences in rock climbing thus far. this rookie built some skills that day!!!! thanks to stark for being extra mega patient with me.

 

AUGUST

while not working in yosemite, i would drive out of the park into the eastern part of the sierra nevada to mammoth lakes where brad stayed a large part of the summer paragliding. the photo below is the view from the top of mammoth mountain. the run up to the top was FUN and challenging because of the elevation gain and mountain bikers flying past me. i did a great job of staying out of their way though.

we took a relaxing trip to point reyes national seashore north of san francisco for a few days to enjoy being OUT of yosemite and play the role of tourist that we deal with everyday in yosemite.  sometimes during the summer i get really tired of being in yosemite valley and having a small window of the world to view. i could wake up in yosemite everyday and say like john muir "aaah another glorious sierra day".  so i imagine that it must be the tourism and politics of the park that would drive me to seek out dense fog on the pacific coast.

 

the two photos below were taken during a trail run down into the valley on a trail that traversed the southern rim of yosemite valley.  don't you want to join me on a run in yosemite? 

the grandeur is ALWAYS this extreme!

 

SEPTEMBER

i took the opportunity to visit all of the sequoia groves in yosemite over a couple days and found this nice graphic of the entire park indicating the different elevations and correlated habitats.  the "you are here" dot is actually just a short distance from where i had my base campsite all summer at the Crane Flat campground.

 

i left california for a few days to see my brother kelsey marry tara back in arkansas.  the wedding was a scorching 100 degrees (maybe an exaggeration, maybe not).  it was purifying to clean up (after camping for weeks) and put a dress on.  my mom was going in for a kiss in this photo!!

 

OCTOBER

after work in yosemite ended at the end of septermber, i decided to help brad work on a project he began in may of this year.  the goal of the project was to establish a new rock climb on the south face of lone pine peak in lone pine, california.  lone pine is quite famous because it stands near to Mt. Whitney in the southern range of the sierra nevada mountains.  we carried in climbing gear which included six ropes so we could fix lines and easily reach our high point each day.  we carried gear, water, our camp, and food for 3 hours one way in two trips.  we stayed in the ashram stone house one night and camped at the base of lone pine peak the rest of the time (six nights). each morning we would hike up an incredible gully for about thirty minutes and jumar to our high point.  brad would make consistent progress of about one pitch per day as i patiently belayed below in the shower of pebbles sonic booming past me and into me.

i've never been so physically exhausted and i loved it.  again, another valuable lesson in rock climbing for the year.  the exhaustian lasted for about two-three days and i started making my way back east for the winter. 

 

(above) me; jumaring up fixed lines on lone pine peak

(below) taking a break on mountain devil dike, south face of lone pine peak.

 

November/December

 

after a week in arkansas with my family we packed up again and moved to north carolina.  we visited with brad's parents for a wonderful week as the fall colors were at their peak.  for the month of november in western north carolina i started training for an ultra marathon (50 km) i signed up for called Table Rock Ultras 50 km.  luckily, with my mobile internet job i have the chance to make my own hours and i took the opportunity to train consistently, working on steep hillwork.  the course for the race i ran at the beginning of december had incredible steep gradients over miles of dirt road along the rim of the linville gorge.  based on my past 50 km race times i thought i would run the race in 6.5 hours but ended racing in a time of 5.5 hours for a second place overall female win.  i consider it a win because it is my personal best for the 50 km distance and a tough course.  i had no problems during the race, no hunger pangs, no cramps, no aching knees or feet...i trained and it paid off.

 

the linville gorge wilderness (below) the linville river is protected by the national park system and it is pristine!

 

(below) a very unique ceramic award for 2nd place in the table rock ultras 50 km is a representation of the table rock summit nearby.

 

dvg

 

beautiful trail eats ankle

A vulnerable ankle, once eaten by the winterized and hungry trails, remains in anguish while not being used.

science and running: not the science of running

The Beginning