Trail Running Sunday

I decided to try my luck at another trail run today and figured I'd hit the local Audubon Sanctuary as both hunting and ATV's are illegal there so not only would it be a sanctuary for wild life but for moi as well! I would dress warmly as it was in the lower thirties when I started off and I would not only have my ankle in its wrap, but I'd tape it as well because I finally wanted to test it to see how I would do going over 6 miles as I am yearning for my longer runs again.
I''d take it slow and continue to practice the common sense I have been blessed enough to inherit the past month or so (minus last week when I continued to run after falling in the brook), and saw this sign and took it to heart and decided not to play a game of Russian Roulette.So I'd cautiously hike this portion of the trail because I didn't want to suffer a matching bruise on my leg from last week that still has yet to go away.The air would be crisp and all around me were birds darting to and fro in search for breakfast as I huffed and puffed my way along the trail. I'd decide to turn off the Gamin and get out of a layer as I was starting to get warm and I'd see this pair of Mallards below.
Soon enough I'd be out of the woods and headed to the Powerline Trail with reservations due to the rocks powerlines are known for and rocks are not something I really need right now with my persistent ankle tendinitis that I've somehow managed to control lately, but one wrong ankle turn on a rock could set me back to where I was which was not running at all so proceeded with caution. What you see below is a picture of the trail which is a series of rolling hills and some steep in spots. There are many times when I am doing my long runs with hills, that I try and make it all the way and then have to resort to hiking and I'm happy to report that today I would be able to run the entire thing (minus a stop for a REALLY COOL BIRD and that's just a given as I needed to look at it and get a picture of course!). I am guessing the reason why I was able to run it is because I didn't focus at all on my pace today but rather my distance which would get to 7.10 miles pain free. Yipee!! Finally.

It looks as if all of the stretching, cross training, resting and weight lifting paid off in the end and I'm hoping my lucky streak will continue.

With that said, I did get in some pre-dawn road runs this week which I am starting to enjoy with my Ipod and Vibrams. I also did some cross training including my usual elliptical and cycling to keep my endurance capacity high while cutting back on the running until the ankle is completely pain free so need one rest day in between running whenever I can. I honestly think the things that's worked the most though are the weights. I wish my running results would happen as quickly as the weights as it's amazing how much stronger I've gotten in the past 4 weeks or so. So much so that one of the guys at the gym I go to started chatting with me and I told him I was a trail runner but always seem to get injured. He looked at me and told me I was in the wrong sport as I was meant to be a bodybuilder considering I look the way I do and only going to the gym once or twice a week. Now most would take that as a compliment, and I appreciated it, but it's so frustrating due to the fact that I think he may be onto something and all of the work I do on the trails are for nothing and I may never be a gifted runner, but I guess I'm okay with that for the time being and will be happy with the fact that I can run at all.

Take care all.