Ankle

Well, guys, it finally happened. I finally injured myself on a trail run.

Yesterday I was running up to Elephant Rock in Mueller Park. NBD, I've run there several times this year (it's the shadiest trail around). But I was especially exhausted yesterday for some reason, maybe because I had run the night before. I thought about stopping, but when some downhill bikers stopped to let me pass them going up, I felt like I had to keep going so that their kindness wouldn't be in vain. I pushed through the difficulty and made it to the rock. However, soon after turning around I misstepped and twisted my ankle. I had to limp two and a half miles down the trail back to my car.

Sometimes I wish I could be laid up so that I will have an excuse to do whatever sedentary thing I want. I certainly wish I hadn't sprained my ankle, but as far as being laid up goes, this is probably the best way to go. I can still hobble around, but it's better when I'm off it. There was a Green Acres marathon yesterday, which was fortunate. (One of the episodes was "The Beverly Hillbillies," in which Eb gets a sprained ankle and Oliver gets a broken toe. It was fitting.)

Now, if there are any haters out there who are going to tell me that this happened because trail running is dangerous--don't. I think this ankle is prone to sprains now, because this is the third time this has happened to that ankle. The first time was when I was practicing biking right before my mission and sprained it pretty badly. The second time was about two years ago, when I was running and accidentally stepped of the sidewalk. This time was just another unfortunate thing. (It might also be the same ankle I sprained on the stairs in fifth grade, but I can't remember for sure. I would say that that doesn't count because it was so long ago--but then I realized that the time between fifth grade and my mission is less time than between the beginning of my mission and now!)

The twisting this time around seems comparable to the one two years ago, and it was a quick recovery then, so I hope that will be the case this time. My goal for the autumn is to run up North Canyon to Rudy's Flat, then down to Elephant Rock and down Mueller Park. (Everything is better in autumn, especially trail running.) In preparation for this, last week (July 23) I ran a mile past Elephant Rock. I went a total of 8.77 miles that day, the longest I'd ever run. But even though it was my personal best, I got smoked by two other runners, and I think they were going farther than I was. Nevertheless, I am satisfied that I was able to run so long, including four straight miles uphill.

Monday was a day off work for Pioneer Day. This was my second year formally celebrating Pioneer Day, but it still only feels like a half holiday, even though it has all the trappings of a full-blown one. But I don't celebrate holidays when they're over, so regardless, July 25 wasn't really a holiday anyway. On Memorial Day, I wanted to go up Holbrook Canyon, but I decided I would wait until the runoff let up, so on Monday this week I went back.

It is a pleasant area.

 However, it is full of stream crossings, with numerous makeshift bridges. Despite all my best efforts, I did get my feet wet, since logs break and rocks are slippery. And even when you're not crossing the main creek, there are tons of small tributaries that run directly on the trail. But having wet feet wasn't as bad as I expected.

 There were many thimbleberry plants, so I had to try one. (Don't worry, my wildflower book says they're edible.) It was like a raspberry, but when I ate it I remembered that our fruits you find in a grocery store have been bred for taste. The thimbleberry wasn't super sweet. But it was nice to connect back thousands of years to some primal hunter-gatherer ancestors, picking wild berries for food.

 The trail had lots of ups and downs, so I gained 1600 feet, but it didn't really feel like it.

 I had read that a lot of the trail was overgrown, but I didn't realize how much. The trail is in the picture below, believe it or not.

 Wildflowers are better in the spring, but there were some nice Richardson's geraniums.

 There were lots and lots of burrs that stuck to me. They matched my green shirt.

 It was refreshing to see some prominent rock outcrops, instead of just random boulders or things sticking out of the trail. This one appeared to be quartzite, which is probably my favorite common rock. This was a nice diversion from the conglomerate I usually see closer to my house.

 This looked like slate.

It was nice for a change, and while it was a pretty place, I wouldn't recommend it for running. I spent probably half the time walking, since there were so many stream crossings, confusing trail forks, and bushwhacking sections. My fastest mile on this trail was slower than my slowest mile on any other. I hear that people bike this trail, and while I'm no biker, I think it would be a terrible place to bike.

When I was on vacation this month, I managed to gain three pounds. That's what happens when you're in a car all day next to the snack box. In addition to that, I realized that outside of non-seasonal treats, I eat pretty much whatever I want, and those eating habits aren't very sustainable. I thought it would be helpful to keep track of what I eat during the day--and then I remembered that my Fitbit app counts calories, so I thought I would give it a go.

It's not like I'm super concerned about my weight, but it has been a helpful tool. It tells me how much I've eaten and how much I can still eat. I know it's not super accurate, but it's still helpful. It makes me make wiser choices, like, "I've already eaten dinner, and I'm not hungry, so I don't need any more," and "It's not worth inputting the calories for that snack." In two weeks, I've already lost the pounds I gained on vacation, plus a little extra. When I put on my belt this morning, I had to go down a hole.

Since my permitted calories go up when I run, it gives me more motivation to do so. (Now, I've read that you kind of cap off at calories burned, so the more you exercise, the less accurate it is, but I'm still going to pretend it's accurate--because I won't be eating more than I was before anyway.)

That's the biggest bummer about my ankle. I can't burn as many calories. And then I can't eat as much.