It’s ten days until I will run my first 10 K.
   I’ve had a few set backs.
   Number one of course, is this la Nina winter we are having. We actually got a foot of snow in last weeks storm. This is the only real snow storm we have received this winter. When I was a kid, a snow storm was four feet of snow. Now a snow storm is a foot; times they are a changing. Damn you, La Nina, I really need some snow!
    The little bit of snow we did have let me practice running in snow shoes a few days, and okay that brings me to problem n umber two. I fell while jogging in the snow the other day, and my foot was fine right after. Four hours later, I was up in Big Bear, hiking with a friend, and actually checking out part of the course for the 10 K. We hiked about five miles and I was fine to maybe the last mile when my foot started hurting. That was Valentine’s Day, as I sat at Big Bear’s only Indian restaurant with my date, enjoying my Lamb Vindalo and spicy spinach my foot began to throb more. I gazed out the window at the streets of Big Bear Village, watching a furry Clydesdale pulling a wagon of tourists decked out in fur hats by our window and thought, wow my foot is really starting to hurt. After dinner we made our way to Big Bear’s only lake side Bar B’s and watched the sun set into the fog slowly starting to creep over Big Bear Lake and enjoyed a few Amber Ale’s. As I limped my way out to the deck’s of B’s, I was thinking two things, one my foot freaking hurts, and two, this might be the best Valentine’s Day I have ever had. Seriously, this Bar/ Bar B Q Restaurant, B’s is one of the coolest places I have been to in Big Bear. It is a total local’s spot, no tourists to be seen. It’s right on the lake. It is the only bar in Big Bear that is dog friendly, and not only that, but they have TVG playing on one of their TV’s! (The horse racing channel)
     The day after VD, I was still hobbling all over the place. It was finally, finally snowing like crazy, and the roads were incredibly bad as we made our way down the mountain highway.   The highway was a terrible mess and it was snowing hard, and snowing at a super low elevation on the way down the mountain. It was snowing at 3,000 feet which is about as low as the snow level gets in this area. It had to be in the twenties when we left my house. When the roads are this bad, snowy mushy wet snow and slush, the only choice is to drive about ten miles an hour down the mountain. It’s such a pretty drive on a snowy day, well it is when I’m the passenger and not driving any ways. Coming back up the mountains,  was much faster. We might have been going twenty miles an hour all the way up the mountain. The snow level had risen a bit, to maybe four thousand feet and besides that, it’s a lot harder to slide up hill, so it’s a much easier drive in the up bound direction.  I’m glad I wasn’t driving. I just sat back and let my foot throb.
    Driving through the snow storm was so pretty, but it was so relaxing to get back home, watch some movies with a fire burning in my fireplace, a glass of red wine in my hand and some coconut shrimp toasting in the oven. If only my cats didn’t hate their lives right now. Poor cats hid in the freezing cold garage for about twenty four straight hours as they were terrified of my buddies friendly husky dog, who I am pretty sure just wanted to play with the kitties. Poor kitties, spent two days terrified on top of the water heater, the perfect warm hiding spot from a dog just wanted to love them. Now that the dog is gone, some one’s going to poop in my shoe tonight, I’m pretty sure of that. According to those cats, I am a horrible human being right now.
    Two days after the falling down the hill incident and my foot is still all throbby, but not bruised at all and not swollen. I have to be honest, I wondered for a moment if I might have broken it the other day. After I went to work yesterday, being on my feet all day, my foot was throbbing and I was freaking out, completely. If I broke my foot two weeks before my ten K that would suck balls! I need every moment of training I can get. Today dawned bright blue skies and oh so beautiful out. There is fresh snow on the trails and I crave pulling on my snow shoes and hitting the trails, but my foot is still all throbby. I have to sit at home one more day, sad sigh. I’m going to do some P90X and work my arms a little, something I have neglected since I started running the past few months. I’m going to put on my sad face, gazing out the window at winters fresh snow, finally. I really hope tomorrow I’ll feel good enough to hit those trails.