Trail Runner, Once Upon a Time

I used to be a trail runner.

Back in the day (And these were the long lost days when I could easily run fifteen mountain miles) I had a 13.1 bumpersticker  on the back of my Subaru. I spent my paycheck happily on stupid expensive Asic running shoes and Teva water proof trail runners. One of my many runners fanny packs held a light weight leash for my dog and a few Honey Stinger gel’s in Ginsting flavor. That’s all I needed for mornings on the trail with the pup.

Hard to believe looking back that these mornings of running miles and miles through pine needle covered forest trails were only two years ago. They seem decades away to me now as I limp my way back to the car, defeated once again in my quest to once again be the trail runner I once was.

It’s been a long and rocky road filled with surgeries, injuries, setbacks and more injuries. I’ve pulled tendons, I’ve crashed on my mountain bike, I’ve gone under the knife, I’ve seen chiropractors in various locations across the states ranging from New York to LA but, I’m yet to try out, https://www.flspineandinjury.com/locations/ocala, I’m sure they’ll be my next stop! I even tried acupuncture. It’s been a long orange turmeric dusted road to 2017 and the dreams of the runner I once was but I think this spring I am going to find myself back there again. I tried to go for a run this morning and I felt fantastic! My head felt clear, my asthmatic lungs didn’t hurt. I had two hours just to concentrate on getting in a good easy run. Than my left knee started to ache. This was only a quarter mile in!

I spent yesterday morning snow shoeing seven miles to the old ghost town of Holcomb Valley and I either pulled something in my knee in the deeper snow or this incoming crazy ass storm has the baromic pressure seriously out of wack and my knee is forecasting the weather for me. Thanks left knee. You are an asshole.

I think come April when our mountain roads are finally defrosted a bit, free of snow berms and ice, I think I may be able to get back to my runners habits and start to build up the miles again. But as for today I am back on the couch icing my lame knee again and feeling sorry for myself and how my athletic runners days used to be filled.