Yesterday, I got lost! And it was SO much fun!!
I had been out to Veteran Acres in Crystal Lake before to take family pictures and our photographer at the time pointed out the trails behind the park. That was 3 years ago!
I have been meaning to go back there and run those trails ever since! Yesterday seemed as good a day as any!
I get bored with the same routes and scenery so I need to switch it up!
When I see winding trails and hills, I get excited! I have no idea why that is?!
Running is just in my blood... I don't know how to walk, when I can run... I want to run!
And the more exciting the terrain the faster I seem to go!
It's strange... does anyone else experience this?
So imagine my excitement yesterday when I find these trails!
Such a mix of forest and prairie and a maze of trails leading so many different directions.
At first, I was stumped. Which way do I go?!
I finally just decided to 'get lost!' And I was okay with that! In fact it added to the excitement of it!
I had no idea where I was going and I didn't care, I was enjoying the journey!
Good analogy for life I think! I need to quit over analyzing every move I make and just MOVE IT!
Remember the GIT (Grand Illinois Trail) I mentioned in an early post.... it runs side by side with the Sternes Woods and Veteran Acres Trails... they're all interwoven... so it really allowed for some great scenery and distance!
So these trails, some are small and narrow as if not intended to be there... the road less traveled, those excited me the most... so my dance training came in handy here! I did a lot of sideways 'grapevines' down narrow path hills and some 'chasse's!' Also, just like in tap dancing... I had to remind myself to keep my ankles loose!
I was running on sand, dirt, mud, rocks, mulch, grass... you name it, it was all there!
It is ESSENTIAL to keep your ankles loose in this kind of terrain!
It's like a car accident, if you tense up, you'll be in a lot more pain and possibly suffer greater injury than if you keep it loose! That's why you hear those stories about drunk drivers walking away uninjured.
I was doing good, going way too fast, enjoying the hell out of myself and around mile 4.2
I was coming down a gravel hill on a turn and I cut across the path to the inside lane, big mistake!
Right in the middle of the path, unseen to me was a small hole. My left foot caught it and it rolled inward.
I fell to the ground so hard I hurt my back and both wrists! I fell so hard the dust cloud I was sitting in took a few minutes to clear before I could see again! I have never fallen that hard or twisted my ankle that bad in my life!
I had my ipod on and I heard a pop noise all the way up into my skull!
I remember my inner and outer dialogue very well!
It was as if it was all in slow motion!
I was choking back tears more from fear then from pain.
I saw all of my running dreams going down the drain!
I saw myself in a cast on crutches and I quickly begin to pray and beg God even for forgiveness for talking crap about my husband on a public blog or whatever he might be humbling me for!?
I kept saying, no.... no......no......no.....no.....no....no, somehow hoping that if I said NO enough times this would NOT be happening! This is every runner's worst fear... injury.
I quickly took both shoes and socks off so I could compare them. I started moving my ankle around, twirling it around, up and down, side to side.... it hurt, but not too bad. I could move everything and my toes!
The true test would be whether or not I could put weight on it?!?!
I started to get up.... but before I did I thought to myself... ummm, what if I can't put weight on this foot. How will I get out of here?
I don't have my cell phone with me... (big mistake, when getting lost... take a phone!)
But even if I did have my phone, I would have no idea how to tell someone where I am at!
So I got up and limped on it until I felt like I could walk... I was ok!
It's not broken, just a sprain!
I was SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO relieved! Thank God!!
I quickly put my socks and shoes back on and continued on... I walked about a mile before the call of the path was too great and I HAD to run! Now I realize this is dumb... but I can't help myself.... I told myself I would just jog, and I did.... until, I saw this trail! OH this trail!
It was the best trail of the day and it just happened to be the last 1.2 miles heading back in... and Queen's We Will Rock You and We Are the Champions just happened to be coming through the ipod at this time and the combination of it all was too much to resist.
I finished my 8.5 miles ... the last mile at a 7:58 time!
I broke my 8 minute mile! Granted, it was only by 2 seconds and there was a lot of down hill on this path... but still, this is after 7.5 miles and a sprained ankle!
There is something to be said for endorphins here!
I haven't had a Runner's High like that... maybe ever?!
And as I lay here RICEing my ankle... (Rest, Ice, Compress, Elevate) all I can think about is getting back out there to run it AGAIN! :) I'll give this thing at least a week to repair and recover... but in the meantime I'll be dreaming of my next run!
I realize I am probably too old and too broken for this $#*%.... but somehow, I just wont feel alive in this lifetime if I can't run! And so it is.
That's life right?! We need to get out there, get lost, keep loose, dance when we're in a pinch, fall down, get back up, but above all.... KEEP MOVING and enjoy the Journey! ;)
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