overtaking haynes

6.7 mile hike. it took about 4hrs and i had a tick on me that i felt crawling on me and my friend also had a tick on her pants. later we found that she had a tick that had bit her but i pulled it out cleanly. the winter has its benefits. i need to start stretching again. will probably only run every other day 5-7 miles easy for awhile. it's so easy to loose the running spirit when your body just won't work right. 

not sure how far this run was exactly. i love this run though. decided to run despite my calf feeling strained walking around. a lot of times running won't make something feel worse. i needed to take out some frustration so i pushed it not too severely but enough to feel the burn. the first climb was 6.5 mins and gained 450ft. then a downhill before another 5.5 min climb to the summit, getting to the top in 19:45. On the return trip there was one climb of 3.5 mins. If i ever decide to put on a trail race, this would be my first choice. this week i hope to beat my time to the summit. since leaving Colorado i forgot how much fun time trialing is up mtns. or in this case a hill. 

feels good to run again. i was really depressed about my running because of how i took a week off and then strained my body running 15 the week after. i was less depressed today and felt quite strong today from the start for the first time in a while. the strain in my calf isn't too bad anymore. i know 41 minutes sounds real slow for pushing myself slightly faster than a marathon course but it is pretty hilly. at least 500 feet of elevation gain. i like the idea of ultramarathons but NOT the recovery time. i don't think i'll run more than 10 miles for another week because of the disaster that happened last week. it's fun to go for under 45 mins and know you can push yourself as much as you want.

found out i got into the knee knackering north shore trail run in vancouver july 11th. i feel bad though because i didn't realize it was then when i said i would pace a friend at hardrock this year. i'm definitely excited to go to vancouver though!
 

tendon in right leg behind the knee really tight when walking. hadn't had problems while running short the past few days. for frustration i've enjoyed running fast compared to my normal slow and long runs. i brought the gps and got to the 875ft summit in 17mins 30 sec, much faster than a couple days ago when i thought i was pushing myself. the first climb is from 425ft up to 775ft, climbing that in .5 miles then it drops 175ft in .25 miles to 600ft before climbing to the summit with a great view. almost 600ft vertical. then took it easy on a different trail down. such beautiful and challenging terrain.

6.6 mile hike up mt taurus by the hudson river.