Each Day Is a Gift

I haven't run a single step.  Flew out to Des Moines early yesterday.  I have been in Granny Heavens.  Emi is the most beautiful precious little baby ever. 

Eric gave me a lower extremities and podiatric examination.  I have no siginificant biomechanincal problem.  I do need to modify my training and racing a bit.  My left calf and quad muscles are a little tender.  Negotiating stairs better today.  Have been stretching a lot.  The ITB is healing nicely, although still feel the pain when I'm lying on my right side and flexing the left knee. 

I won't have access to a computer for awhile.  THANKS to all you, my great friends!  I LOVE YOU all very much!  Have a great week!

Around the World core + fast abs

Walked to the park with Emi and Marianne

ITB tight, knee pain 2/5, lots of stretches.

Ran to Sawgrass Park.  Stretch after 1 mile.  Ran some on the grassy fields.  Very slight ITB pain on the downhill.  AP: 9:09  Walked around the townhouses b/c I was lost. 

New baby has a way to slow life down.  I love her sweet smell, her drunken smile, her little squeaks and grunts.  I love how she cuddles on my shoulder.  I love watching her eats, sleeps, stretches and yes even her strong cries.  I love her ten perfect tiny toes, her dainty fingers, her pursed lips and her big bright blue eyes.  Life doesn't get any better than cradling a new baby in my arms.

Around the world core + fast abs.

Still in granny heavens.  I'm cooking up healthy dinners for the new parents.

At R.S. Enrichment I made crab stuffed won-ton for their "World Fair".  It was fun.

Eric (aka freeheel) and I got up at 5am and drove to the trail by Saylorville Lake.  We started our run on the Neal Smith Trail for 2 miles.  The first mile was a trail along the river, meadow and swamp where a light fog has settled.  We saw some white tail deer.  It's light at dawn.  Temp was a comfortable mid 50's and NO wind.  A storm has passed thru northern Iowa yesterday and another storm is in the forcast; so humidity is close to 100%.

At around mile 2, just before the dam, the trail ascends up, Eric took off.  I contined at an easy pace not knowing what the ITB would do.   I took a drink from a trail-side drinking fountain just north of the dam visitor center.  The next 2 miles were rolling, winding and gradual ascend.  I saw lots of birds, red cardinals, yellow canaries, meadow larks, some song birds I don't know.  There are also lots of bugs.  Due to time constrain, Eric has to be back to teach violin; I turned around at mile 4.75.  There are mile markers at 0.25 increments which is nice as I gave my Garmin to Eric.  My watch said I've run 45 min. 

The return trip was not as bad as I expected.  I was worried about the ITB on the downhill.   I could feel a tug here and there but nothing painful to stop me from running.  I stopped at the same fountain for a drink and finished the run in 90 min.  I walked along the trail southward for another 0.25 mile and stretched while waiting for Eric.  He ran 13.37 miles in 1:35:11.  He has a 12 miler race, Dam to Dam, next Sat.  It looks like a fun race from the Dam at Saylorville Lake to the Dam in Des Moines. 

I'm glad I was able to get in a Sat. run.  I hadn't run much since Ogden.  The calf muscle soreness was completely gone by yesterday.  The ITB is still a little tight.  I will continue to stretch and roll.  I won't be running much until I get back to Utah on Thursday.