How I reconnected with the earth

I have my first trail race coming up this Sunday.  It is the first race I've done of any kind since last June when I hobbled, under trained and injured, thru the DC Tri.  It was right after that race,  or maybe during, that I decided to take a month off of running just to let my budding Plantar Faciatis heal.  Or is it heel?  I had to let my heel heal.  Well a month turned into the summer, which lead into the year.  I was a DNS to my entire 2011 race schedule.  The Annapolis 10, The Nations Tri, the Pocono 70.3, a fall marathon TBD, the Fall Backyard Burn trail race series, the turkey trot and a few other random 5k-10k's.

But as you, my "faithful 4", as I shall now refer to you my dedicated following, already know...I AM BACK!!!  I have signed up for and am super excited to do the Spring Backyard Burn trail run series.  The first race is this Sunday.  I have competed in this series 5 times in the past several, always in the 10 mile races and always with success.  I don't think I have ever finished one of the great trail races from www.ex2adventures.com without being on the podium somewhere.  I've collected a cool set of branded pub glasses, each with that races finishing place and the EX2 logo.  My wife loves them, she thinks they are charming and practical and a testament to the virility of her lifelong mate and companion.  And by that I mean she thinks they are a hideous white trashy eyesore and must be hidden from sight, banished to that death row of knick knacks...storage.  I think they are cool.  So far they have stayed.  So far.

So here I am.  About to embark on the first official step, as evidenced by the entry fee and tee shirt, towards my BHAG (big, hairy, audacious goal).  A set of 5 mile (stepping back, inside my new limits, go me) trail runs in my new natural running trail shoes.  I figured that even though I am easing into this I better put a few dirty miles on them so I  did the same run as last week to RCP.  This time I fell.  Hard.  I laughed as I brushed myself off and checked for structural damage.  No big deal, it happens from time to time.  I have a picture of an awesome raspberry I gave myself in a race a few years back.  It won an award from the Race Director at the pub glass ceremony (I'd show you the pic if I could figure out how to pull it off my iPhone 3).  This time I'm not so sure a pub glass is coming home to join his 13 other friends.  I'm slower now, but it's OK.  It'll just feel good to get out in the fresh air and push my new body to its new limits, in different directions.

40 minute run with 30-34 on dirt