On the Road Again

No, not that road. I'm still sidelined from running, nursing my sore foot. But as you read this, I'm in Alabama with Holly, spending a lot of time on the water. It's always great to reunite and we always seem to pick back up as if we just saw each other yesterday!

I hate to admit this, but since Leadville, I've struggled to bounce back. Besides feeling fatigued, on Monday I woke up with severe pain on one side of the base of my head. I'm not sure if it was due to my sleep position or the virus I've been fighting, but the pain made me feel queasy. I took ibuprofen and used a heating pad and by the end of the day, it was down to a dull roar. I still had residual neck stiffness on Tuesday. So for the second time this week, I bailed on CrossFit and took to my yoga mat.  

I'm also concerned about my left foot, which was bothering me prior to my race. I knew that I would pay a price for running on it. My second toe is stiff and swollen and my third toe won't bend unless I do it manually. There is pain in the ball of my foot. My differential diagnoses: stress fracture vs neuroma. Hopefully, I'm wrong with both. I had my annual joint ultrasound at my rheumatologist's and all she could tell me is that there is no inflammation in the joint. Seriously not helpful, so I made an appointment with the foot ortho for next week. 

Meanwhile, there is still no running. I think I poked the bear enough and I'll wait to see what I'm dealing with. It's a good thing there are a lot of other things to keep me active!

Weekly Rundown

Sunday: hike 2 miles, waterski

Monday: yoga with Adriene Yoga for Renewal

Tuesday: yoga with Adriene Detox and Reset

Wednesday: cycling 20.5 miles

Thursday: waterskiing

Friday: waterskiing

Saturday: waterskiing

Hiking

On Sunday, I wanted to hike in one of my favorite spots, Parfrey's Glen in Wisconsin. You may recall me going there last August while recovering from Covid. This is the OG Wisconsin State Natural Arean and it is adjacent to Devil's Lake State Park. Parfrey's Glen is a deep gorge carved by a stream, which when you see it, is hard to imagine. I like to remind myself of the Grand Canyon, which was cut by the Colorado River. It's a good reminder of the power of water. 

I was able to convince the hubs to visit with me. I promised him no climbing. There is some scrambling over the tumbled boulders in the middle of the gorge and a few stream crossings, but the reward is the waterfall at the end. I always feel so zen when I visit here and I was happy to share it with my hubs, who told my son that it is a 'must visit' before he leaves Madison.

Cycling

I woke up Wednesday morning feeling pretty, pretty, pretty good. I considered going to CrossFit but the MetCon had a chipper with 63 front squats and no, just no. I didn't want to trash my legs for my upcoming weekend waterskiing. So instead, I took my bike for a ride. I considered all my options and chose the one that had the least amount of road riding--the bike path to my beloved preserve, where I planned to ride on the paved trails. Just to be safe, I wore my Brooks Run Visible gear. But no sooner did I pull out on the road from my house did a driver pull out behind me, swerve around me, and speed up so fast she left me in a cloud of exhaust. This. Is. Why. I Don't. Ride. My. Bike. Much. Anymore. And may I just comment that if you are going to drive like an a**hole, you probably shouldn't have vanity plates. They are so much easier to remember.

But I digress. I really enjoyed my ride. The weather was picture-perfect. There were a lot of other cyclists as well as walkers on the path. I was pleased to see that the forest preserve district closed a section of the road and converted it to a paved path. This section used to end in a cul-de-sac where unsavory characters would back in, looking for dates. I'm glad to be rid of that. I finished a very satisfying 20-ish miles.

Waterskiing

On Thursday, I traveled to Alabama to spend the weekend with Holly! After she picked me up at the airport, we stopped for lunch at a winery on the way to her house. Then it was out on the lake for waterskiing. It's hot here, y'all! 

Off the lake...

It's always great to spend time with a good friend and every time I visit Holly, I'm amazed and thrilled at how we pick right back up where we left off. Even though I packed my running shoes, there was no running. This weekend was all about waterskiing and fun. When we weren't skiing, we were mostly floating on the lake or swinging on the porch. It's been a lot of fun and I am sad to leave today. But of course, there will be one more ski before heading to the airport. 

How was your week? Do you take time off after a race to let yourself recover? What is your favorite non-running activity? 

I'm linking up with Deborah and Kim for the Weekly Rundown. I might not get to everyone's post today, but I will before the weekend!