R: Recovery! Runner Again!

If you're not keeping up with the Peek alphabet, go back and read "I" before you read this one. Then and only then will you truly be able to rejoice fully!

So I found myself all busted up and nowhere to go. That pesky foot was still giving me problems. I tried everything...I even took up swimming (which I found out I'm not very good at). Though I'd already registered and paid for the Derby Half-Marathon, I knew there was no way that I'd be able to race it. Sure I was sad, but I knew that my race shirt would be an Ebenezer of contentment and submission to my husband, who knew unbiasedly that my foot was not up for a race.

But as the day drew nearer, I was able to run just a bit. I had some friends who were planning on walking it, so I decided to join in with them. It ended up being a blast! We walked and we ran and we danced. I mean literally...on the course, we passed several radio stations and whatnot belting out inspirational running tunes. You know..."Eye of the Tiger" and things like that. Since I wasn't too concerned about my time, I took a break from walking or running or whatever I was doing and just busted a move right there.

After that race, my foot was more or less healed. I slowly picked up the miles again and was so thrilled to resume my Saturday morning ritual long run.

Welcome June. One afternoon while I was working (read: wandering around online), I found the link to the Indian Celina Challenge. The course was both a half and a full marathon, and it boasted to be the most difficult trail run in the region. One of my coworkers had started running within the past few months, and we decided to register. I was a little fearful of what I was getting myself into but a race is a race...

Welcome race day. The race started at 6:30 AM so we had an early morning. Philip & I drove to Indiana and lined up in the middle of a forest with a handful of other crazies. In trail running, anything is game. Dirt, mud, rocks of all shapes and sizes, tree roots, grass up to your kness, creeks up to your knees, inclines like you wouldn't believe...good clean fun! But clean was the last thing that we were when we finished! It was SO much fun though and I finished faster that the walk/run/dance mini. Here are a few pics from our race:

Dear Philip, if you read this (which I'm 99% sure you won't, please don't be mad at me for posting this less-than-flatering picture of you. I can't stand posts only of me. You are my equalizer. Philip is way more hard-core than I am. He's running an ultramarathon in October. An ultra, for anyone who doesn't follow the terminology, is any distance beyond a marathon. This race he's running is around 30 miles.

Any marathon dreams bouncing around my head? We'll see...