How cavalier I was when last I left you folks, spouting this little morsel, “Going out for 4 today and will keep it at 4 for the next couple days” After I returned from my run I realized that running 4 days in a row is reckless when you’re repairing yourself, so I took yesterday off. It rained all day anyway, so I wasn’t that tempted.

The UPS guy brought my ankle brace, which I like quite a lot – it’s a lace-up one, so I feel like a boxer in it. It works, too! Started my run today with my usual trepidation of “how bad is this going to feel and for how long?” but the discomfort disappeared sooner than it has for the last few runs, so I did 5 miles at my pre-injured easy pace of 8:49. What a relief.

There’s a huge regatta going on in my stomping ground, so it was a lively run, maneuvering around people, boats, and people carrying boats. I passed by this one girl who was running and reading at the same time, which deserved a double-take because I could have sworn it was a paperback, but I was too shy to turn around and check it out.

It reminded me of my diving days when, on an especially deep dive that requires a long decompression stop (to rid your body of nitrogen so you don’t get the bends), some people bring books to read while they’re hanging there. Clever idea, since holding onto a rope mid-water for an hour or more is the most boring non-activity in the world, though I always imagined the pages floating away so never tried it. That said, I’m not even tempted to read while running.

Anyway, I feel like I’m officially on the mend which means the next order of business will be revisiting my marathon plan starting point, but first…vacation!! We’re going out West in a couple weeks for a 12-day sojourn; doing the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Moab, Polygamist Sect National Parks tour.

Our first activity that is already reserved (and I am terrified of) is an all-day mule ride through the Grand Canyon. The mules walk perilously close to the edges of cliffs you wouldn’t dare hike on foot, so eeeeek!! They say they haven’t lost a mule yet, which should be heartening, though how can one not respond with, “there’s always a first time.”

Looking forward to seeing what running holds for me out West. I’ve been told Yellowstone has plenty of bears so it’s not a good idea to run there, but I’m sure every place will be different. Nick is so cute, he’s promised to ride along side me on a rented bike and if that’s not available, by car. Payback will be me on a bike in Moab, the bicyclist’s mecca, with a smile on my face and no comments like, “yeah, biking’s ok, but not half as fun as running”. What we do for love.

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