the road back

It's been a while since I tied on my running shoes. October 24^th, to be exact, for the 5k at the Austin LiveSTRONG Challenge. Then, I rode the bike 64 miles on Sunday. For two weeks after that event I was "on break" and then, following my return to the bicycle on November 7^th and 8^th, I was wiped out by a truck while riding to work on my motorcycle. In the process of that little gravity test, a chip of bone was knocked off my right tibia. Walking has been painful — or at least, that is, the aftertaste of walking has been painful. I'm not sure my run last night was the best idea, but I needed it.

I knew it was going to happen as soon as I walked out the doors of the office yesterday afternoon. The warm south wind hit me square in the face. It had that smell to it. Spring comes early in Dallas. It may go back into hiding, but it was here. I had no interest in fooling with lights on the bicycle and fighting the wind. No... it was to be a day of shorts, shoes and embracing the wind.

So, with that in mind, Fiona and I set out for our little run. No watch. No pedometer. Just a boy and his dog. And a poo-bag. Since, it seems, Fiona always has that little extra bit of poo to deposit when we run.

I didn't have a distance or time goal in mind. Which was good... Since I didn't have a watch and I've forgotten all but the most general of distance measurements for the routes around the neighborhood. I was planning to just pay attention to my body and wander about.

I think it was somehow easier to find a rhythm with my tired legs. When I've tried to pick running back up when I'm really fast on the bike, it quickly becomes a torture fest since my legs have the power to fly, but my aerobic system isn't quite sure what's going on. But today, after a shaky start, I was able to focus on relaxing and let my legs do what they were made to do. And, suddenly, I was nearing the end of the loop I had put myself on... finishing the last hill back up to the Shell station. According to my map, I ran about 4 miles in about 40 minutes.

As I slowed to a walk for the last tenth of a mile back to the house, I knew that my ankle would make me pay for my little run... But it would be worth it.

Iris in fused glass.

I woke up this morning around 5:30. It was dark. Very dark. I hesitated to even check the time on my phone. But, I did. I somehow managed to get back to sleep and managed to stay in bed until nearly 8:00! We managed to not be the first downstairs. That's a lot harder than it used to be. Now that there aren't any "family" horses in the barn, Fitzallen no longer hits the floor at 5:00 every morning. It's odd. I usually sleep in during the work week, stay up late on projects that require others to be asleep and reserve "early mornings" for weekends and vacation. It seems so backwards.

We spent the morning visiting Fire & Light Studios in Otto, North Carolina, where Fitzallen and her friend Pat have been creating some incredible glass pieces. They were picking up some pieces that had finished firing and picking out glass for their next round of creative expression. I can't wait to see what comes out next! Fitz says we have to let our Dallas friends know that her plates and bowls are for sale...

It's now week six since the motorcycle/truck collision. Amanda and I brought the mountain bikes to keep our options open for some activity to counteract the food. After a quick visit with my mom, Amanda took the dogs out for a walk around Buchanan Loop while I set out for a bike ride around it the other direction.

I figured that way Amanda could keep an eye on me. It was by far the toughest ride I've had since the accident - and, quite possibly, the toughest ride I've had in 10 years. The cold, my loss of fitness, and occasional bursts of pain from my ankle all conspired to make it a rough trip. That... and the occasional slip and slide when I found some snow. It was a real relief to make it back to the house and stand under the hot water of the shower. Weather tomorrow looks similar to today... 22 in the morning and a mid-40's high in the late afternoon. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a little more heat in the air on Wednesday, but then it turns cold and damp again...

Shortly before dinner, we had a little scare. Fitz and Blaine's dog, Maggie (please note the frightening similarity to our late cat), had a seizure. At 6:00, she was running around in the yard. Thirty minutes later, she was standing by the kitchen door and started seizing. Fitz and Amanda ran off to the vet to see if they could find anything. Apparently, this was a repeat from May, so the vet passed along a bit of medication in case she happens into it again. We'll hope she goes a long time before it does... It really upset the other dogs... and her family!