Running on ...

And away we go

noreply@blogger.com (Mose) — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 14:07:00 +0000

Much has happened since last I posted, along with the picture of me in the motorized grocery cart. The foot is almost fully recovered — still a little swollen, and the second toe isn't lining up quite right — and the doc says I can start running again, probably in May. We'll see. In the meantime, I went back to the gym for the first time in months, and I managed it five days in a row. I'm concentrating on the elipticals right now, and starting slow. I did 1 mile on Monday, and increased it by a quarter mile each day, including sprints for the last five-tenths of each mile. I also did some light circuits on the weight machines, and I'm happy to report that I can still do almost unlimited reps on the abductor (?) machines ("spread 'em" and "together") at the heaviest weight setting, 290 pounds. I don't know how my legs got so strong in that area, but it's surprising to me and to anyone else who walks by and notices what I'm doing. Let's see, the elipticals wound up totaling 8.25 miles, so 8.25; 8.25; 8.25; 8.25. By far the lowest totals since I started running 35 years ago.

noreply@blogger.com (Mose) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 01:51:00 +0000

A week or so after the surgery, I availed myself of one of the electric grocery carts at Albertsons. It was kind of fun.

Recovery's going well; walking cast works. I may take a page from colleague Erin Madison's book and look back at some faves from the past year. Not on this computer, though.

Success, I think, and great news

noreply@blogger.com (Mose) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 12:03:00 +0000

I suppose I should put this on Facebook, too, but here's the latest.

After an almost 2-hour surgery yesterday, I now have a cast from almost the knee to over my whole right foot. There are four pins, 1 big one and three little ones, and who-knows-how-many stitches, but it's all covered.

I'm taking some pain meds, which have proved increasingly necessary as the major "blocker" that was used in the surgery wears off.

The doc said it went well and he seemed pleased. He also -- and this is huge -- says there should be no reason I can't run once the healing is over. In fact, when I described what I mean by running, he agreed that my shuffling gait probably is less stressful to my feet than walking.

Right now, of course, it's really sore and I expect that'll be the case for weeks. But I'm thrilled with this prognosis. I've been driving to the river at least once a day in the past month and looking wistfully, if not tearfully, at some of my old routes, wondering if I'd get on 'em again (on a bike, to be sure, however).

So, all's well that might end well, right?

B'de b'de b'de That's All Folks!

noreply@blogger.com (Mose) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 03:16:00 +0000

Well, the second opinion is in and the surgery will occur on Dec. 14. In one of the saddest things I've ever confronted personally, the Missoula doc informed me compassionately that my running days are over. When I told friend Cushman that my dreams of an Olympics marathon apparently are dashed, he said, "Oh, and after all that practice!"

I still harbor a little hope, considering the nature of my "running" — more of a shuffle than a "run." However, the plan is to reassemble the right foot, including fusing the big (bunion) joint, which she said will preclude running and cross-country skiing. Walking, hiking, biking, swimming all are OK, but the thing I've done for 36 years, to the tune of 1,000 miles a year give or take a couple of hundred, appears to be in the past.

I'll refer my handful of regular readers to this website, one of the most brilliant and entertaining blogs I've ever seen on the web. Sadly, Allie's top post (about depression) is one that applies to me in this running context.

I don't know exactly what the regimen will be post-op, but it sounds pretty grim for a few weeks. I'll put a post or two up here to update — maybe dozens, come to think of it, because I won't have much else to do.

Keep running!!!

Nothing new, except that ...

noreply@blogger.com (Mose) — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 02:42:00 +0000

... Thanksgiving in Helena was its usual treat — Charlotte's and my ninth together, if you can believe it.

No news on the foot front, other than feeling crippled and depressed after ... let's see ... going from 36 years of running an average of more than a hundred miles a month, to running not at all.

I had a small epiphany today: I'm bummed not only because of the foot, but also because of going, in the past year, from an average of 1.5 hours a day outdoors — seeing the stars, sunrises, winds, clouds, eagles, deer, and an infinity of smaller things — to only the time outdoors (and in my way meditating) I get from my car to my office or home.

I must figure out an alternative, and part of that is learning what will be doable if and when the surgery occurs. Sigh.

Foot update :-(

noreply@blogger.com (Mose) — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 01:50:00 +0000

So a surgery is scheduled in a few weeks, but before then we'll go for a second opinion to a different orthopedist in Missoula, recommended by sister-in-law Joan. I have the records from my doc here in town and will forward to the Missoula doc.

So, barring big change based on her recommendation, I'll probably be in a cast from mid-December until sometime in February, with the hope that by spring I'll be sufficiently ambulatory to run (?).

Sure hope so. Happy Thanksgiving, friends and family.

Out of action

noreply@blogger.com (Mose) — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 13:54:00 +0000

Well, I'm back in the boot and shopping around for a surgeon. There are quite a few options for the foot, but surgery, I believe, is the only one that involves the possibility of running any more. The doc I visited can do it, and may be fine, but I'm going to get a second and/or third opinion, probably in Missoula. Stay tuned. I'd put a picture of the foot on here, but I don't think you really want to see it.

Long story short, I guess this blog is suspended for a while until I figure out what happens next.

dire news

noreply@blogger.com (Mose) — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 00:36:00 +0000

Well, the foot is back causing me problems that are not surmountable by any footwear I possess, so here I am, going to the doctor again tomorrow to see what's up and what can be done about it.

I'm not particularly optimistic with this doc, an orthopedic surgeon who has dealt with my smashed toe, my hairline fracture, etc., but I'm thinking there's more to this than has been evinced so far, so, cross my fingers (my toes already are crossed) and dive in. Who knows when I'll be running again. Soon I hope; the gym may be my immediate sweat future.

Sore foot; easy trot

noreply@blogger.com (Mose) — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 23:31:00 +0000

Nora and I went to Giant Springs Heritage State Park and parked near the trail, then trotted eastward into the area where I've been running all week.

Unfortunately, my foot is getting increasingly sore, and I had her turn around at a half mile or so and just went short.

Several folks out walking/running dogs; did lots of housework and cooked a big pot of chili during the Husker game, which turned out relatively well (NU 24, Michigan State 3).

Breezy, chilly but not cold.

1; 12.5; 42.5; 200.5

Repeat performance III

noreply@blogger.com (Mose) — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 13:39:00 +0000

I went to the same route and did it again, only this time I went all the way to the footbridge.

I felt good. Karma on this run was good and I hope it all works. In the meantime, I'm starting to stretch out a tiny bit. Still being bothered by my right foot, however.

I'm going to have to deal with it if I'm going to get my distance going. Not sure what can be done, but I know a doc will suggest surgery.

It was warmer today — 37 and breezier. There was a strange convoy of cars and trucks that came down the road as I was finishing up (6:45 or so), then came back up it 10 minutes later and gathered in the upper GS parking lot. No idea what they're doing. Six or seven cars and trucks, moving as a group.

4; 11.5; 41.5; 199.5

A little longer

noreply@blogger.com (Mose) — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 12:26:00 +0000

I went to the same lower GS road parking lot as yesterday, and repeated the start by going to the near-tunnel access.

From there, though, I went east almost to the bridge and back, covering a chunk of the area where C went for her soul walk on Monday.

Gorgeous morning — clear as a bell, no moon whatsoever so a million stars. Cold, though: 26 degrees and a light breeze. I felt good; probably could have gone farther, but wanted to get back to get cleaned up, eat and go to work a little early.

Had an accident in the yard beforehand. Heard suspicious rustling in the leaves toward the west side of the house as I was headed to the garage, so I went that way to investigate. In the dark, I didn't see a wire tomato cage that I had cleared out of the garden Sunday, and I got tangled in it and went down hard, including against the side of the house.

When I got home from running, I seem to have several abrasions and a couple of puncture wounds on my leg, and a badly skinned elbow where I hit the brick house. Soaking the pants and shirt in cold water now. Crap.

3; 7.5; 37.5; 195.5

Dark loop

noreply@blogger.com (Mose) — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 12:22:00 +0000

Drove to the lower Giant Springs Road parking lot and did a loop from there to the upper tunnel, then back east to the FWP headquarters. I took the east coulee trail under the road and then into the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center parking lot.

I did a big loop in there, then went back the way I came. It was chilly (low 30s) and fairly dark, but overcast.

2.5; 4.5; 34.5; 192.5

Out with Nora, plus pics

noreply@blogger.com (Mose) — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 17:47:00 +0000

The view out our kitchen/dining room window over the weekend.

The mid-morning view out east window, across the valley to the Swan Mountains, with sun breaking through the clouds.

There is home sweet home for the better part of a week. It was once again peaceful, beautiful and ... just fabulous.

The pot of gold at the end of my rainbow (Really? Did I just say that?)

View from the fire lookout a couple of weeks ago. This was early morning before the fog burned off.

Today, we ran from a parking area down to the Black Eagle Memorial Island (Tailrace), which we circumnavigated before returning. I'm night reader tonight, so had time midday to trot with Nora.

Nora goes faster than I do naturally, especially downhill, so I was pretty well shot by the time we got back to the car (which was parked a quarter mile or so UP a hill).

My right foot is starting to give me issues again. Not sure what that means; hope it'll pass.

2; 2; 32; 190

Under the fence

noreply@blogger.com (Mose) — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 17:33:00 +0000

An unusual view of Black Eagle Falls and dam.

These old excavations put me in mind of castle battlements.

I just thought this was a pretty scene, what with the light and all.

I penetrated the defenses of the old ACM property again, mainly because of a misunderestimazation of my size (or of the size of the hole I wanted to squeeze through). I was following a high fence line and found a hole that seemed adequate, so I tossed my camera under it. When I tried to squeeze under it, the hole was too small (I couldn't be too large).

It was fun. I just explored around a little, slowly, seeing if any of the weird sheep of a year ago were around.

It was a beautiful, if a little breezy, day. I collected the camera, shot a few pics, went back to my old entry point and back to the car. The only excitement was a sheriff's car slowing by mine for no reason I could detect.

4; 10; 30; 188

Two on the bluff

noreply@blogger.com (Mose) — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 17:29:00 +0000

Did an uneventful one on the narrow trail above the trail, toward Black Eagle Falls. It was a little wet; the weather was good. Nora used her new shoes, too and we successfully navigated to about a quarter mile short of the high overlook turn-around point.

A crew was grinding up tree branches on the trail below us. The shoes are working, it seems.

2; 6; 26; 184

Back to the cemetery...

noreply@blogger.com (Mose) — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 16:59:00 +0000

... for the first time in about a year on Tuesday. I didn't do it from home, however. I drove to the area of the clinic and went from there, up to the monastery, through the cemetery and back by looping around the high school.

It was dark and cold, and because of a small construction project near the hospital, I was faced with fairly heavy detour traffic despite the early hour.

Bright half moon straight overhead, too. And cold: 28 or so. I set out to run yesterday as well, but found upon getting out of the car by the river that I was way underdressed.

Today, I didn't even try because we slept in a little too long and I had stuff to do at work.

2; 4; 24; 182

Nora's new shoes

noreply@blogger.com (Mose) — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 16:55:00 +0000

We got Nora a new pair of Asics Aztecs (she's been running on some really old shoes that she's used for hiking for about five years), and we took 'em on a test run Sunday down around the Interpretive Center and Giant Springs.

She likes 'em a lot, so we'll try to get after it again here in the coming days. I've been really busy, much of it at home, lately so running has taken a bit of a backseat. I'll dive back in this weekend, I suspect.

It finally froze here. I rescued the last dozen or so tomatoes from my garden, and still have a bunch of potatoes to dig. Otherwise, it's time to winterize. Still a gorgeous fall. I'll post pictures from the yard and from our week in the fire tower in the coming days. Look for them — some are spectacular.

2; 2; 22; 180

No hunters today

noreply@blogger.com (Mose) — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 14:02:00 +0000

I was a little late today, but I did squeeze in a short one before sunrise. Parked at the hunters' parking area above the trail, ran down and east to the East Coulee Trail.

Went through that tunnel and wound around on the way back. Did the south bluffs trail back nearly to the lower parking lot, then up to car. Nice out, 49 and breezy. Rained more overnight.

2+; 13.5; 20; 178

Repeat distance but farther down

noreply@blogger.com (Mose) — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 17:14:00 +0000

In an effort to avoid being shot, I parked farther east and ran behind the Fish and Game Headquarters. No hunters there, although I wouldn't be surprised to see some of the jerks that were out yesterday take a shot or two at the Halco bronze of a gaggle of geese out front of the building.

Rained all night; stopped just in time for my run.

2; 11.5; 18; 176

So much for serenity

noreply@blogger.com (Mose) — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 17:08:00 +0000

The excitement of today's run occurred at 30 minutes before sunrise as I headed back eastward to my car after running west from the GS Road to a point past Black Eagle Falls.

My reverie was shattered by eruption of gunfire below me along the river. Some manly assholes apparently are goose hunting right in the middle of the frickin' town. They must have synchronized their watches because the atmosphere went from silence plus the flow of water to the crescendo of a 4th of July show. There's no possible way they were shooting at flying birds — it was still little less than pitch dark out. That tells me they were doing what we used to call "Arkansas-ing 'em" (i.e. shooting them on the ground. Sick, scary and unsportsmanlike. It does explain the little cadre of pickup trucks that had moved into my usual parking area the past few days.

Anyway, I figured my run totaled two and a half. It had rained overnight and the trail was wet, and there was some mist. The overcast is probably why the predawn wasn't lighter.

2.5; 9.5; 16; 174

Eerily warm

noreply@blogger.com (Mose) — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 14:41:00 +0000

I ran in the dark this morning, the time being early and the moon having set hours before. Went to the lot by GS Road and ran the trail all the way east to the bridge and back. I know I'm going slower than normal, but I'm still going to round the times into miles — the rationale is the amount of foot-pounds of work I'm doing (hehe).

I heard a few rustlings in the grass, and there was an odd gathering of vehicles (four of them) in the upper lot (where I've been more typically parking of late). Couldn't see who they were or where they went, but at that hour it seemed a little odd. Probably just walkers, though.

I met one runner who was coming back west as I went out. Said good morning. And the crowd of workers on the Rainbow Dam project was flowing in earnest by the time I was getting back to my car, probably 6:45-ish. Felt pretty good. What was oddest was the temp. Two days ago, there was a hint of frost on the grass. Today, it was 70 degrees and breezy in the hour before dawn.

4; 7; 13.5; 171.5

In the hoods

noreply@blogger.com (Mose) — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 14:46:00 +0000

I wanted to leave a funny note for C having to do with the silly story in Monday's paper about a dark spot on a communion wafer in Poland being interpreted as part of the tissue from the heart of Christ, but in order to do that I had to ramble around while she went to the coffee shop to get her morning mocha.

So I went north to 8th Ave N and around and back to the school in order to leave the note. It was silly, but not unappreciated.

And it got me an extra mile on the school roundtripper.

3; 3; 9.5; 167.5

Pleasant loop

noreply@blogger.com (Mose) — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 16:52:00 +0000

This is an older picture of the L&C+S statue along the River's Edge Trail. The dirt path I've been mentioning on a lot of recent runs (from a parking lot on Giant Springs Road) empties onto the main trail across from this (these?) statue.

Today I went alone (Nora opted out) to the parking area near GS Road. I went west down to the trail, then took a bike trail down to the lowest point where there's a L&C Overlook on a gravel trail. I took that onto East Coulee, then up over the pond.

There were lots of people out there today. Amazingly, there were multiple people fishing from all of the little platforms over the pond. No idea but there must be fish there. The entire Missouri River is about 29 feet behind them and not a soul was fishing there.

Anyway, went through the upper level of GS Park, then across the road and three the Heritage Park to the trail. Took that all the way back, through the GS Road tunnel and to the little trail up to my car (across from the triple statue pictured above).

Felt pretty good, but don't have stamina to go much farther than this yet. I'll keep working on it.

3.5; 14; 6.5; 164.5

Saturday morning bridge to bridge

noreply@blogger.com (Mose) — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 16:56:00 +0000

This is a run I used to do from the Tribune, only a little shorter. We parked at the dog park and ran north over the 9th Street Bridge, then around to the new federal courthouse on the West Bank. We ran speedily for 15 minutes, then walked 5 to the grizzly bear statue, then ran 10 more to the high trail east of the skate park.

We ran the last half mile or so to the car. Another bizarrely warm day, headed into the 80s. Nebraska-Wisconsin is tonight. C to Helena this afternoon.

3; 10.5; 3; 161

Pre-work with Nora

noreply@blogger.com (Mose) — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 16:53:00 +0000

Friday we drove to the same spot as I went to in the dark Thursday, and we did a variation of it. We went down, past the Interp Center, up over the pond and into the GS park, then back along the road on what they're calling the "bluffs trail."

We felt good; it was pleasant morning before work.

2.5; 7.5; 53.5; 158