Oh How I Missed The Trail Runs!

  I've been taking it down a notch the past month or so, ever since the Cleveland Marathon, with fewer than 50 miles per week.  That seems like so little for me.  I am looking at my stats now and since Cleveland I've ran 21.7, 20.55, 41.1 & 43.4 miles each week.  Runs have been faster than normal though.

  On Saturday morning, I walked right into a 5 gallon metal paint container and my shin really swelled up.  What was I thinking??!!  I was in a hurry looking up near the ceiling as I walked around the corner with a paintbrush in my hand.  I am not normally clumsy and get upset when I make a stupid mistake.  Especially when I get a small injury.  At least that's the biggest worry I have at the moment; so many others have far worse problems than that.  I took Saturday and Sunday both off.

  I hit the trails yesterday and it began to hurt just after a mile... I wasn't happy but i slowed down and then the pain went away.  I forgot about it, actually, and just enjoyed all the green plants and the sloppy, wet trails after the huge storm we had.  Lots of trees down and water run-offs.  Made for a very cool run :)

  I went on another trail run today hitting 11 miles.  I just loved it!  I ran past the wetlands to the Mill, past the flats where some kids were having their belongings searched by the police... They had cones up and usually play ultimate frisbee there and I was actually thinking of joining them in the next couple weeks but if they get kicked out of the park, that would narrow my chances down quite a but :(

  I went on to run out to Glacier then to the baseball fields at rocky ridge, hitting the rock drinking fountain and turning back.  Everything was so green and it wasn't as hot as I thought it was gonna be.  That fountain is ranked #2 in the park, just under the rock fountain at Lake Newport, according to me lol.  The water is so cold and just tastes like heaven on a hot run.  I sure missed the trails and thought about different trail runs I could do this fall.

  One of them was the YUTC - Youngstown Ultra Trail Classic.  It's a 50k right here in Mill Creek park and hits the park's toughest trails - the monkey trails, monkey trail extensions and the trails on the west side of Lake Glacier.  You actually run around all 3 lakes at least twice.  I am really pumped about  the 5ks and other short distance races coming up this summer.  I can't wait to begin track workouts either - just need to be sure my shin is healed up.

  After tonight's run, I treated myself to a strawberry-banana smoothie and then a large salad.  Both were totally delicious :)  Especially the smoothie though, it contained a handful of strawberries, 6 bananas, half of a cucumber and then ice and water.    The salad has several different leafy greens in it - not exactualy sure of them all, cucumber, roma tomatoes, bell pepper and olives :p   Soooo yummy!  Can't wait for the trails tomorrow morning!!!  :)

This smoothie was actually bigger but I drank like 1/4

of it and decided to take a pic so i added 2 more bananas

and some more strawberries lol.  It filled me up!

Had to wait a good hour to eat this as I was already

filled up from the delicious smoothie!