Trail Running

I hadn't been right downtown in a few days, but as I was walking to a meeting this morning I realized that something was....different.  And then I realized what it was.  It was the flags.  There are now flags everywhere - one more sign that Juneau is sprucing up for spring, sprucing up for the cruise ships that will be arriving very soon, sprucing up for the masses of tourists from all over the world who will soon decend on this land-locked and beautiful northern city.

There are flags on lamp-posts from every state in the nation, in addition to a multitude of flags that give a nod to Alaska and its' native heritage.

In a few weeks there will be flowers planted all over the city.  22,000 of them so I have been told.  How exciting, and how beautiful!! 

On this beautiful, sunny and very warm morning I went to my meeting and then sat at an outdoor patio to enjoy coffee and a very large blueberry muffin. 

After work I drove to a trail close to Auke Lake, and went for a run.  I haven't run since late September when I blew out my knee for the second time in 2009.  It was tough year for my knee - injured in April, rehabbed and recovered through most of the summer and then getting back into adventure racing shape again, only to blow it out for a second time during a race in Missouri. Surgery in December, a move to Juneau in January and here we are........

I love running.  I always have.  Adventure racing is a great cross training sport - hiking, orienteering, road biking, mountain biking, trail running, canoeing, kayaking, rapelling and rock climbing.  They're all components of races at one time or another, so it's difficult to get bored when training.  But over the years, all the way back to my twenties, running has been in and out of my life.

I ran half marathons and marathons for a while, but after injuries about five years ago, gave up road running altogether.  I love trail running.  I spent countless hours on trails close to home down in Tennesee owning those trails in all kinds of weather - heat, freezing cold, lots and lots of rain.  It was all good.

Today I wasn't sure how it would feel. 

It felt great.  Perfectly absolutely great.

I was out there for 70 minutes - ran about 60 of it in total.  I'll be sore as hell tomorrow.  But I don't care.  I felt like a runner again, and that felt very very good.  I had forgotten how much I missed it.

Some pictures taken while on the trails this afternoon.

My Mountain Boy is right.  It seems like everywhere I go, the glacier is right there with me.......

My Mountain Boy called me at work today, to tell me that he was at the trailhead down in Tennessee where I spent hours, weeks, months, years.

My trail gnome is still there watching over the hikers and runners and mountain bikers who enter the trail.  Bringing good luck and safe travels.

He asked me if I wanted him to bring it to Alaska with him when he comes up in June.  I told him no.  That trail gnome belongs there.......