Foot Ache Week XIX

Mon - 0hr

Tues - 80min/ 7.4m/ 1700' - Crowders - Easy effort out and back on Ridgleline with a Pinnacle Summit.  What I think is a neuroma in my foot was really acting up today, so I called the run a bit short.  Also, I completely wiped  out coming down Turnback and scrapped the elbow and knee pretty good, but nothing other than some trail love.  Every time I fall, I just can't help but laugh at myself.

Wed - 80min/ 6.5m/ 1200' - Poston Park - First time visiting this park and I spent an exceptional amount of time exploring the Spencer Mtn section of trails.  Went up the powerline cut first to the summit which was a scramble most of the way.  400' of vert in a quarter mile!  After walking up and then back down that, I discovered an actual trail that eventually did take me near the top of Spencer.  This trail was really tight singletrack, but was a joy grunting up.  I didn't even get to run the majority of the mountain bike trails out there, that are from what I hear pretty up and down as well.  I spent the last 12min of the day running around the soccer fields in the park barefoot.  Apparently this can help alleviate neuromas and it does help improve your form.  I'll probably try to get out for some barefoot miles at least twice a week from now on.

Thurs - 0hr - Had to attend an afterschool function.

Fri - 75min/ 9m/ 350' - Tanglewood Park - With my foot still feeling pretty horible, I decided to take a break from the technical trail side of running and hit up on old favorite of mine near Winston-Salem as I headed back home for Mother's Day weekend.  Did my typical 7.5m route that is basically the horse trail loop with a bit of an extension (road) at the northern end.  Finished the day off on the soccer fields barefoot for 1.5m.  I ran at this park about 3 times a week when I was student teaching in Mocksville this past fall.  I love this place, but it's really too flat for me

Sat - 2hr40min/ 20m/ 1250' - Watershed Trails - Met up with the cuz Stepheno and me friend Jeremy for a 20 mile juant around Lake Brandt and Lake Townsend.  I felt great today and ran a stellar time.  Jeremy had us really pushing the pace on the Piedmont trail.  The weather was perfect as well.  I love these trails.  Route was as follows:  Nat Greene, Owl's Roost, Piedmont, Laurel Bluff, Reedy Fork.

Sun - 91min/ 10.5/ 500' - Davidson XC - A really nice enjoyable wet run in Davidson.  1 mile of barefoot near the end of the run on the fields.

Totals =

Time - 8hr6min
Miles - 53.4
Vert - 5000'
Barefoot - 4m

 Not a whole lot of exciting stuff happened this week other than discovering another new park in the area with elevation and having two stellar weekend runs.  The nueroma on my foot was really acting up badly earlier in the week and I finally started to do something for it.  That would include zero running in my narrow Nike Zoom Streaks (which I love by the way, but most be the root of the problem) and trying to get in some barefoot on the grass mileage in.  The reasoning behind this is that the neuroma gets inflammed when the 3rd and 4th metetarsals get scrunched together so narrow shoes are bad and barefooting it means there is no pressure on the toes.  I believe that it is working out quite well as my foot has porgressivly hurt less since implementing this strategy.  Anyway, looking forward to next weekend's Assualt on Mt Pisgah!