"Just Go Out and Run!"

Greetings Barefooters,

Just Go Out and Run -- This was my mantra for the month of August!

Return on Mules via South Kaibab Trail

Rave Run
at Grand Canyon

I really enjoyed this month with the warm weather and "mostly" dry conditions.  I was able to get in some great long runs in the mornings.  I racked up two of my biggest weeks of the year and also my second biggest month of the year.

Barefoot Sunrise Run at Grand Canyon

I woke up on Aug. 1 at Phantom Ranch at the bottom of the Grand Canyon.  I decided not to do a barefoot trail run that morning on the advice of the park ranger the night before who warned us about scorpions on the trail after dark.  I didn't want to swell up and miss my mule ride back out of the Grand Canyon so I opted for the ZERO day.  Back up on the rim the day we left I got in a "Rave Run" to see the sunrise over the Grand Canyon on Hermits Road out toward Hermits Rest. 

We then left Arizona for Colorado and stayed in Durango two nights.  I got in two nice longer (albeit rainy) runs down the main drag in Durango each morning.  While there we boarded the Durango to Silverton narrow gauge railroad for the round trip scenic passage.  However, due to recent forest fire in the area (and the subsequent mudslides) the first 13 miles of track were washed out or mudcovered.  So they bused us the first few miles ad we caught the train at Rockwood...still a very nice scenic ride through the woods.

Durango to Silverton Train Ride in Colorado

Once we got back home I started really cranking up the miles in the morning, turning in back to back weeks of 85 and 88 miles.  This second week even included a business trip in which I got in two consecutive days in Defiance OH of 12 and 16 miles.  Even when back home I started exploring new roads and trails I hadn't run fairly near my house.  I'm now incorporating a newly paved section of the Midland Trace Trail in my morning run.  This trail almost completely links Noblesville and Westfield together but stops just short of Noblesville.   


Then lo and behold, the following Monday I did yet another 16 miler on this trail and an old running injury reappeared.  My left knee started aching and swelling as I re-developed inflammatory bursitis around my knee-cap.  I haven't had this in over 8 years!  But here it was.  This is more of a nuisance injury than anything but is indeed an overuse injury so time to back off (a little).  I am able to run through this but the first couple of days were very painful and VERY low mileage.  With many answered prayers, it is slowly healing and I am back up to an 11 mile run just this morning.  This time I included a headlamp run through the wooded trail at Washington Woods Elementary School but ended up regretting that one due to about a hundred COBWEBS!!  I will continue the exploration of new roads and trails in the next few weeks as we transition into Fall and some cooler temps.  It will feel good to start soaking in the hot tub again after my runs instead of a dive in the pool.


Happy Labor Day and God Bless,


Barefoot Dan


August Mileage = 283.7