Week 3- On my own

Well, I wasn't able to go to the team workout this morning, so I did my walk on my own, and it turned out okay. Seth had to work in Napa, so I looked up a park near where he would be and planned on doing the 2.7 mile loop a few times. I had to do 7 miles, so I figured I'd do the loop twice and then another part of it or just walk in the neigborhoods on the way back to the car.

When we pulled up to the park, it was not at all what I expected. It is an open space preserve, so it is rolling hills and fields between vineyards. Very pretty, but also very difficult. So, with the sun beaming down on me, I set off up the fire road on the quest for the loop. Well, there were trails going every possible direction, and none of them really seemed to be "The Trail", so I just randomly picked directions.

My leg has been doing that wonderful cramp in the calf again, so I had to stop a few times to stretch, but I got through it. I really didn't think that I was going to make it at first, but it's really cool to see the changes in my body and how it works. After a horrid first 45 minutes, I hit my stride and felt fine. The terrain was just too hilly, although it wasn't straight up or anything, but gradual. At one point, I had to do that controlled fall thing down a fairly steep part of the trail, but I felt better at the end. I was extremely grateful for flat pieces when I got to them.

After a water refill and more wandering, I found a fairly flat piece and went in a loop there 3 times before I headed down the road to the car. I'm not sure if I did my 7 miles, but I know that I did work my butt off. Since I didn't know which combination of paths through the grass added up to 2.7 miles, I just decided to walk for 2 hours and let that be enough. I'm trying to build up my endurance, so I figured that I'd go for time. Had to have some goal. I actually think that I did end up doing 7 miles, plus hills, plus heat, so I figure it was quality training. I had to do some praying and singing to get me through some parts, but I ended up enjoying it and feeling really good about the whole thing.

I then had to hang out in the car and wait for Seth to be done with work, but I was really feeling good. I had a bag of ice and a frozen water bottle which I applied to various parts of my body both for cooling and soothing purposes-- mostly the feet! I had stretched at another park on the way to the car, and with that and the ice, I really felt fine. When I got up after sitting for a while, I was pretty stiff, but overall, I feel really good.

I did decide to go to the doctor to see if there is anything officially wrong with my calf cramp/ankle/foot pain situation. Although I can get through it, I don't want to be stupid. My foot has been falling asleep during workouts and is actually sort of tingly right now, too. So, as much as I don't want to go, I'll make an appointment, hopefully with a sports medicine specialist, and make sure I'm not hurting myself.