Road running in the rain. And, ugh, ticks!!!

What a great week for running. The NCAATF Championships were happening. New Balance Nationals were going on. And, at the adidas Grand Prix, a 10 year old set a new mile record of 5:01.55 (crazy). Lots of fun for run-addicted watchers in the age of the internet.

For me, road running in rain for the better part of the week was a welcome change, as the trails were reduced to miles long mud pits. I've done so much trail running that every now and then it is nice to spend a little time on the roads in order to recall what going fast (or, in my case, not as slowly) feels like.

I got out in the country on several occasions.  I returned soaked but happy. On Sat and Sun I did the same 10 miler that took me from one end of town to the other and then out to the SLT trails (alas, paved) before heading home. On Sun I hammered the run at a faster pace than Sat - for no other reason than I felt that 10 mi seemed a little easy on roads vs trails, and I wanted to feel dead at the end. To further the experience, I did a full core workout after the run. Then I was done.

After the 2 days of 10 mi on pavement, I did something I've never done - I took an ice bath. I was concerned about my muscles and joints being unused to the pounding they had taken on the hard surfaces. I keep reading about how the baths speed recovery, so I thought I'd give it a try. And, truthfully, as skeptical as I was about the practice, the experience wasn't bad, and I had almost no joint or muscle issues after the bath. I even awoke this morning and thought about stepping out for a run. But Mondays really are my normal day off, so I'll probably grab a bike and get some cross training in instead. I will absolutely do more ice baths after long or hard runs.

Finally, I did all of my running last week with a coaster-size welt on the back of my leg from a tick bite. In the front of my leg (where it joins with my torso), a gland went off, as it obviously fought off infection.  I basically ignored the bite as best I could, treating the affected areas with ice and rubbing alcohol. But I did make an appointment to see my doctor today to make sure that something bad (read Lyme disease) isn't in the works.

A picture of the little bastard that got me.

If you are out running or hanging out in grass or woods, please check yourself for these guys. I'm downplaying it a bit, but I had a pretty gross and itchy festering wound. The nurse who spoke to me when I made the appointment said it is very likely that I'll be on some strong antibiotics just as a precaution.

Until the next post - stay well, be healthy, and treat yourself to a great run.