Tinicum Frozen

Unexpectedly found myself at Tinicum this morning. I had made other plans for my running for today, but decided this made more sense and, besides, it's been a while. I did the original figure eight loop which is a hair shorter than the revised Seebecka figure eight loop. It gave me about nine, which was what I was looking for. The last few weekends, I've contented myself with the eight and a half of the drives. I haven't been feeling all that great so I didn't want to do much more than what I have been doing on my long runs.

The pain I have in my left calf was present throughout my run. It was particularly sore at the end of the run and especially within the hour following my run. Going down stairs was interesting. Now, several hours later, it is better... still there, but better. I've been trying to stretch it out after my runs, but I'm not sure that is helping. I've tried googling my symptoms to try to figure out what is going on, but nothing seems to fit. I was thinking that it was muscular... and I still think it is... but I'm wondering if there's something else going on.

The right leg old stress fracture thingy is still there too - as it has been for a number of years now. Recently I've had two, independent "Steves" feel the interior part of my tibia and both have noticed a lump - and this lump is very tender to the touch. My working hypothesis is that this lump is scar tissue that has built up around this old fracture that has never really healed and that probably never will totally heal (unless I give up running). Funny thing is, it doesn't really hurt when I run... just when there is pressure applied to that 'lump'. The tenderness has abated in the past when I have taken a good bit of time off from running. Yeah... I should probably get all of these things checked out, but I just got finished dealing with the hip thing (which seems fine now - knock on wood) and I really don't feel like scheduling the appointments, paying the co-pays, and being told not to run. So I'll continue to do what I've been doing... which is run and keep a log of my aches and pains.

Anyway, back to the run. I made a conscious effort during this run to try to enjoy myself, to not worry tremendously about pace, and just try to get in the miles while feeling good (leg pain, not included). As I was running the 'interesting part' of the lower loop, I came across the partially decimated carcass of a fawn. It's eyes were cloudy, it's gut had been gnawed upon by the opportunistic whatevers of Tinicum. It was a sad sight. I wondered if she had somehow been separated from her mother and starved or if there were some other cause of her death. Either way, it was sad and I said a little prayer as I skirted around her body.

The rest of the run was less noteworthy. I did scare and get scared by a large deer - we both ran. And, of course, there was plenty of water fowl. A few humans were spotted as well - all of us traveling as solitary creatures.

9 miles in 77 minutes.