Running going quite well thank you very much. A short cold winter brought a few minor snow flurries to the hills which we joyfully sampled. And then February’s unseasonably warm weather followed.
Getting out 2 or 3 times a week which is good and more importantly at least one of those is a long ‘n.
The right ankle has slowly regained flexibility, I’d say it is at 85% almost a year after a particularly nasty sprain. I think a change of footwear has helped and ditching the flimsy thin soled models has smoothened the ride. Technical downhill running will be slower and more cautious as a result but my joints are applauding already.
Running accompanied also helps. I’d say that more than half of my running is now with somebody or other which was never the case before. At this stage of the game this is good in terms of motivation and in battling with the challenges faced by those of us who choose to carry on running into our 50s. I will be 50 this year by the way. They say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks but it just ain’t true you know. I’m still learning plenty from the folk I run with.
So far this year there has been road, trail, path and mountain. There has been much uphill walking too as my technique continues to improve whilst my uphill running is actually going in the opposite direction…if you get my drift.
The 2019 race season will begin tomorrow. The 21km Balboa trail run is in homage to young Chuso, its main race organizer for the first 6 editions, who tragically passed away last summer.
The Alto Sil will mark the last “official” weekend of wintertime and then comes The Pajariel Trail, The Aquilianos and more. Hopefully there will be a new race or new routes to discover but I do feel comfortable with the familiarity of all these repeated races. It’s almost like family.
Hopefully I can “manage” any minor injuries and discomforts that inevitably show up on the way and avoid the more serious ones that actually stop you from running. Running with friends and reading about the trials and tribulations of others certainly helps!
