Finally...

Yesterday evening was my first run since fracturing my tibia. Finally. I have been so apprehensive about it. To live this life without any fear is something I strive for. To run again is something that I may have been a little scared of. So easy it would have been to just not care and get fat, get diabetes, live an unhealthy existence like so many of my fellow Americans. That ain't right. Then again, if Democrats have their way, we'll move a step or two closer to becoming a Socialist nation and I won't have to worry about working to pay for my medical bills. Everyone who pays taxes will pay for me! YAYYYY!!!!

I'd rather not go down that path -- having others pay for my medical bills or even getting to a point where I would need to go to a doctor because I gave up doing anything seriously positive for my good health. So I run... or more accurately, I've started running again.

The few minutes between walkin' out the door and stepping foot on the trail, I was jacked up and ready to go right away. Felt really good. Felt right.

First I needed a short walk for a warm-up and then some stretching at a spot where I'd start my run. Two consecutive songs I had picked out that would help me along with a nice, slow pace... and off I was.

Total Trail Time: 51 minutes
Running Time: only 5 minutes & 38 seconds

Yeah, twas a very short run. It couldn't really be much longer than that because I had to start small to get a feel of how my tibia would feel the following day. And now that it is the following day: tibia feels fine.

Also had to start with a very short running time because of my lungs. They've gone through a seriously extended period of time without any strenuous use whatsoever. My cardiovascular system has fallen into a sad state of not-so-well-being. At around four minutes into my run, all I wanted was for it to be over! I did not quit. My legs felt fine. Feet, ankles, hips, head, everything felt fine... except for my lungs. They weren't burning on fire killing me... but I wasn't exactly loving life. When the second song came to an end and I pulled up and finished running, I had to stop in my tracks with hands on knees, taking some deep breaths, trying to get back to some sort of normal. Didn't happen anytime soon. I walked for a few minutes, turned around and hiked back all the while feeling GREAT that I just made that run, but not feeling so wonderful physically.

The good news is today I feel like I'm ready for a hike or even another run... but I'm gonna have a day of rest and then get back out there tomorrow.

Trail Tunes...



Mark Chesnutt

Heard It In A Love Song

2006





Heard It In A Love Song
Dreaming My Dreams With You
That Good That Bad
A Hard Secret To Keep
A Day In The Life Of A Fool
You Can't Find Many Kissers
Apartment #9
A Shoulder To Cry On
Goodbye Comes Hard For Me
Lost Highway

Excellent country tunes. This is good stuff. There might only be one original here while the rest of the material is tunes that've done by others in the past. Beaumont, Texas native Mark Chesnutt puts forth a collection of tunes that feels like he's playin' in a honky tonk country bar far away from suburban sprawldivisions and starbucks. Each song is handled in such a fine Texas manner, crafted to sound not at all typical of what the 21st century Nashville country music industry churns out on a weekly basis. If Chesnutt ever decides to end his Nash-Vegas existence and become an independent Texas country singer, he'd do just fine.

256 kbps dload found @ DE's Variety

Spencer -> Hike -> Davis

Great day! The temperature never got above about 51 or 52° F (10-11°C.) A sort of obsession of mine is checking the thermometer right outside my kitchen door. I kind of live for when the number is lowest. Not always, I mean below zero is harsh but days like this rock! Gorgeous weather for a hike. And gorgeous weather for football tomorrow... American football. I do enjoy the European round white ball kind, the real kind, but this American version is part of what makes fall fall in this country, my country, as horrible as it is in many ways, still love what helps make it great and damn straight it's the Chicago Bears! Okay, fine, they're 0-1 but 1-1 after this Sunday's game!

Listened to a whole bunch o' Spencer Davis Group today: two long CDs that comprise this release, lotta songs, so I listened to one disc before I left and one while I was on the trail...

Spencer Davis Group

Eight Gigs A Week:
The Steve Winwood Years

1996

--disc 1--



Dimples
I Can't Stand It
Jump Back
Here Right Now
Searchin'
Midnight Rain
It's Gonna Work Out Fine
My Babe
Kansas City [live]
Every Little Bit Hurts
Sittin' & Thinkin'
I'm Blue (Gong Gong Song)
She Put The Hurt On Me
I'll Drown In My Own Tears
I'm Getting Better
Goodbye Stevie
Strong Love
Georgia On My Mind
It Hurts Me So
Oh! Pretty Woman [live]
Look Away
This Hammer
Please Do Something
Keep On Running
Let Me Down Easy

Nice hike...

Total Trail Time -- 1 hour & 27 minutes

Had a great stroll down the trail and back at dusk a few hours ago. Cruised along at a good pace, felt great with every step. Nice and cool out, long sleeve shirt was so welcomed today. With the breeze it was a bit on the chilly side -- not cold but not warm, just perfect hiking weather!

Twas another very short hike this time but productive. That's what counts. I've gotta get this body back into hiking shape and I could probably go out there for 4 or 5 hours but methinks it's probably best to take it kinda slow. One reason:

Tibia Strength Back to Normal? -- about 99%

Still some discomfort remains from time to time. So very little, like a minute a day, but it does occur and it's not normal... but it's not bad. And on this hike I had nothing similar to a jolt of pain I experienced on the trail last time.

Blister pain? -- about half as much as my hike a few days ago. Sweet! The few spots that have been affected by blisters are getting used to this walking once again, used to these socks, these boots, this motion... blisters will soon be a thing o' the past. I suspect once I start hiking in more elevated areas, going more up and down more than I am now, a hot spot or two might develop but no big whoop.

Other problems? -- Nope! Well...

Ready to run soon? -- I thought I'd have my first run by the end of this week but that didn't happen. Again, no big whoop. Pretty soon. Probably the longer I wait the better but it'll be soon and again I'll say within a week.

Basically -- loved bein' out there! There's almost nothin' in the world I'd rather be doing! Best time for me to think and how great it is to be gettin' some exercise and it's exercise outdoors!!! Some people really dislike nature and hiking trails, etc.... sad. Ahh well, let 'em be a burden on the healthcare system. Not me!

Trail tunes...

Spencer Davis Group

Eight Gigs A Week:
The Steve Winwood Years

1996

--disc 2--

Somebody Help Me
Watch Your Step
Nobody Knows When You're Down And Out
Midnight Special
When I Come Home
High Time Baby
Hey Darling
I Washed My Hands In Muddy Water
You Must Believe Me
Trampoline
Since I Met You Baby
Mean Woman Blues
Dust My Blues
When A Man Loves A Woman
Neighbour Neighbour
On The Green Light
Stevie's Blues
Take This Hurt Off Me
Stevie's Groove
I Can't Get Enough Of It
Waltz For Lumumba
Together Till The End Of Time
Gimme Some Lovin'
Back Into My Life Again
I'm A Man
Blues In F

This is a great collection of songs. 51 of 'em! Over two hours of music. Winwood was basically a kid when he was recruited by Spencer Davis in 1963. Along with Winwood's brother, Muff, and Pete York on drums, they got started with their first single, Dimples, in 1964. What followed was a bunch of albums and some number one songs... but it all came to a halt when Steve left the band in '67 to form Traffic. Prior to that came all of this and I've gotta say, these guys were an awesome band. So many of these songs are on the short side, 2 and half to 3 minutes long, but you can really feel how in concert they could be jammed on and extended to make a dance hall really get dancin'. Winwood once sat in with the Dead in '70 and Spencer Davis a few times through the years... and Winwood toured with either "The Dead" or the The Other Ones post-Jerry but I'm wondering -- with this lineup, were they ever on the bill with the Grateful Dead in '67? I wouldn't be surprised. Some of these songs have a similar feel to early GD. Also a great blues sound throughout, kinda made me think Ray Charles and Memphis. One tune's even got a coool jazzy feel to it but most of all it's bluesy Brit-pop rock and roll at some it's mid-1960's finest! I think I'm definitely gonna buy me a (used) copy one of these days!

80 kbps dload over at --> Freemusic07

In Hell Deux: Hell at Ground Level

Rehab Hike 2 -- Take 2

Still a short hike but a little longer than a couple days ago...

Total Trail Time -- 1 hour & 23 minutes

Pretty nice hike again earlier. As the sun lowered below the horizon, I headed out on the trail, using up every bit of remaining light. Twas a gorgeous 55-60°F (about 13-16°C,) just on the verge of needing a long sleeve shirt. Cruising at about 4 miles an hour I produced enough warmth to make the short sleeve shirt just fine. Of course, if I had an emergency and was stuck outside after dark, I probably would've gotten hypothermic but then again, I probably coulda set myself up with some shelter and even without matches or a lighter been able to start a fire.

But I digress... music was great, bein' out there was great, and great most of all was NO TIBIA PAIN! Wooohoooo!!!!! Well, at least until the end. Over the last mile to mile and a half as I headed on back to the house, blisters were killing me. No wait -- they were freakin' killing me. This was okay 'cause I knew perfectly well that I've got a whole bunch o' hikes ahead of me where my feet are gonna have to get used to my boots again. Eventually, with enough hikes, about a half dozen or so, maybe a little less, my skin'll be so used to this that blisters won't occur. Again -- woooohoooo!!!!! But today they were worse than my first hike a couple days ago. Ay caramba! Made the last half of the hike seem like two hours long, each step was a chore, each step was like five steps, made my legs feel like jelly... but this was a welcome pain. Not like what happened as I was almost in the front door.

About three minutes from the house, right before I exited the trail to walk up the road, there was some uneven ground and a step I took at an awkward angle caused a jolt of pain at the site of my tibia fracture.

Now, the past five days or so, the worst pain that's occured, on the ol' 0 to 10 Pain Scale, 9 being Please Cut My Leg Off and 10 being Please Just Kill Me, has been a few seconds worth of .5 to 1. Laughable almost. Just incredibly super minor dull numbness... no big whoop. This pain at the end of the trail earlier -- about a 4. Not terribly bad. It lasted about 2 whole seconds. Was gone as quick as it came... but it was there and it made me stop in my tracks to evaluate what the heck just happened. I started walkin' again. In about a minute I had forgotten all about that occurence while the blister pain took control again of my every step. Two minutes later I was in the front door and that tibia pain had been all forgotten about until typing this. Still I have to wonder about it and maybe be a little concerned or at least know that I still must closely monitor my leg. Great, I say sarcastically. Oh well.

In any case -- again, not a very long hike but a productive one.

Another one or two of these and I think I can seriously think about heading out there in my trail running shoes for a five minute run to add that back into my trail time.

On The Trail & In The Garden

Rehab Hike -- Take 2

Trail Time -- 1 hour & 14 minutes

Humuhna! humuhna! humuhna! what a GREAT day to be alive!

Back out on the trail! I tried this a little over a week ago? Probably more like close to two weeks ago? (I forget and I'm not gonna check.) Whenever it was, it was too soon. My leg hurt for days afterwards when I thought I was okily dokily to be back hiking. Nope.

Well, the past week in general, and especially especially especially the past two days -- my leg has been FANTASTIC i.e. normal. So I headed out earlier tonight, right before dusk, hit the trail in my hiking boots, long sleeve hiking shirt, music in my ears, saw one moose, felt awesome! A couple days ago or so, I answered a question: "What gives you joy daily?" I shoulda said -- being outside on a hiking trail. It just didn't occur to me 'cause that's not been a part of my life, for the most part, over like the past 100 freakin' days. This stoopid broken leg has taken forever and an extra half a life, it seems, to heal. Finally -- it's healed, it's gotta be! Bein' out there was heaven on a stick, Mick. My total time wasn't very long, some people in America somewhere today walked around a mall for longer than I was on the trail but they were in a mall (so wrong!) and I was out hiking! HAA!!!

Now here I am hours later. Noticeable pain on the trail: NONE! Any noticeable pain since? NONE!! Ya know what, it took soooooo long, my summer hiking was obliterated, I gained 20 pounds without any significant exercise to speak of... but I would say that this time it's true -- I'm back, baby!

And almost ready to start running, I think. Holy cow, I'm not gonna just be Pressing Play on any old tunes, I've gotta start doing running Play Lists. Okay. Haven't worked on those in over three months? No worries. Least of my worries, actually. I believe I'm ready. I wanted to run today, at least for a few minutes. I'm definitely gonna work my way all the way up from like a mere 5 minutes, back to 20 minutes and beyond. Adding a minute each time out will take a while but I've gotta make sure the tibia is strong. To reinjure that fracture would be hell. So it'll be a slow progression but I'm stoked! My even have my first run by the end of this week coming up!

Tunes on the trail...

Eurythmics

In The Garden

1981 debut album

(2005 remastered reissue)

English Summer
Belinda
Take Me To Your Heart
She's Invisible Now
Your Time Will Come
Caveman Head
Never Gonna Cry Again
All The Young (People Of Today)
Sing-Sing
Revenge
Le Sinestre [B-side]
Heartbeat Heartbeat [B-side]
Never Gonna Cry Again [live]
4/4 In Leather [live]
Take Me To Your Heart [live]

Over the years, going alllll the way back to the early days of MTV (back when it was actually cool and relevant, back before they essentially killed the music video,) I've been a fan of this duo hailing from London. "Sweet Dreams are made of this" -- great stuff! But only a handful of songs from them I have really known through the years. Of course, these days that's not stopping me from delving into the past of an artist I've heard of and liked a song or two from. And like so many, I dig startin' way back with a debut album. Sometimes they're great, really cool tunes, sometimes even the best songs a band ever produces! Not the case here. Apparently this album was, for all intents and purposes, a flop. No wonder it wasn't until the album after this one when I first heard of these guys. No video play from this album and nothing moved up the charts enough for mainstream radio to play... not that I would've heard anything from them in America in 1981 on WNEW back in NY/NJ, not at such a young age. Listening to it now I can see why it didn't catch on. There's just nothing really catchy. One thing can be said for sure and that's Annie Lennox & Dave Stewart didn't stick to conventional music making. Their new wave sound is almost bordering on psychedelic and avant-garde at times. Once or twice I did get thoughts of Devo, Duran Duran, the Psych Furs and The Pretenders... but really this doesn't strongly compare to anything except early Eurythmics. I didn't love it but I didn't hate it either. Overall this ain't bad but someday I'll look forward to Pressin' Play on their stronger stuff while leavin' this behind.

192 kbps dload @ Zona Musical

In Hell

All of a sudden life has changed. Hopefully temporarily.

This is only the end of Crisis Day 1
but I have absolutely no sign that anything's going to change.

Today was a great day for my leg.
Could've gone for a rehab hike,
but the day of rest was probably for the best.
Still it was yet another Zilch Day with no run and no hike.

Tomorrow I was planning on that hike...

but frankly I don't give a damn, not with my hearing loss.

Have tried:

• hydrogen peroxide
• isopropyl alcohol
• soap & water
• olive oil
• and again baking soda & water.

Which has worked? Nothing's worked.

My left ear is somehow obstructed or impaired almost completely. This is a very strange feeling. The most depressing thing about this:

I have lost my freedom to enjoy music.

There's no way I'm gonna use earphones and just hear in one ear. Play through normal speakers? I don't seem to do that much anymore... not that I'm done listening through speakers forever, just am not right now and not about to change. Why? Digital music files are on the computer and can't bring the computer to the other room or with me anywhere but besides, the computer's speakers are nowhere near loud enough or have the range stereo speakers do, and to listen through a normal CD player and normal speakers I'd have to buy CDR blanks and burn discs which I also don't do... I'm weird.

And even if I was going to, I'd still be hearing through only 1 ear while this odd feeling constantly attacks me. There isn't a single minute that goes by that life is enjoyable right now. This is messed up.

I'm actually somewhat scared. I don't get scared. Nothing scares me.
But now this does.

Music's almost a backbone of this life of mine... now what?

I'm actually already thinking of selling/giving away all my CDs and deleting the gigs of music files I have. At this moment right here right now -- they're useless to me.

what rhymes with orange?

I'm really tired of using this color.

Obviously I don't need to use it
but I've sort of adopted it for being injured
and unable to get out on the trail.

Yesterday: more rest; another Zilch Day to heal.

Today: Felt much better.
Pain occured for a mere maybe 1 whole minute.

On the 0 to 10 scale,
it was just a dull numb discomfort, about a 1.5 ... so minor.

I could so very easily lace up the boots and do another rehab hike. But these days that feel okay to head on out -- it's probably best to rest. I do so much wanna get out there, I have such a zest. But i'm just gonna heal some more here in my nest. When it comes to having a strong healthy leg again, I've gotta pass that test! I do not jest!!

haha.

So today was yet another friggin' Zilch Day. No running -- HAAA, not even close to running! No hike.

Once again -- soon.

Pathetic

Probably the very best thing I can do right now
is cut off my right leg at the knee and get a prosthetic device.

Normal strait-ahead walking is no problem.

There aren't many stairs in my life... but when I do go up and down I must be cautious because if my step is at just the right angle, I will feel minor pain. It's not a bad pain but it's a pain none-the-less. The same thing happens on flat ground, when my foot is planted, and I twist my leg just the right way -- minor pain. Each occurence ticks me off more than anything. Still?!?!?

Yesterday was yet again another Zilch Day -- no run, no hike.

I felt okay to get out on the trail for a short hike. I thought that an hour and a half to 2 hours would be okily dokily no problemino, neighborino. And since I felt that way I felt good that not hitting the trail would be a GREAT cautious zero day i.e. great rest for healing.

And today will be yet again another Zilch Day -- no run, no hike.

The minor pain has returned or at least today I'm noticing it again

I'm wondering if I need surgery.

I cannot afford that plus I completely despise the astronomical costs that are often like 500 times more than they need to be.

But this pain simply will not completely go away. I can't even find solace in the fact that it's not horrible pain by any means... always minor and more like a discomfort than a pain that I dread. It's never a pain that makes me go "Owww!" It's not like that at all. But it's there.

All I wanna do is be back to normal. I wanna run. I wanna hike. I need a vacation with my backpack on, out on a trail, overnight, quiet, outdoors, peaceful, pain-free, the stars above, a campfire to enjoy at the end of the day. What I certainly do not want is for my every step to hurt. Hitting a trail with 35-40 pounds on my back just might bring that on. And then what if the fracture becomes a true break? Potentially I could force myself into that where I'd literally need to crawl for help.

I'm in hell and I'm ready to get out the saw and just be done with it.

once again -- close...

Zero Day, Zero Day. Zero Day.

Nada. Zip. ZILCH!

Life is grand. Yeah, so swell.

· Yesterday -- another day without going out on the trail.

· Today -- another day without going out on the trail.

So not ready to start running yet. And no hike.

Two more bloody days I'm sidelined.

Two more dang days on top of the 17 trillion sidelined days already this year. Yippie-Ki-Ay. Makes me oh so joyful to know I'm sittin' around allowing my health to deteriorate by not getting any significant exercise whatso-freakin'-ever. I should just go the doctor's office and ask them to give me diabetes right now, just get it over with. Because of this stoopid tibia fracture I've got 16 extra pounds to lose, 16 pounds gained from not being able to hike and run. My cholesterol's more than likely gone up. My cardiovascular system has fallen into a near state of disrepair, it seems... I might as well be smoking again. This is all depressing as hell. I'm not about to go Owen Wilson myself... it basically only sucks when I dwell on it like oh, right now whilst I ramble away, ramble, ramble, ramble because if I hit the trail I'll just freakin' do damage again and be set back even more than I have been.

So, I spend MORE time allowing this darn bone to heal, more time like so many other average Americans sitting on their ass getting unhealthy.

More Zilchness. Yay.

more more more oh joy

Yesterday: did not get on the trail.
another day to rest and heal my tibia.

Another freakin' day.

Today: another freakin' day not on the trail.

Tis not even noon yet but there's no way I'm a goin' out today.

Nope.

Another freakin' day o' rest.

Oh joy.

So desperately do I wanna get out to run. I can almost feel my healthy deteriorating as each friggin' day goes by.

And with lingering pain I'm unsure about even short hikes of only 90 minutes or so. If I'm unsure of short hikes then I'm really unsure about running. I feel like I'll never run again. That's almost okay with me but I love how running makes me feel, I love the healthy benefits of. Hiking alone doesn't get the heart rate up enough or keep the heart healthy like running does.

So basically I sit here feeling screwed. Oh joy.

ugh

Another rest/injury day due to reaggravation of my stoopid tibia.

Couple weeks away from a run. No hike.

Shoot.

Oi, or Hiking and the Damage Done?

Tings no lookin' good, mon.

I meant for today to be a very simple day of rest,
not yet ready to start running yet, and no hike.

A second rest day in a row will be a good thing.

But I've been hurting.

My tibia feels like I've regressed about two weeks to where
there's minor pain when stepping forward in just the right way.

And when pressing down with a fingertip
right at the point of fracture -- OUCH!

Not good.

I was looking forward to another short rehab hike
at dawn tomorrow morning.

Now that's in jeopardy. Well, I could go, no problem... sort of no problem.
Easily I could head down the trail for an hour, turn around and come back...
the pain probably wouldn't be bad, might even seem to dissipate completely.

But what damage would I do?

Ohhh, maaaan. I thought I was in the clear.

I think what I really am is back to closely monitoring
and taking extra days to heal just to be cautious.

Once again -- this blows.

Beautiful Time On The Trail Tonight!

2nd Rehab Hike

A little more time out there tonight: 1 hour & 32 minutes

Didn't get back until nearly 10:15 p.m. Still enough light in the northern sky to see the terrain underfoot. Slighly cool bordering on warm, about 66°F (19°C) when I left. Gulped down Gatorade before leaving and gulped more the second I got back but again I took no water -- I like pushing myself a little. Had it been 85 or higher, yeah, water would be needed but for 90 minutes at this temp, no big whoop.

Went a little further tonight before turning around. Much aching in both calves. I do believe there was more aching in my calves than from the tibia fracture.

Unfortunately I have no confidence to run yet because of lingering minor pain but I'm itching to. Originally I figured on two weeks. We'll see. The blister hot spots from my 1st hike got way red and huge this time. Oww. Hurts worse than any aching and worse than my tibia. Am so looking forward to my feet being used to my heavy boots again. All in good time a blister'll be a rare thing again. Won't have beautifully smooth gorgeous looking feet but I'll be able to enjoy blister-free hiking!

Bottomline -- just awesome to be out there! Such a short little hike but tonight and my hike a couple days ago, combined for just over 3 hours, is more time on the trail than I've had in just about 10 freakin' weeks! Crickey! So, this is most definitely a good thing.




Sarah McLachlan

Touch

1988, debut



Out Of The Shadows
Vox
Strange World
Trust
Touch
Streaming
Sad Clown
Uphill Battle
Ben's Song
Vox (Extended Version)

Back in 1994 I remember first hearing Sarah McLachlan for the first time. When her single, Possession, became a hit outside of Canada, eh, that's when most people heard her for first time. I loved that song and it eventually got me to buy the CD it's on, Fumbling Towards Ecstasy, which I owned for awhile, back before the days of selling off my collection for money surely to be used for nefarious purposes. Pretty cool album as I recall. Several years before that, this Halifax, Nova Scotia native, relocated to Vancouver, started her rise to national prominence in Canada with this debut album.

At only 19 years old at the time, she doesn't quite have the intensity in her voice that she would have later on. The sound overall is quite varied from almost Celtic-ish in Touch, quirky and uneven in some songs, beautifully flowing in Ben Ben's Song, to a little darker and with a more alternative feel. There's a feeling almost of bubblegum pop in one song, Vox, which almost makes me dismiss the whole work as not worth listening to. Thankfully that's just one song and that pukey poppiness sound isn't prevalent throughout.

This isn't a stellar debut by any means. Only 1 or 2 songs really have a great sound to them, methinks. I'm glad I listened to it but not so sure I ever will again.

192 kbps dload located over yonder --> here abouts

So, This Is What Hiking Is? or, I'm Back, Baby!

My First Rehab Hike!

Short hike but still a little longer
than I expected to be out there: 1 hour & 20 minutes

Way early in the morning, left before 6 a.m. Overcast. Wet.
Wonderfully chilly, 52°F (11°C), long sleeve hiking shirt needed.

Back, cleaned up and resting. Twas unbelievably strange earlier when getting ready to go. Hiking shorts -- first time in more than two months! Not that I haven't worn shorts in two months, I wear 'em everyday! But my hiking shorts have been sitting untouched and to put on a pair was a weird feeling, in a way. Same deal with the hiking shirt, onto sock liners, lightweight Smartwool socks, then finally lacing up my hiking boots. Vaguely familiar yet... an odd feeling since it's been so, so long.

Three minutes or so out the door and I stepped onto the trail for the first time in forever, it seems. Itching itching itching to go meant there was no way I could take it at a slow pace, had to cruise just as swiftly as usual.

Fracture Status: pain twice, both times a very quick jolt lasting a mere split second. That was about it.

Frustration: blisters. Couple of hot spots that I hadn't counted on but it makes perfect sense since I haven't been in my boots for quite awhile. What's great is the blister pain was worse than pain from the so close to fully healed stress fracture in my tibia. Blister pain wasn't really bad, hardly distracted me at all. After a dozen hikes or so my skin will be all used to those spots rubbing and I'll be done with that problem. Once I started running in a couple weeks maybe, I'll have to get used to slightly different spots in my running shoes but no big whoop.

Bottomline: while there's still times of super-minor discomfort at the point of the fracture, the 80 minutes on the trail in hiking boots seemed to have done NO harm whatsoever! I hope.

Basically: I was so stoked to get back out there. Couple o' times I took the deepest breath of beautifully chilly Alaska air, almost completely blissed out by something so simple but something that's been missing... well, it's not like I haven't deeply breathed in Alaska air in the past almost 70 days but seemingly forever now it hasn't been done in hiking boots feeling free on a trail like I was earlier.

Tomorrow: a day of rest that will only be rest but I do believe that I'm done bein' injured. No more! I'm not exactly 100% healed yet but I think it's safe to have these short hikes... and if I'm wrong then LOL HAHA [nervous laugh] yeah, that'll be bad but we'll see.




Caedmon's Call

Long Line of Leavers

2000






Only One
Love Is Different
Prepare Ye The Way
Prove Me Wrong
Mistake Of My Life
Masquerade
What You Want
Valleys Fill First
Can't Lose You
Love Alone
Dance
Piece Of Glass
Dance
Ballad Of San Francisco

Nice album of music. First time I've ever Pressed Play on anything by these guys from Houston, Texas. This is their third major album but actually their ninth total release since about 1997, I think. Their sound is, uhh, for the most part kind of... not soft rock but folky-adult alternativey. A wide range of sounds is present from lots of horns to quiet to lots of bongos and percussion but never loud with any kind of edge to it. One song approaches that territory, in fact, is completely there... except they had an orchestra in the background. Without that it would've been stripped down and really sweet. There's definitely great writing throughout. And while there are plain and clear biblical references or talking to God in almost every song, the lyrics aren't overly preachy, at least not that I could hear during a first listen. A couple of tunes do not even touch the subject.

I'd certainly listen to this again, it's good stuff, and I'm gonna check out their other albums eventually, but unfortunately this isn't my favorite cup of tea by any means. Love the message in the songs but I only liked most of the music, not really loved it.

320 kbps dload over yonder --> this a way

Whatever

Another day, another day.

Me no happy thinks me.

Why, after almost 10 weeks, why is there still slight aching?

Shouldn't a freakin' stress fracture in the tibia be healed already?

Well?!?!

Apparently not. Oh joy, oh joy.

Another day, another day.

Zilch Day 68, I do believe.

Certainly not ready to run. No hike either.

Oh joy, oh joy.

Zilch Day 67 -- Last One?

Hopefully the last Zilch Day for healing my leg.

Haven't felt any discomfort for about the past 2 days!
(Or at least the least ever.)

So that means what?

Means that not going out the day after
all those "Hopefully Today's The Last Day" days was a good thing.

Each additional day of rest was absolutely worth it to be sure this dang leg's healed!

Zilch Day 66

Today was one more day in a row without getting out.

I hate myself for typing this but...
(like a broken record...)
hopefully this is the last day of healing this stoopid leg.

No run. No hike. More time.

The Streak Will End...

Eventually
I'll finally end this extended injury hiatus time of healing...

But today was one more day...

I had to go back and check and this is -- Zilch Day 65

I'm overjoyed. Not.

Soon... very soon...

(Like a broken record.)

Maybe The Last Day? Finally?!

Zilch Day (Almost) No Clue -- #64?!?

This has got to be the very last day of this.

Maybe.

Hopefully.

The whole past week I've been waffling or wavering on the edge of finally hitting the trail for my first rehab hike... and I've got this feeling that each decision not to go was a good thing. If I was to press down just the right away with a step forward, there's been that lingering discomfort (very minor pain) in the tibia at the point of the stress fracture. I think that's been slowly but surely going away and that's why not going each day over the past week, when I thought I was ready to, has been good.

This period of being so close is mentally challenging. I'm not on the verge of any kind of breakdown or nuthin' serious like that... but I'm a little extra frustrated. I see the weight gain and it's not pleasant. I also occasionally feel the minor breathing difficulty and that's equally not pleasant. Running keeps the weight gain away. Running keeps my cardiovascular system healthy, as well. I hate running! But the positive effects of it are awesome!

Now here I am at 9 freakin' weeks since I've been on the trail for a run, haven't been out there for a hike either. It's depressing. I feel like I'm doomed, like I'll never be able to go back out there without pain. Probably that's just Worst Case Thinking and when I resume activity soon all's gonna be fine. Out there in hiking boots I'll have such an INCREDIBLE desire to just go and run but I know I'm gonna have to just enjoy some nice short hikes for awhile, working my way up to a couple hours and beyond... and then maybe a five minute run in a couple weeks. Five minutes? Oi! That's almost like starting over!

It should go without saying -- this blows.

One More Day To Heal...

Zilch Day what? 63?

No run. No hike. No comment.

Zilch Day: Way Too Many

8 weeks and 5 days is it? or 6 days?

I never can keep track anymore unless I check what it was yesterday.

All coming to an end VERY freakin' soon!!!

Tibia is healed... i do believe close to 100%.
Still occasionally recurring minor discomfort but not terrible.
Have been wanting to make sure I'm as close to healed as possible.

Soon...