Lumberjack Days 5K

The start of the race, at the boomsite on the St. Croix River, 5K north of downtown Stillwater. Picture by Sweet Pea.

I walked.. and even ran a little. My knee hurt in 3 major different places, so I changed pace and mode often. This race is usually miserably hot, but today there was a pleasant breeze and running felt energizing.

Othopaedic Sports always has a tent at the end with give-away treats.
One of their therapists has been a major help and encouragement to me in my recovery journey.
Hours after the race, I don't think I suffered additional injury from the race.

The hail/rain storm yesterday morning left drifts of ice on the deck.

Walking

Wheelbarrow full of pansies.. seen on our recent walk.

"Walking, people, we're walking" (to quote a tour guide). Some knee pain with walking, but too much pain with running... so I'm walking.

Also, a couple of times a week, half an hour of low resistance stationary biking at the community center.
And stretching and icing and getting good sleep and taking several repair supplements and eating only beneficial food and not giving up hope of running again.

You can see Don's latest Mayo results (yesterday) on MyelomaHope.

Family Means Garden Tour

Eight gardens in an afternoon, in Stillwater and north along the river to the town of Marine on St. Croix.
In June and July, with my knee injury, I wouldn't have made it in and out of the car that many times. The 3 of us have enjoyed this event for many years.

Sweet Pea snaps the garden ornaments... especially the cats. We missed seeing any live kitties this year.

Here I am, camera in hand . . . .

And for sure it might be aimed at cosmos or daisies.

Many gardeners have a vegetable section, but sometimes, like this, rainbow chard among the flowers!

Lovely home in the rural woods of Washington County... but this is not a gate in a fence to keep intruders out of an estate, but the gate in a seven-foot deer fence to keep out the four-legged "salad eaters".

Seemed like there were fewer constructed water features.

The gardens with a view of the St. Croix River are always favorites of mine.

Family Means had a different poster at each garden, describing some of their various services.
There are always Master Gardeners at each garden to answer gardening questions.

"Praying hands" (not to be confused with the prayer plant), fits right in with hosta, which grows well here, mostly in the shade and it many varieties and sizes.

Lilies are right in season now.
And we had our cross-training
for the day!!!

Best Day of the Year!

A cool, in the 60's, high-flying-sky day!
We were out for an hour this morning. I actually ran for nearly a minute... 5 or 6 times, with some tolerable knee discomfort. Running in the wind: energizing!

Trees are crying for water.
Yesterday a weather person on a local TV station reported the lack of rain in most of the 9 county area here "a cruel joke".

Some fireworks skyrocket flowers benefitting from owner-watering.

Garden Tour coming up.

Flowers in front of Family Means which is benefactor of the garden tour.

Beginning the journey back to running

On April 25, a smashing fall on my knees while racing in Minneapolis.
Half marathon in Lincoln, Nebraska, and another in Minneapolis in May.
Knee swollen up like a cantaloupe from early May until a cortisone shot in late June.
About 8 weeks of 3X a day icing, therapy and inactivity, ending in early July.

In June, an x-ray and diagnosis of an injured MCL, inflammation of bursas, and slight arthritis. Supplements (suggested by our naturopathic doctor) for building MCL, therapy.

In July, a different doctor in another medical facility, an MRI and a different diagnosis: meniscus and some cartilege damage.

Today a wonderful consultation (again, but with a different diagnosis) with our naturopathic doctor (ND), and a plan for supplements to help build the knee, and beginning to run again.
Supplements include glucosamine, chondroitin, MSM, hyaluronic acid, and something called collagenics, which includes minerals and amino acids.

I have been walking (outdoors, with Sweet Pea!) about 40 minutes a day for 3 days. I am determined, and I am on the way back.

Four legged salad eaters eating leaves off the trees in our yard.

Bold invaders right out the kitchen window.

Tiny butterfly on the finger of a Saturday morning runner in Stillwater.

Walking again in the neighborhood, we found daisies.

It's tiger lily season in Minnesota.

4th of July 2009

39th annual running in Marine on St. Croix


Beginning of the Tour bike race (on TV)


An owl outside our kitchen window

Balloons over Stillwater, boats on the St.Croix River positioned to enjoy the fireworks

Potluck food

Grandma's Marathon in Duluth

Runner Dude Don ran his 7th Grandma's Marathon. Sweet Pea and I sat this one out because of my knee injury the last weekend in April.

Because some school buses used in past years were not available, every bus-type vehicle within 50 miles was pressed into service. A thousand runners rode the train to the start in Two Harbors.
Every train car on wheels was utilized; some runners sat on folding chairs in baggage cars.

We 3 enjoyed the comfort of first class for the round trip train ride.
The wife of a marathon runner from Texas completed the breakfast table for four.
Below: the great Lake Superior and the Duluth historical aerial bridge.

Don joined runners getting off the train at Two Harbors.
You might be able to see him in his white visor and yellow Deadwood Marathon shirt, behind somebody in a green shirt, about a third of the way across the picture from the left side.
We were able to view the start of the race from the train.

The Irvin ore boat is a museum docked near the finish in Duluth. Here we watched half marathon finishers as we arrived back in Duluth on the train.

Statue in Canal Park area near the finish: Dad with child on shoulders... feeding a seagull.
Sweet Pea and I waited several hours for Don to finish, enjoying Caribou lattes.
Skim milk, unflavored lattes without toppings have helped me maintain exactly the same weight for nearly 2 months of limited activity with this painful swollen knee.

Here he is, coming in to the finish area.

And here is the temperature when he came in (93 degrees). When he gets it posted, you can read his blog for details of his marathon race.
minnesotadon.blogspot.com.

Best bumper sticker of the day:

Good to Run

Early Saturday morning walk.. and even a few steps of running now and then. Ouch.

Incredible injuries to knee are so slowly healing.

Summer is here. Sidewalk chalk and baseball left in a front yard the day before.

Thursday I told Therapist Sara, I want my knee back. And it is actually starting to feel like it is mine again.
I'm doing the icing, stretches, exercises, supplements, healthy eating. Thanks to those folks who are even praying for my knee!

Why did all those geese cross the road??

Today is Flag Day. Happy Birthday.

Deadwood Mickelson Trail Half Marathon

In the Black Hills of western South Dakota

RAIN!
COLD!

Severely limited speed due to knee pain, plus the unseasonable cold, and the possibility of waiting in the rain for an hour at the start equals too much possibility of hypothermia.
It was a painful decision, Saturday night, not-to-run!
I realized I was risking all the recent praise for being seriously hardcore, seriously studly, etc.

Bus loading in the rain at 5:30am

Rain and fog hanging low in the mountains (here at the finish) all day long.

On Saturday (day before the race) we drove to a few points along the beautiful Mickelson Trail.

A cloudy day, but a marvelous trail to run.

For more about the Deadwood Mickelson Trail Marathon and Runner Don's race see
minnesotadon.blogspot.com.

Minneapolis Marathon - part 2

Starting at about mile 2 on the course Sunday, I said this pain is certainly a 9 out of 10. As the memory fades, I wonder: Maybe it was only an 8 or an 8 1/2 ?? Thanks for all the delightful, the supportive, and the empathetic comments.

Most of the pain has been in a bursa. I am contemplating a race soon. If the pain seems to be mainly in that bursa, I will probably do that race with Sweet Pea.
Pain in the MCL, however, may indicate more threat to my future running. Hmmm.
I am doing all the good things I know (previous posts). I will step lightly with care. Slow and old as I am, strangely, I seem to have a runner's heart.

One of my favorite times is after the annual trip to St. Paul Farmer's Market. Don tenderly tucks the little plants in the ground, and they respond by flourishing.