Runnin, Soccer, Tough Yoga & a Bobcat Encounter!

Another weekend is in the books! Well, not so much a book, but more of a calendar.

Anyway, this weekend was extra epic because the boy had his first soccer match!

You’ll grow into the jersey.

But before that I was able to get in a short run on Friday as well as 9 miler Saturday morning. I was glad to negative split that fool despite the humidity!

After a shower, we were ready for some football.

Landsharks on three!

Unfortunately the Landsharks started the season with a loss. And as head coach, I take full responsibility. In my defense though, it’s hard to get a bunch of five year olds to focus on one thing at a time.

Put me in coach…ooh look, there’s a dragonfly over there!!!

But at least they got a lot of fan support from sister!

Go team…oooh look, there’s a dragonfly over there!

In the end, they all still had a lot of fun!

Much like soccer, some of the team are also still learning how to take a photo.

On Sunday I met up with a friend for a trail run.  After a few miles we came across a train bridge/tunnel. Good spot for pictures.

Feeling a little blurry.

This one feels sharper.

At this spot we heard a waterfall. We climbed over a barbed wire fence and could see it was on the other side of the tunnel. We’d have to climb up and over the tracks to see it. That’s what we tried to do.

Now I’ve been weary of train tracks since my last encounter with them a few months back. But this time I managed not to hurt myself.

Sometimes I incorporate trail running into my ‘training’. Get it? I know, I’m hilarious.

We never saw the waterfall cause when we got to the tracks I spotted a bobcat on the other side. Usually they run away from humans, but this one stood still. My friend snapped a not very clear pic…

She’s dressed in her cammo.

We didn’t want it to lose it’s fear of humans, so we started yelling and waving our arms to scare it off. It didn’t budge. In fact, it just sat down and stared at us like we were loco.

That’s when we heard the meow-screeches of the bobkittens. They were under the rock she was sitting on. This mama was protecting her litter. That’s why she wasn’t abandoning her den. And we could sense she was losing patience with us being so close. We decided it would be prudent to get out of there real quick like. Like my friend said, “I don’t want to get my eye clawed out by a bobcat today.”

We got back safely and ended up going about 7 miles on the run.

Afterwards it was yoga time.

The calm before the pain storm. Oooh look, the shoe lady is back!

The instructor this day put us through a tough tough session. What made it tougher is that she had to leave early, so she squeezed in an hour’s worth of yoga into 45 minutes. This was a no-joke practice. Felt good though (after it was over).

They say weekends are supposed to be relaxing, but mine always leave me sore and tired. Go figure.

How bout you? Crazy weekend? Encounter any wildlife? Any tips to ensure we don’t lose another soccer match?

-Scott

I Nancy Kerriganed My Own Knee

As we begin these Winter Olympics, we also are upon the 20 year anniversary of when Olympian skater Nancy Kerrigan had her knee get whacked by an attacker.

To honor that anniversary, I apparently thought it would be a good idea to recreate the event…on myself.

Last week we had some nice weather, and I was getting the running itch after my couple week rest from the Dopey Challenge.  So I threw on the ole runnin jorts and hit the road.  About a half mile into it I saw some old abandoned railroad tracks.

Now, I’m a lover of history, and a little way down these tracks is where the first train robbery in Texas had happened back in the 1800’s.  I’d visited to the spot several times (the even host a 5k there).  But I was heading the other way.  I did because I know it leads to the site of where an old Native American attack occurred on some of the first settlers there.  Thought I might check that out.

But I also knew that a little down the tracks, a portion had been removed and was now a dirt path that leads to some paved trails.  Thought it would make for a nice run.  Wrong.

Let me preface this next part by saying that I have NEVER fallen on a run.  Ever.  I know I’m in the minority there…or I was…

As soon as I got on the tracks, I realized it wasn’t a good running surface.  I decided to get off of them.  But about 4 steps in, my feet got tangled in a circular metal wire that was in the overgrown grass on the tracks.  I knew I was going down.  I landed hard.  I knew instantly that something was wrong with my knee.  I looked and it had graciously broken my fall…on a big rock.

Both knees and hands were bleeding.  My shoulder hurt.  My whole body felt on fire.  I knew it was the adrenaline from the unexpected hit.  I laid on the tracks for several minutes holding my knee, not able to move.  Now mind you, I was only a few feet from a busy road.  Why did nobody stop to check on the motionless body on the abandoned train tracks?  Maybe they were scared of what they’d find.

Anyway, after the adrenaline wore off, I was able to slowly get up and slowly walk back.  I got cleaned up and drove home.  Spent the night icing and elevating.  The next morning I woke to find my knee was replaced by a flesh colored grapefruit.

One of these knees is knot like the other. PS, this was 3 days after, so the swelling was down.

I iced and elevated the next few days and the swelling mostly went down.  It feels better every day, but I haven’t had it checked out yet.  Going to monitor it a bit more.  I’ve been able to walk OK, but it is stiff.  It is a tad tender to the touch at the point of impact.  I don’t have full range of motion yet.  I’m pretty positive that nothing is torn or broken.  I’m hoping it was just like a big charlie horse.

Anyway, since then we’ve had a nasty little cold front come through, and we even got some snow!  So I’m glad I have an excuse for not running right now!  To be continued…

Do you have any embarrassing good unfortunate fall stories?  Would you stop if you saw a body on the tracks?  Do you have any professional diagnosis?