Fun Fitness After 50

When Are You Too Old to Run Hill Repeats

August 24, 2016 by Laura Blodgett 1 Comment

I would have to say you are too old to run hill repeats when you are too old to dance. And, yes, that was a trick question. When are you too old to do anything? Most people limit themselves much more in their heads and by inactivity than by actual physical limitations.

Now, I’m not advocating that you go out and run hills when the most exercise you’ve had regularly is walking around in the grocery store. I’m not even saying it is a good idea to run hill repeats when your main exercise is swimming or yoga. Those are fine exercises, but they don’t condition your body to running.

Another thing I am not saying is to go do hill repeats (or speed intervals) to an extreme beyond your current training level. That is how you hurt yourself and discourage yourself. What I am saying is that hill repeats are completely possible, rewarding, and even to some extent fun if you have been running regularly, even if you are old enough to have grandkids.

My husband and I added hill repeats to our running schedule a few weeks ago. There was no high pressure, although we are preparing for a half marathon September 24. While I knew that it would require some dedication, and be quite hard near the top of each repeat, I also knew that no matter how I “felt” I did, I would gaining strength and increasing stamina.

As I’ve said before, my husband coaches me a lot, so he made a plan and I, having done similar workouts with him before, set my own limits. We decided to run:

1.5 to 2 mile warm ups before the hill repeats, along the same lake side road that we’ve used for speed interval workouts
run 4-5 times up a convenient hill, which is a two-tenths of a mile
slow-recover run between hill repeats, down to the bottom with a extra few yards added for the interval recovery at my request
1 to 1.5 mile cool down after the hill repeats

When I indicated I might try to get in my normal 6 miles for the day, I was advised it would be better for my body if I put in those couple of extra miles the next day after a rest time. I did that and found it did not adversely affect my long run on the following day. In fact, it probably helped keep my legs loose.

My goal in running the hill repeats was to keep a speed that pushed me significantly, but I could come close to keeping for the whole hill and for all repeats. By adopting this approach,

I was not as overwhelmed,
I was able to let my form develop in safe and useful ways, and
I gradually, although very slightly increased my interval hill repeat speed up until the last interval. Even the last hill repeat was very close in time though.

At first, I didn’t want to time each hill repeat, but my husband encouraged me to. He was right that it was inspiring and motivating. I was able to see how perceived effort was sometimes different than timed outcome. For instance, the first hill repeat each day tends to be on the slightly slower side. Also, it was always nice to get to the top and find that even though one of the last hill repeats felt slower, it wasn’t.

My Garmin watch is very easy to use for timing and resetting after such intervals. While I use it for that, my Strava app keeps track of my total distance. We are planning on making “our” hill a Strava segment for the fun of it. If no one else finds out about it for a while, maybe I’ll have the record for a bit?!

One very nice thing about that particular hill (on Tio Lane in south Nampa) is that it is on the end of a country road. There is barely any traffic, although the last time we ran it there were some trucks involved in harvesting the field along it. Thankfully, the trucks were not there long, as the smell of diesel was going to be a problem for me.

Another hill that is convenient for hill repeats is the one on Sunnyridge Road. It is shorter, but steeper than the Tio Lane hill. I have run the Sunnyridge hill as part of a several mile run many times, but I used it for hill repeats today. Because it is so steep (it is not uncommon to see cyclists walking their bikes up the last bit), I made no attempt to run up it fast. I did repeat it 6 times, and by the last time, my calves were feeling crampy. Maybe after I do repeats on it a couple more times, I will start timing myself. I could also make a segment out of it and look at my results on that after the fact.

For the record, I wore my Luna sandals for all of these hill repeats. The roads there are sharp chip seal and gravely.

I guess I have verified that I am not too old for running hill repeats. And it probably helps my dancing! I danced for quite a while on a recent Saturday night. I got lots of questions afterward from women who wanted to be able to dance with the same energy. A couple of young women made sad faces when I pointed out that running 30 plus miles a week is one thing that *gives* me energy. It seems that even young people seem to think that certain levels of activity are beyond them. Maybe they will discover how to gradually increase their exercise capability. Then, when they are old like me, they can dance the night away!

If you found my post encouraging, please share it!

Healthy Perspectives on Bare Feet versus Minimalist Footwear

August 3, 2016 by Laura Blodgett Leave a Comment

I am an avid barefoot runner and lifestyle barefooter. I haver run marathon distances barefoot a few times. I have run with bare feet on pretty rough surfaces plenty of times. My feet are getting adapted to what others might consider extremes in temperature. I shop and go into restaurants barefoot. I work in the garden barefoot. Most of the time.

Sometimes I get frustrated by my personal limits of when I can be have bare feet. By this, I mean situations where the choice is completely mine, but that I know the conditions are beyond the limits of my current abilities. This may be hard for you to understand if you have not been living mostly barefoot, as I have. In short, the feet function best when bare, just like hands function best without gloves. No one I know goes around telling people that because sometimes the hands benefit from protection or can get injured in every day life that we should all wear gloves everywhere. Or, on top of that, that somehow showing bare hands in public is rude.

If you rarely go barefoot, and basically never let your feet be bare outside during normal activities, your feet have been ‘plugged’ for a while. I use this analogy because I went with someone to get a hearing aide the other day. Being able to hear completely for the first time in quite a few years was irritating to him, and perceived as painful sensory input, if the squinchy faces were any indication. But he could obviously interact with his environment better and communication with him was greatly improved. Soon enough, the unfamiliar sensory input will be much less overwhelming.

Getting used to bare feet can be like that. So many people tell me their feet are too sensitive to go barefoot. That is like telling me that because they have earplugs in all the time, normal conversation is too loud and sound cues around them are unimportant. (click on any photo to enlarge)

One Luna on, one foot bare - but just for the photo. — One Luna on, one foot bare – but just for the photo.

Yes, we all know that earplugs are useful sometimes. I have recently taken to wearing them when swimming, which is an activity during which I am basically not using my ears anyway (swimming in my own pool against the current) and it keeps a water out of an abnormal place. I probably won’t wear them if I do a triathlon again, because I want to be able to hear what is going on around me when I stick my head up to get my bearings.

Earplugs are highly recommended when around really loud noises, like at a gun range. The loss of hearing perception is compensated for by being more visually aware. But everyone likes to take the earplugs out when they can. It is a relief, like taking off your shoes.

Whatever the device used for protection of a body part, it is generally accepted that it should only be used in the extremes of conditions. It should be something that limits sensory input as little as possible to do the job of protection, as well as allowing maximum function. For some reason, most people ignore this basic wisdom when deciding when and what kind of shoes to wear.

For many years, I didn’t think beyond the predominate modern shoe paradigm. As a result, my feet were relatively weak and soft. And while they have gotten much stronger over the last few years of living barefooted, I have not been able to progress as quickly in my barefoot capabilities as my kids.

Leaving room for everyone having different sensitivities (I really don’t like spicy food or strong flavors), it is quite plausible that the natural abilities of my feet atrophied more since I am significantly older than they. Also, they were taught at home and allowed to be barefoot most of the time, whereas I attended public school for my childhood. I may have lost some of my natural fat pads on the bottom of my feet from lack of stimulation. I may be re-developing them, but that takes some time.

I have been enjoying when and where I am able to use my bare feet. That is actually most of the time and most places, but sometimes I cover them a bit. Like when the black asphalt parking lot is 100°, I wear minimalist sandals. Or when I am hiking in knee-high, pokey mountain shrubs, I wear leather moccasins with plenty of toe room. Or when my run takes me for very long on sharp gravel. Then, I grumble about it for a few minutes and slip on my Luna sandals.

The Luna sandal model I have, the Mono, folds easily to fit in a light weight hip pouch.

Don’t get me wrong. My Luna sandals are some of the most perfect minimal footwear around. They don’t confine the foot. They allow for full toe spread. Their soles are flexible, letting my foot bend in all the right places. However, I know that running barefoot is the most fun. I just can’t do it on gravel at this point in my life.

The sharpness of the gravel quickly slows me down to a walk. I can run a few yards with bare feet, but then I have to decide what my goals are. A main goal is almost always to proceed on the planned run for the day. Since I run most of my mileage barefoot, my feet and lower legs are strong. I can still feel the bumps from the rocks, so all in all my running form remains good in my sandals. The main problem is getting some perspective and not feeling like a failure.

My husband says I am the only person in the world who would consider my putting on sandals for a run to be ‘failing.’ I try to remind myself that not only am I still making good progress in my barefoot capabilities, but I am currently running 30 plus miles a week. My last run was 14.7 miles, 90% barefoot. This is far from being a barefoot failure. But you know what it can be like in the moment of trial and decision.

The exact formula for a given individual regarding bare feet versus minimalist footwear is going to vary over time, depend on job requirements, and quite possibly some obscure personal variables. Full foot and ankle function will always be best, given moderate conditions, but sometimes extremes make minimalist footwear a wise and healthy choice for the time being. Just try to make sure it is the kind of footwear that allows the foot to be the foot. Then, take it off as soon as you can.

My well used soles after a long, 90% barefoot, run.

Speed Interval Workout with .10 Mile Markers on Kingfisher Trail

July 12, 2016 by Laura Blodgett 2 Comments

I have written previously about a more relaxed attitude toward speed workouts, to avoid both injury and burnout. Recently, I felt I had consolidated my stamina at the 8 – 12 mile range such that introducing a more dedicated speed interval workout might be safely done. Still, it was with some trepidation that I embarked on the planned speed interval, 6 mile run on Kingfisher Trail. (click on any photo to enlarge)

This trail borders one side of Lake Lowell, a man-made reservoir in my home town of Nampa, Idaho. The trail is really more of a gravel road, with expanses of farmer’s fields along one edge and lakeside scrub brush and gnarly trees on the other. But, most importantly in this case, it has reliable markers every tenth of a mile. If you know what to look for.

Fortunately, my husband/coach does know what to look for. He also came up with our overall speed interval plan, which was:

warm up 2 miles
fast .2 miles
recover .4 miles
repeat intervals for a total of 5 intervals
cool down 1 mile

I wore my Luna sandals, which still gave me plenty of feedback from the sharp and unpredictable road gravel. My goal was to combine increasing speed with maintaining a smooth, floating form. Being able to feel the gravel helped remind me to stay light on my feet, minimizing impact.

My husband reminded me that one goal of the intervals was to find a speed that felt somewhat hard, but could be maintained until the end of each segment. Also, it is best if the intervals are all about the same speed, which concentrates the effect to a level that can later be used for longer distances. For this first speed interval workout in quite a while, I decided to err on the side of a bit too slow, to make sure I wouldn’t pull any muscles.

The .10 mile markers begin at the Kingfisher Trail trail head, which is just below a large, dirt parking lot. There is a wide spot in the road right at the sign, too, that is suitable for parking. If you are facing the road, Kingfisher Trail goes off to the left.

This sign is at the beginning of Kingfisher Trail. Lake Lowell is just beyond the trees, and the larger parking lot is up to the right (in the photo).

The road is basically continuous around that side of Lake Lowell, but is designated as 3 separate trails. The one we ran on is the middle section. We began on its more western end, which can be found at the terminal end of Greenhurst Road. The trail/road is blocked off to normal traffic, however an Idaho Fish and Game truck needed to pass us during this run. They were very polite about it, and asked how far we were running so they could adjust their weed spraying to our convenience!

One reason we started at this particular end of Kingfisher Trail is that the other end tends to have more issues with overspray from field sprinklers that time of morning. That other end of the trail/road begins at a paved parking area at the end of Tio Lane, a side street further east off of Locust Lane, which is a mile south of Greenhurst. The first portion of the trail there is also not immediately alongside the lake. All of it is considered Deer Flat National Wildlife Refuge.

One of the Kingfisher Trail mileage markers around Lake Lowell in Nampa, Idaho.

So, there we were, our Strava apps all synced and the sun shining. I was given a head start, as I am relatively slower than my husband. He was also just warming up at a relaxed pace, but soon caught up with me and began pointing out the mileage markers. Some were quite easy to see, sticking up far enough out of the bordering tall grass. Other markers were partially surrounded and shaded by thickets of shrubs. Once I learned how they looked different from the ubiquitous metal fence post, and got a feel for what a tenth of a mile felt like, I was able to find most of them on my own.

I prefer doing speed workouts with distance rather than time. It is more motivating for me. I can get inspired to push myself just a tad more if I know the end of the interval is in sight. There is more of a sense of reward. Having the real-life markers meant not trying to listen for specific beeps on a gadget and added an element of gaming to it, since I had to scan the horizon for the goal.

There is one benefit to not being the one in front. My husband always found the interval mileage marker first, then jogged back to meet me and cheered me on to the end. Of course, that also meant he got longer recovery times. This is a fact of life if I want to run with him sometimes, because he is just stronger and faster. Did I mention he always measures off the chart for maximum VO₂, for those of you who know about that?

He wore his Garmin for timing his intervals. I did not. I really needed to go just by feel this first time, but I think I will try to use it next time, if I can do it without interfering with my effort. I can just see myself struggling to push the correct button and not getting any useful information, but ending up frustrated in no useful way.

We turned around at the 3 mile point, which was conveniently at the end of a speed interval. The weed spraying was going on off in the distance, and I thought about trying to wave more thanks, but just got back to the workout instead. Something about catching my breath.

The cool down last mile, also the first mile, was more hilly than the rest of the trail, but not so much as to cause burning thighs or painful gasping. I slowed down somewhat, but didn’t feel stressed by the rolling terrain. At least none of them were terribly long uphills or downhills. Just having moderate variation made it easier. (I saw a wild bunny rabbit along there, who sat in the trail a while as I approached.)

Me, post-speed interval workout, enjoying the lake view. It is all about comfort for running attire. The hip bag you can just barely see in front is to hold my phone with the Strava app. Running smoothly means I don't even notice the hip bag, since it isn't flapping around. — Me, post-speed interval workout, enjoying the lake view. It is all about comfort for running attire. The hip bag you can just barely see in front is to hold my phone with the Strava app. Running smoothly means I don’t even notice the hip bag, since it isn’t flapping around.

It was encouraging to note that at the end of the 6 miles, I felt like I could have kept going at my moderate, comfortable pace. I took that as a good sign that I didn’t over do it. I was curious to know what my legs would feel like the next two days, though, and that thought helped hold me in check from being cavalier about extending the total mileage.

The next day, I ran about 2 miles. The day after that I ran 14 miles. The last run of the week, on Saturday morning, was also 2 miles. All of these runs were at an easy pace. I was tired, but nothing was strained or achy. We even went out for a bit of dancing on Saturday evening. Full disclosure is that I ended up needing a lot of sleep over the weekend, including a couple good naps.

The real surprise came when I ran my first run the following week. For reasons that I won’t go into now, I was a bit on the agitated side for that Monday’s run. I knew I was going out a bit fast, but I also knew I was within a pace that my legs could handle for a little while. So I proceeded.

As it turns out, I ran all 8.1 miles about 45 seconds per mile faster than I had been regularly doing for this distance. I did not feel like I was straining to breath while running, nor did I feel wiped out after the run. I definitely felt like I was trying, and I don’t think I will be maintaining that level of effort for every run, however, it was inspiring to see what I was capable of while still not having any sore muscles the next day. I’m going to say the speed workout was at least part of the reason this happened.

The plan is to use Kingfisher Trail for regular speed interval workouts for a while. We are signed up for the FitOne half marathon in mid September, in Boise. We might as well put our best foot forward. I plan on running the race barefoot and having fun at the best speed I can. My husband’s main goal is always to try to beat all the women. I think we both have a good shot at meeting our goals.

What About a Scientific Study on Barefoot Running

June 21, 2016 by Laura Blodgett 3 Comments

Suppose someone told you there was a scientific study showing that people should protect their eyes from light pretty much all the time. I mean, it makes sense, right, because we all know we shouldn’t look right into the sun, so light in general must be risky? And then wearing darkening glasses might become popular and fashionable, with lots of styles to choose from. Manufacturers would come up with glasses that darken the best, while still claiming to provide the best vision experience possible. Pretty soon, people would be so unaccustomed to seeing each other’s eyes, that if someone didn’t wear glasses, it would be thought rude or too personal. After all, everyone would know that you only take your darkening glasses off in the privacy of your own home. That is the only place it is socially acceptable to be comfortable, anyway. No matter that there are all kinds of injuries from people running into things or not being able to communicate well. The next glasses on the market would take care of that. People would be certain of upcoming scientific discoveries and technological improvements to help with these issues.

This is not so far-fetched. People are good at coming up with ~~improvements~~ alterations on human form and function that often do more harm than good. Corsets are making a come-back again. A variation of them was called girdles for a while. These devices tend to inhibit breathing, can cause digestive issues, and lead to malfunction of other abdominal organs, including the uterus. But, hey, they are stylish!

There have been a number of studies released lately about whether or not barefoot running is good. Like with most so-called scientific studies, there are so many important questions to ask about the results. However, I think the most important ones to ask are along the lines of,

“Do you need someone to do a study to tell you that bending your knees when you walk is helpful?”
“Is it good to wear noise reducers over your ears nearly all the time to reduce risk of injuring your ears?”
“Should your neck be held in an immobilizing brace while you drive to avoid whiplash?”

You get the idea. We know that inhibiting movement or sensory input would greatly reduce functionality of these body parts. The end result would be more injury and weakening of those body parts from disuse.

We might want to wear earplugs once in a while. It might be good to support our necks during an amusement park ride that is not relying on our guidance. There might even be times to brace the knees in a certain position to concentrate our force of power. But these are all the exception and due to unusual circumstances.

There is a reason that gymnasts are barefoot. There is no footwear that can give them the same balance and flexibility, nor the ability to use their lower legs to full force. They need the spring of the unshod foot. They need the splay of the toes. They are using the human body to interact with the environment in ways that cannot be enhanced by shoes, gloves, or clothes. They wear as little as possible, to allow the body maximum function. You might also note, they do not wear sunglasses, gloves, or neck braces. They need full range of motion to take full advantage of what the human body can do.

Running or walking are similar. These are basic human movements. The body is designed for them. These motions are different from things like riding a bike or skiing, where equipment is used to allow the body to do things it cannot do on it’s own power. Running and walking are the default means of human locomotion.

As such, there should not be any need for a study to prove that using the feet fully and unhindered for either activity is best. There shouldn’t need to be a study to show that the less interference with foot function, the better. If some sort of protection is desirable, it should mimic the natural foot. Just like with any other aide device, the goal should be to provide an amount of protection with the least change in function and perception possible.

If you want to evaluate such studies further, you can ask other revealing questions .

How large was the sample size?
What is the researcher’s preference?
Who is paying for the study?
How can you test something on people they are not used to using?
What, exactly, was being measured?
What was the environment for data collection?
What other variables were involved and how were they accounted for?
How were the questions phrased and who answered them?
How did they take their data and synthesize it into their conclusion?

If you take a group of people who have been wearing darkening glasses their whole lives and ask them to function with bare eyeballs out in the sun, they will have a number of problems. Though at first they may find it invigorating and beautiful, they will likely get sunburned from too much exposure too soon. They may find the glare overpowering and not know how to moderate it. They will probably not be very good at judging when they are too hot or dehydrated and will easily get sunstroke due to lack of experience. They might even get overwhelmed by all the visual stimuli and just say it hurts their eyes. How well they adjust will probably be affected by things like their age, the comments and reactions of people around them, and the strong human tendency to go back to old habits. If they continue to go without darkening glasses, while most people wear them, they will be labeled rebels, stupid, or some such.

In all likelihood, someone will do a study to show that going without darkening glasses is not safe and a lot of people got hurt when they tried to go without them. Then it will become an even more firmly held “fact” that darkening glasses are needed. Life without them is just too hard. Some people will try to make laws requiring them. Some businesses will have signs saying things like “Glasses or Go Away.” But a few delighted souls will continue to live without darkening glasses and get to experience life on a whole other level.

Revisiting the Crooked River Trail Barefoot in Early June

June 14, 2016 by Laura Blodgett Leave a Comment

We found the Crooked River Trail 2 years ago last January. There was lots of snow and we were the only crazy group out there that day. This last Saturday was a balmy day in June, with early morning temperatures in the low 50’s °F, and comfortable highs in the mid 70’s °F. It was sunny with intermittent clouds, but there was also regular significant shade from trees.

Since we (I speak as the queen), knew where we were going this time, we didn’t spend any scouting time on other trails looking for the Crooked River Trail. When we arrived at the trail head, it was obvious from the full parking area that lots of other people know where it is, too. The parking is just a bulge in the road that accommodates a single line of about 8 cars, maybe more if some of them had been more efficient parkers. We were able to find reasonable enough parking at the Beaver Creek Trail sign, roughly 100 yards up the road. Don’t quote me on that, but we could see the other cars from where we were and it only took a few minutes to walk over there. This was the exact place we had crossed on foot from Beaver Creek Trail to Crooked River Trail on that cold, snowy day. (click on any photo to enlarge)

This chipmunk was also barefoot. He let us walk very close before he moved!

I did not know until 10:30 PM the night before that I would be going on this Saturday hike. Thus, I had gone ahead with my planned 13.1 mile barefoot run that Friday. Needless to say, I was a bit tired Saturday. It is the longest distance I have run in a while, so my soles were a bit sensitive on Saturday. I opted for wearing my Moc3’s (see the ad for Soft Star shoes in the sidebar to the right) with light weight wool Injini toe socks. My two 20 something girls, however, hiked barefoot all but a short section that had large, sharp gravel in abundance.

The first few feet of the trail was a steep, sandy descent down from the road to the path along the Crooked River. From there, it was storybook scenic, with a few dystopian distortions, such as the solid plank foot bridges that were twisted sideways and sagging over the first tributary creek. They ended up being more solid to walk on than they looked, but I still wasn’t keen to have more than one person’s weight on them at a time.

Crooked River trail is pretty perfect for about 3 miles. This is before we crossed the larger bridge.

One beautiful thing about this trail was that it was very close to Crooked River the whole time. Some trails only lead to water at the end, or occasionally taunt the hiker with glimpses in the distance, or even bully the hiker with a rushing cold water crossing. Not so this river. This river, though wide and energetic, rolled alongside in a friendly way, like a hiking partner singing a merry tune.

There was one more bridge, that actually crossed the river itself about 45 minutes into the hike. It looked and felt very sturdy. This was good, since it was not a river to be crossed easily otherwise. Except possibly using the huge pile of logs that we saw the marmot climbing on and through. But as I watched him scamper nimbly over them, I was envious of physical traits for balance that I do not possess, such as the body low to the ground and a slinky, fluid way of moving. I would need extra little feet on my knees to even come close to doing that. Weird visual, I know.

A more open view of Crooked River from the trail.

For over 3 miles, we hiked along a classic forest trail. When it wasn’t slightly damp and covered in pine needles, it crossed through sunny spots with riots of wildflowers and kamikazi butterflies. I had worn a bright, peachy-pink sweatshirt, thinking it would be easy to find me if I got separated from the group. This confused the butterflies, who would fly in their haphazard, wonky way toward my face. Maybe they thought that was the center of the flower? They would get about a foot from me and, as I was giggling and trying to duck, they would swerve-wobble-fly in another direction. This happened at least 20 times.

Even the tops of the stepping stone rocks were slippery with all the sand!

Around mile 3.8, the trail took on it’s Mr. Hyde personality. It was like I went through the wrong door in the fairytale. All of a sudden it was steep and sliding sand mixed with loose rocks along a treacherous drop to the river. I ended up taking off my moccasins and socks for this part, and my balance and traction were much better that way. I used my hands a lot, too, especially since my legs were really starting to feel fatigue with the climbing.

A daring photo opportunity overlooking the Crooked River from a precipice.

Our daughters and the 4 young men in our hiking group had gone ahead by this point, though their speed had resulted in some bloody scrapes all over arms and legs for one young man. Finally, I began to express the truth of my current condition, which my husband quickly agreed to. He told me to start back while he went to find the “kids.” Remaining barefoot, I patiently made my way down the sifting sand, only having a few panicking twilight-zone moments where I thought I had lost the trail in the beige-gray of the surrounding sand.

These yellow, daisy like flowers remind me of Rudebekia

Once I had made it to more moderate environs, I still stayed barefoot for a while. There was no one to keep up with, so I sauntered, relishing various sensations on my soles. After a bit, though, my soles reminded me that they needed a break, so I brushed the loose dirt off and tucked them back into the moccasins. I thought of my 12 mile barefoot run to Stack Rock and thought it very likely I could have enjoyed this whole trail barefoot under different circumstances. It would be a good trail for a run, too.

An unidentified purple flower similar to a foxglove?

I hiked alone for an hour and 40 minutes, although the description “alone” is relative. There were many other hikers, fishermen (almost got hooked by a fly-fisherman casting), back-packers, and even a couple of toddlers on the trail. The toddlers were pretty near the trail head, so I can’t say how far they went. There were also a few dogs with their masters. Most of them were off-leash, but all but one were friendly. For that unnerving encounter, I had stepped off to the side, down-slope, to let a larger group pass by me. When I turned around to watch them go by, I found myself nearly face to face with a medium sized dog that I had not previously noticed. It seemed to see something in my eyes that triggered aggression. It’s owners seemed quite surprised by it’s behavior, but told it in no uncertain terms to just move along. I think I will try to remember to step to the upslope side from now on.

A striking red flower. I thought it was more fun to take photos of single flowers to see the uniqueness of each.

My husband caught up with me by running for nearly 30 minutes. He left the young people behind, but not too far behind. They arrived at the car within 10 minutes of us, fairly dirty, but mostly dried off from their water fun at the turn around point.

I reminded my husband about the yummy hamburgers at Donna’s Place in Idaho City. He had shared his meager trail mix with me, but it had been 7 and a half hours since a meal. You can believe that after 4 plus hours of hiking over 8 miles, the day after running a half marathon distance, I was hungry!

And a Crooked River selfie after I have made it back down the steepest sections.

I needed to take it easy for the next couple of days. My legs felt similar to how they have felt after a long race. Sunday, I only did a little gardening, then Monday I did a lot of walking while spraying weeds, swam about 1/2 a mile, and accomplished other active household chores. I had to smile that all of that was still taking it easy. I was feeling the benefits of maintaining an active life routine.

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