What to do when a running injury keeps you from running: slow down to smell the sage, pick up some trash
It’s official: I overdid the running this summer (see previous exuberant post), and now suffer from TMTS syndrome: Too Much Too Soon.
It seems to be a mild version of shin splints (pain along the inner shin in the morning that goes away with a bit of walking). A little online research made me realize that this is not A Good Thing, and can become A Very Bad Thing if I don’t take it easy and let it heal.
So I’m back to walking the trails barefoot, noticing more than when I’m zooming along, and enjoying making images with my camera.
A sunrise salute near Weir Canyon.
The view from Barham Ridge:early morning, early fall . . . fog in the hill-folds of the Lomas de Santiago.
The low light of sunrise lights up a dewy prickly pear cactus on the Chutes Trail.
I call this one “Toe Fungus” — this big hunk o’ mushroom seemed to be begging for a photo op.
A few fall bloomers helped brighten the morning–like this primrose down by The Willows trail.
Down on The Willows trail: my favorite dust bowl. It splashes like water this dry time of year.
When I hike with my Nathan Hydration Vest, I have time (and room) to stop and pick up the detritus of other trail users. What part of “Leave No Trace” do people not understand?
When life hands you trash, make a trash sculpture.
So I’m not running right now, giving my sore shin time to heal, doing ice massage and regular massage, counting down the days until the planned October Rim-to-Rim hike/run, still hitting the trails barefoot, and enjoying every dusty step.
Love the toe silhouette at sunrise and trash collage.