A Fly in the Soup: August 2009

Friday, August 21, 2009

Monday, August 17, 2009

Sunday, August 16, 2009

Let's see...sorry to those of you waiting on proverbial pins and needles for our most recent Family Fun Day updates. Day #4 happened a couple of weeks back. We scoured the internet for things to do in Fresno and we came up with...drumroll...Simonian Farms. Yep. Simonian Farms.

Simonian Farms is this family owned and run farming operation on the southeast side of Fresno (SE corner of Clovis and Jensen for you locals). Website is here. From our experience, these four things are true:

1. They have a lot of old, hulking tractors at Simonian Farms. And, for some reason, many of them are displayed on stilts.
2. Littered amongst said old, hulking tractors are other old, hulking things, including scales, phone booths, ovens, sinks, etc.
3. The claim to fame for Simonian Farms seems to be the September 5, 1995 visit of then President Bill Clinton. Pictures everywhere. Site here.
4. They have a lot of stuff for sale in the store, and this would be the reason to grace Simonian Farms with your presence. Our family enjoyed the toffee peanuts and the candy fruit slices. We topped it off with some Mexican soda. It was a pleasant snack in the shade.

A couple of pictures:

Saturday, August 15, 2009

Injury report

If you read all the running books out there, or if you peruse Runner's World, you'll come across some version of the notion that "injuries are a part of running." Sad to say, I now get that. Here's my tale of woe:

Two weeks ago, I was out on a run, like the second or third training run in preparation for some races this Fall. I was about 1.5 miles in and I all of a sudden felt a sharp pain in my right ankle. Specifically, it was just at the point where my lower leg meets my foot on the top. The sharp pain lasted for a few seconds and then subsided. I cut the run short and headed in.

Two weeks later, I'm still hurting off and on. I tried a three miler on the Clovis High track that next Tuesday and survived it, though I still had some nagging pain. So yesterday I hit the Dr. We did an x-ray, he messed around with my foot, and here's where we're at:

1. X-ray was negative, so no fracture. Evidently there is a bone in that location that sometimes breaks for runners, requiring surgery. Good that it was not this! There is a chance that we're talking about a stress fracture that is not showing on the x-ray, but if there is, the treatment is essentially the same.

2. With no break in a bone, the options are damaged cartilage, loose ligaments and inflamed tendons. He's thinking the it's the tendons. He said there is a tendon that goes from the shin to the top of the foot, and that it is likely that I've inflamed that badboy from overuse. His quote: "you likely did something to it initially at your marathon and it just needs to recover." Related (or not?), the Doc says that my ankles are pretty stiff and inflexible.

4. So, the treatment: rest, ice, physical therapy and Aleeve. My plan is to eliminate running and to cut way back on walking for the next month. I'll ride the bike and get into the pool instead. I'm penciling in a goal of running this race in late September, and from there we'll see about this one and then this one.