Fire Down Below

Yes, it's the title of a bad movie starring Steven Seagal (actually, I never did see this but ever since "Marked For Death", I just couldn't take him seriously anymore - wait a second - I never took him seriously. I just wasn't entertained anymore). However, the title for this post refers to other "fires" currently going on in my world.




The first intended meaning for the title refers to the incredible amount of fires that are currently burning all over California. This is causing the central valley (a notoriously bad air quality area to begin with) to become filled with ash, soot and smoke from all over the place (the winds push the air in but can't push it out over the Sierra's). That means no running or swimming outside right now. I went outside this morning and I almost couldn't see the sun. Yuck. Add this to the out-of-nowhere allergies that have hit me and I'm a complete wreck on the inside. Good day to head into the gym for some Crossfit.



The second intended meaning of the title is the ongoing BS that is going on in my knee - the previously mentioned ITBS. The fire being the burning pain that comes on at the 7+ mile mark on my runs. Yes, I've become a bit lazy on my stretching and I still haven't gotten a foam roller for massaging the heck out of my legs ("you dumb bastard"). I guess I was really hoping for the injury ferry to come and take my pain away in the middle of the night. Maybe leave me an entry fee for an upcoming race under my pillow. I think at this point, I might need to just take a complete week or two off from running and concentrate on Crossfit and swimming to keep me conditioned. And just when my body feels fresh again this crud keeps me down.

Ok, no worries right? Time to readjust the priorities, reset the focus, modify the goals, reset...(cue noise from record needle scratching off the record) Alright, shut the hell up Mike. I'm pissed but I'm not giving up on the Skyline 50k in August just yet. Since I can't run for long distance right now, I'm gonna blast my insides away in the pool with some killer workouts from triathlon-land and hit the 3 days on, 1 day off pattern of Crossfit. This will actually improve my conditioning overall and at the same time, strengthen my core and upper leg muscles, which will be beneficial to my knee issue down the road. Will I actually stay off my legs? Probably not. I will probably stick to low mileage and wait to start ramping up the miles again.

These guys make me forget about ITBS

Last T-Ball game for the year. Way too hot for these little guys.