As predicted, I totalled 105 km this past week. This morning I started the new week with another big hill session – a cumulative 335 metres of uphill. And  most of it was quite steep. In fact, it was another of the sessions I used to do when training for the Run to the Sun on Maui in 2009.

A little over a week ago I trod on a stone while walking with bare feet, suffering a painful stone bruise on my right heel. I’ve been favouring it since, particularly when walking – though not so much while running. As is usually the case when you favour a leg, it can cause issues elsewhere. In this case, I developed a very sore region on the outside of my lower leg. It felt like I’d been belted with a baseball bat. It was sore when running, though it didn’t stop me from doing so. Anyhow, now that the stone bruise has pretty much healed, I don’t have to run or walk unnaturally anymore and, as expected, the soreness in the upper leg is now disappearing. A very typical minor running injury story.

Another photo from the old favourite file. This was typical of the bleak days I spent running in Germany during the world run. At least I was on a road here. Most of the time I was on uncleared bike paths, trudging through shin deep snow. My feet would get wet within minutes each morning and I’d have to run the rest of the day with cold, wet feet.

On This Day

Sep 26, 2012

Distance today = 54.13 km; Total distance = 12,231.80 km; Location = Franklin, Pennsylvania – 41 23.868′ N, 79 50.051′ W; Start time = 0803, Finish time = 1647

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/227245045

Not the best of days. The combination of steady rain for much of the day, coupled with rocky gravel roads, made for tough going. It was nice to get in and finish the day.

It was another long day, and very hilly again. The incessant steep hills are tiring me quite a bit. A single day of such hills would be OK, but weeks of it is wearing me down.

The leaves are now beginning to change colour. It won’t be long until the reds and yellows are as prevalent as greens.