Thursday, December 4, 2008

Cow Chip Cross Country Race - Nov 29, 2008

Tom and I went to Trumbull to run the Cow Chip race on Saturday. When we got there we met up with Brian, Sean and Ikuko. I also chatted with Bruce, Ben, Monica, Andie, Paul (who was celebrating his birthday) and Rob. Ikuko is just returning from being out with a sprained ankle, which had kept her from running in the New York City marathon.

I also bought a really cool pair of reflective gloves from Mark from Trailheads. (http://www.trailheads.com/)

Brian before the race



Tom, Brian and Kate before the race


It was a little chilly that morning and it was Tom's first race in the cold weather. He decided to wear shorts, a t-shirt with a long sleeved tech shirt over it and a hat. As usual, I opted for the skirt and short sleeved tech shirt. I think it's funny to see so many runners all bundled up in winter apparel when I'm just wearing a skirt and short sleeved shirt. I've always been the type to be a wimp for the cold, but running has changed all that.

The race is a slightly hilly 3.6 mile course that goes through fields, trails, pathways and even has us crossing over a small stone wall. There were some wet and muddy sections, but it wasn't too bad. The course was quite scenic and I especially enjoyed watching two cows chasing a horse around a field as we ran by. It was as if they were putting on a show for us. Tom and I ran together for the entire race, which made it a comfortable pace for me, but also kept it challenging. I found that my calf muscles were getting a really good workout running on the grass. My knee did hurt throughout the race, but at no point did it get any worse. Tom enjoyed the race, but did say that it was challenging and that he's not used to breathing in the cold air.

After the race we chatted with some of our friends and ate 'brown' food that was made especially for the occasion! The brownies were delicious! We wanted to stick around for the raffle and Paul's birthday celebration, but we had to get home for other commitments.

Since the race my knee has continued to hurt with it the worst the day after activity. I played volleyball on Monday and Tuesday, and was then limping around the office pretty badly on Wednesday. On Wednesday afternoon I went to my sports doctor, Dr Steinman, to get a diagnosis. I had xrays taken, which ruled out a stress fracture. I also have an MRI scheduled to rule out any meniscus or other damage. The doctor thinks that it is Runners Knee, which we will treat with physical therapy if the MRI results come back negative. I will work with phsysical therapist, Francesco, (http://formulaphysicaltherapy.com/) who fixed me up to run my PR in NY!

To see all running photos check out the following link:

http://www.amityactionphotos.com/mp_includes/body.asp

Me and Tom coming out of the trails






Heading for the finish line















Ikuko and Sean after the race



Ikuko, Sean and Tom after the race

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