Ouch....

We bailed after 15 miles or so in the Flatrocks 50K. It was one of the most beautiful trails I have ever seen......at least the parts I could see. You could not look up much because of the rocks and it was a small miracle that I only fell once. Now I just need to figure out what is wrong with my knees. The ligaments in the back outside of both knees feel really weird....hopefully just irritated a little and a couple of days rest is all they need.

Flatrock 50K tomorrow

We head south to Independence, Kansas tonight to pick up our packets for the 50K. It has been a while since I have done an ultra and this one is supposed to be tough. We have 10 hours so hopefully we do not need all of that. We had our Employee Day at work today so I will need to cover the 31 miles just to burn the calories I have consumed today.

Next new pet....Talisman

....yet another addition to my gargoyle collection. It should arrive next week.

Seed Ticks.......Bad

This is what my legs look like on Sunday from my Tuesday trail run. We ran on the horse trail at Shawnee Mission Park since the MTB trails were closed.

We ended up doing more than 6 miles, but picked up a few bugs along the way.....I didn't sleep for the next 3 nights because my legs were burning and itching.....I finally was able to sleep a bit on Friday night and now it looks bad but it no longer is causing me to consider amputation.

Trail Run Tonight

....looks like we may head out to Shawnee Mission Park for a much needed trail run. Considering that the Flat Rock 50K is only 11 days away, I guess I should start getting used to rocks and roots under my feet again. There is a 10 hour time limit and I may need every bit of it for what looks to be a long "hike."

Heart Of America Marathon

....this is one tough marathon, but for the 25.00 entry fee, you cannot expect a lot. It is hot, humid, and hilly and the water stops early on are way too far apart....but I knew this from running it several years ago, so we just dealt with it by going much slower and taking it easy. My shoes were filling up with sweat at the first mile marker, which I reached at 6:10 AM. I just signed up for Elite Racing's Rock-n-Roll San Antonio last night and it was 100.00. For this, Elite promises you a band every mile, in the HOA Marathon, you get at least one dead opossum, each at various stages of decay, every mile. Your entry fee also gets you some of the best trained horse flies anywhere. I think I had one for a running buddy for 8 miles. The temps reached the low 90's by the time we finished. This is one of the most challenging marathons I have ever done.