8 Miles

Suddenly it's spring! Running around the Rose Bowl this morning, we were treated to wildflowers at bloom, mostly mustard flowers (I think), but there were also a few California poppies. Even the freeways were at bloom. I saw some purple wildflowers along the 134 and more mustard flowers along the 710. They seemed to be at their peak, so I can only imagine what the deserts look like right now. As pretty as they are, though, my allergies have been acting up all week. I guess I can put up with it for the sake of beauty.

The Rose Bowl is also experiencing a bit of spring awakening. Pasadena has seen fit to repave the road around the Rose Bowl and repaint and reconfigure (slightly) the running paths. The running path around the Bowl will be widened to 13 feet and the "Wrong Way" signs no one really followed (including me) will be taken down. Posts will also be installed to separate the running path from bicycle and vehicular traffic. I can't wait to see it all completed. Running on the newly paved road felt good on my weary legs. Good job, Pasadena!

As for the run, it went well. For the first time in a long time, we ventured past the white bridge beyond JPL. We couldn't go farther than the ranger station, though, because of erosion. Well, we could have, but we didn't want to have to hike down what amounts to a miniature canyon. I really only wanted to do 6 miles, so I was ready to turn around anyway.

What I've taken to calling my "shin issues" is still there. I'm still not sure why it went away while I was running the marathon, but since then it's still lingering. It's not painful. It's just something I feel, a tightness of sorts, and a tenderness when I touch the spot. I've been monitoring it but it's not getting worse and it's not hindering my mobility, so I'm following the advice of this New York Times article regarding doctors and exercise injuries. You don't really need a doctor to tell you that rest will help with an injury. I probably should rest and ice the leg more, but I'm terrible at doing that. With that said, if my leg snaps I sure as hell will see a doctor.

To reward myself for the longer run, I stopped by Fosselman's and got a scoop of their taro (ube) ice cream. I must say that it's better than the ube ice cream made by Magnolia in the Philippines. The taro flavor really comes through and the ice cream has the right creamy texture. Next time I'm picking up a whole pint to eat at home.