Running Brave...

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

I headed for my car believing that I was going on a bike ride.  As I walked out into the parking lot, I was surprised at just how cold it seemed.  When I arrived home, I immediately checked the temperature.  It was 31 degrees, which is about 5 degrees colder than I’ve ever ridden any distance in before…and a little too cold for my consideration.

It was not, on the other hand, too cold for Dakota to help me explore the park for deer antlers.  It’s a little early to begin that search…they’re more likely to be dropping later this month and into March, but it would get us off-trail and on a long hike, which we both needed.  I spent the next 90 minutes doing the marsh loop without antler success, but providing a great workout for Dakota who couldn’t pass up any opportunity to grab and wrestle with a stick.  I tossed them repeatedly down steep embankments, which she gladly descended to retrieve them for another toss.  The workout she did on those hill sprints would have killed me.

I was feeling some rather severe groin pain as I climbed; a result of yesterday’s monster Survival Workout, which included extra sprints.  I could tell it was something that would nag me for a couple of days, but was not that serious.  When I got home, Holly told me she was sick and not feeling up to making dinner, so I prepared my specialty scrambled eggs, spinach, mushrooms, and onions dish for us both.  She headed up to bed and I plugged in the movie ‘Running Brave’ that I’d just received from Amazon.  It is the story of American distance runner Billy Mills, a member of the Oglala Lakota (Sioux) Tribe, and the only American ever to win an Olympic Gold Medal in the 10,000 meter race.  Many consider it the biggest upset in track history as this unknown runner beat the world record holder and heavy favorite, Ron Clarke of Austrailia, by running 40 seconds faster than he ever had before.  Though the story is poorly scripted and acted, his legacy is immense.  Wikipedia says that he serves as the spokesperson for Running Strong for American Indian Youth,^[9] an organization that helps support projects that benefit the American Indian people, especially the youth.

Hike duration:  90 minutes.

Training Heart Rate:  90 bpm.
Calories burned during workout:  525.