Hmm, 7 days since my last entry and in those last 7 days it's been cold again, hot again, rained AGAIN, Mother's Day (Happy Mother's Day to all you 'mother's' out there) and I've run every day but 1. Some good runs, some not so much. I've done the Sunrise Run, the Trak Shak, Lakeshore Trail, Downtown, and Trussville...whew! Monday I ran early, jumped in my car and drove out to Trussville to run some trails. I was less than a mile into it when a searing pain pierced my left calf....wow! I limped back to my car and was not happy! I came home and iced for a while then late afternoon I treated it with moist heat. It was painful yes, but it felt more 'tight' than torn so to speak. Plus I had to loosen it up in preparation for the night's softball game. We had 10 players (the minimum) so I had to play and as the night progressed and I put on a dazzling display of athleticism my calf began to loosen enough so that I didn't run like a stork. Good thing too because my last AB was pretty puny (the only crimp in the wire of magnificence) and I had to really motor down the first base line to beat the throw (I did). Amazingly I could still walk - now the next morning everything ELSE hurt as it always does after softball (which is why I quit playing everynight....well, that and because I'm old). And now 2 days later I'm 'aware' of my calf, but it's much better...I know, I know 'Danny, rest it.' Okay people...do as I SAY do, not as I do. Actually I do prefer for my runners to err on the side of caution. The old saying that 'an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure' is especially true in the case of 'delayed onset adult athletes'. You know how you can tell when an injury is about to occur? You CAN'T!!!! The first inkling for most of us (except for those nagging pains that lead to worse pains) is when we go ARGH! So take some easy days, run a short run with no watch every now and again, keep a run conversational...in fact keep it gossipy (you can call me!). What was it Alice Longworth Roosevelt said, "If you don't have anything nice to say about somebody come sit beside me!" Once every what 4 or 6 weeks take 2 days off in a row, keep it fresh. Two things can happen (should say, will happen) if you don't - 1) burn out and I've written about that before and 2) injury. No surprise here - There's a fellow I know that delights in picking my brain (doesn't need or want coaching, but say, what do you think about......) and especially delights in telling me his ever decreasing times. I reach a point with most people I just listen and even if they conjure up the most idiotic idea EVER, I'll just say, "Oh yeah" and let it go. I actually suggested to this fellow (my LAST suggestion)once that he just enjoy a run every now and again and he told me (essentially) he was doing too well and getting too fast. He told me he qualified for Boston and that when he went to Boston he was going to PR again! He was going to attack the down hills early on and 'bank' some time, cruise the 'Hills of Newton' then ram it home. "Oh yeah, nice plan" I said, thinking to my self, " That's a recipe for disaster! Ram it home?!? Is this a porno run?" I mean who says 'ram it home' except for.....never mind. The Wednesday after Boston I saw him walking, well, no...limping into the gym, calf tightly wrapped in an Ace bandage and some other stuff. Didn't have the heart to ask him how Boston went (I had an idea); then another friend walked up and told me, "Blew his calf out at mile 11". He's still not running. I think the moral to THIS story (and there are several) is easier than Aesop's Fables. Be careful out there, more importantly BE SMART! Easy days are SMART and necessary; massages are great, buy 'The Stick' (teach your wife/husband/SO to use it on you....trust me , every so often take a soaking hot bath and an extra day off....NOT just when you think you need this stuff. Headed out to run again, gonna be hot and I'm THRILLED!