Memorial Day

I haven't been blogging much recently, primarily because this is a trail running blog and I haven't been doing much trail running since Ice Age 2 weeks ago. I've had some minor plantar fasciitis that hasn't been bad enough to stop me from running, but I know that I need to get it resolved before it becomes a real problem. So, rather than running I've been doing more strength training and a little biking to try to keep my fitness from backsliding too far.

Got out to Afton today for my first run on trails since Ice Age! Just a short hill loop (up to Africa, down to river, Nigel's Hill, Campground Hill) to try out a new pair of trail shoes. Garmin measured it at about 6.5 miles with total elevation coming in at 2589 vertical feet. The shoes felt great - no blisters or hot spots! The shoes that I've been running in for the last 2 years served me well, but they are Gortex which gets hot in the summer, and I've started having blister problems more consistently. Perhaps they are just ready for retirement :) Anyhoo, I think this was the first time in a long while that I've run out at Afton where I saw lots of people but didn't know a single one of them.

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Being Memorial Day, I rented a movie from Netflix called "Taking Chance" - a perfect film for this occasion. Here is a brief description:

Based on the true experiences of Lt. Colonel Michael Strobl, who wrote eloquently of them in a widely circulated 2004 article, Taking Chance is a profoundly emotional look at the military rituals taken to honor its war dead, as represented by a fallen Marine killed in Iraq, Lance Corporal Chance Phelps. Working as a strategic analyst at Marine Corps Base Quantico in VA, Lt. Col. Strobl (Kevin Bacon) learns that Phelps had once lived in his hometown, and volunteers to escort the body to its final resting place in Wyoming. As Strobl journeys across America, he discovers the great diligence and dignity in how the military, and all those involved with preparing and transporting the body, handle their duties.

Very moving film that transcends one's political views about the Iraq war. I highly recommend watching it.

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Matt Cavanaugh is originally from Woodbury and is a West Point grad currently serving in the United States Army. After serving 2 tours in Iraq and seeing many of his comrades injured, he decided to run ultras as a means of raising funds and awareness to help severely wounded vets recover. His original race schedule has been altered, but he is still planning on running at Afton on July 4 and Twin Cities 10 Mile this October. You can read more about his story and the Wounded Warrior Project on his blog.