Wrecked.

Owwwwwwwwww!  ...that's exactly what my legs have been screaming, but I guess they have the right to be upset... I've abused them pretty badly in the past three or four days.  Sure my legs hurt sunday morning when I woke up after the John Colter on Saturday, but now I'm positive they are even worse.  Sunday wasn't too rough, just a nice long classic roller ski so I got to put alot of the stress onto my arms, back, and core...but yesterday I'm positive, did me in.

Yesterday we took advantage of our day off from school and the team met in the morning for a long run/hike up Mt. Baldy.  We generally do long runs every Sunday up one of the local canyons, so we're pretty used to lots of up and down...but the run up past the "M" is rougher than our usual terrain.  The trail is steep and rocky.  Generally I'm a pretty big fan of flying down hills when I run.  I like to go fast and feel reckless, sometimes its more like fluid stumbling than running at all.  This run however, is an entirely different beast.  Some parts are so steep on the way down you feel like you're practically sitting down.  We hop and dance over the rocks, and slip and slide around the corners where the trail is particularly loose.  Its fun but the run down from the top is jarring.  There were moments where my mind would flit back to the same thought, "This is going to hurt so badly tomorrow..."  and it was right.

That same afternoon our team met up in the weight room for our first strength session with the trainers.  When I saw the sheet I was surprised... at the top of our routine for the day was squats...followed by split squats.  My legs felt weak just reading over the paper I was handed.   My quads were doomed.  Repetitions later my house-mates and I jogged home at what can best be called a "leisurely" pace.  

This morning as I rode to campus my quads ached...it wasn't even 8am yet and already I felt feeble.  After lab I rounded up some shorts and jumped in the ice bath with Mackenzie hoping in vain that my legs would feel instantly revived.  15 minutes later after much shivering Mack and I stumbled out of the tub with cold, red, and yes...still incredibly sore legs.  I took the afternoon off and jogged from my house to the weight room to spend some quality time with my best friend, a foam-roller.  My relationship with foam-rollers is very bittersweet.  As I rolled and rolled away today I had to bite my lip.  It was all I could do to keep my eyes from watering.  I had to keep telling myself, "This IS going to make me feel better...I promise, really."

All I can do now is stretch, and continue to ice bath and foam-roll....and perhaps with time I will coax my legs back to a non-jello-like stat of being.  Wish me luck!