Picking up steam

Put in a few more miles this weekend. On Saturday the trail nerds put in a shorter "modified" loop out at Shawnee Mission Park. Somewhere between 10 and 12. Didn't really pay all that close attention to the time or the mileage because the run was that enjoyable. Excellent weather, scenery, and company all made for a great run altogether.

Sunday was a little different. My wife has joined us for the past 2 weekends out at Wyco for the full 10 mile loop with the big hills. Yesterday, she also invited a friend of hers. This friend is a good strong runner in addition to being a personal trainer. The first loop went ok with the group going at a long and slow pace and my wife and I staying in the back so as not to hold anyone up. (she's a little slower on the hills) She and the other two girls (yes, we have three now) left after the first loop. I wasn't really feeling all that frisky after the first loop, but I knew that I needed to do a second one in preparation and I'd already set my mind to it beforehand so everything my body might have been telling me was somewhat muted by a decision already made. So I went. Tender and stiff, my ankles already felt like they did at the end of the third loop (mile 19) of the 50k we did on New Year's Day, but I was determined (obstinate?) to do it anyway. Once again, the group was great and the conversation intermittently kept my mind off the pain. The muscles felt better than I expected but began to tire toward the end. The last 4 miles of the loop at Wyco is where most of the BIG hills are. Markos introduced me to Biofreeze which I applied to my achilles and both knees before each loop. I'm hooked! I'm also getting my butt in the gym more often and back on the bike. May start (re)introducing a few more road miles here and there, but only as a running supplement and probably in a transition type of workout from or to biking in preparation for the adventure race season.
So overall, no muscle soreness and just a little joint stiffness from the approximate 32 miles put in this weekend. Hopefully, I can keep this up.