The Come Back Trail

It was a cold windy morning for the Roads End 5 mile trail run. I was a little nervous at the start of the race, it had been 4 weeks since my last run and almost a month since the car accident. Three of those weeks I was not supposed to put weight through my right leg. The last week I worked on getting rid of the crutches and reminding my muscles how to work again. During the past week of therapy I began to feel stronger and the pain was decreasing, so why not run a 5 mile trail run race. I already paid for the event so I might as well see what I can do, right? It did not make a lot of sense to me either, especially waiting for the start of the race. I have done a many races where I thought I just wanted to be able to finish, but this one was a little different, I was about to attempt a 5 mile trail run, and I could not even run 5 feet. The most I have walked in the last week was a mile and that was to get ice cream. Maybe, I should have stayed in bed. I guess you never really know what you can do unless you try. So, with my trekking poles in hand, I line up in the very back and waited for the horn to blow. I started out with a walk, which turned into a trot as I made my way across the start line. With a good luck cheer from Annette I was on my way and she was on her way back to the car to warm up. I made my way across the field, over the hills and through the woods. I was a challenging trail, I had my work cut out for me. I soon passed the 1 mile mark, and settled into a rhythm with the poles, roots, rocks and sand. I made my way through the trail, enjoying the Michigan woods in the spring, while trying not to injury myself more. I crossed the finish line around the 1:04. It felt good to be able to race again, even if I was not in racing form. But I am on my way!