Today, en route to the Southern Blue Hills, was easy, yet hard. I started the day on a short, connecting road route to Southern Blue Hills. This segment turned out to be just lovely, despite some annoying mosquitoes and a few overgrown sections. But nothing as challenging as I faced during the previous days.
We were closely watched by some cows in one area that passed through private land, but luckily they largely ignored us. Two snakes slithered across my path at one point; I was amazed at how fast they went.
From the Southern Blue Hills to the Roads
I should have appreciated the trail segment more, for the next stretch was a 21-mile connecting road route. This should have been a great place to stretch my legs out and finally get in some prime running miles. But alas, if you recall, a few days ago while navigating some overgrown raspberry bushes in McKenzie Creek, I’d wrenched my knee when I fell on a rock.
It seemed like a mild tweak at the time, so I wasn’t too worried. I did have some trouble with it the following day in Timberland Hills. But after that segment, the terrain was pretty technical and it was easier to hike quickly than run. I thought it was feeling O.K. today, but when I tried to check it out on a long road run, my knee said, “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
So unfortunately, I had to walk all day. On a positive note, I found Off-Trail Angel Dr. Lisa Tenold. Dr. Tenold is a chiropractor in Eau Claire, our home stop the next two nights (we’re staying with Ed’s mom). Dr. Tenold offered to stay late at her clinic tonight and tomorrow night to give me some cold laser treatments.
Fingers crossed two treatments will knock this back, stat. And just in case I need a little more help, if any of you know of chiros in the Merrill/Wausau area who give cold laser treatments, let me know ASAP.
Today’s photo is from the beautiful Southern Blue Hills.
