Blown away, bruised toes, and such....

There was a high wind warning in effect for our area that started posting yesterday for the entire day today.  Now, when you live in (or even near) the mountains, weather reports, predictions, dire warnings, etc. are always taken with a grain of salt.  Sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn't.  Well, let's just say they weren't joking.  It was not freezing cold this morning, however, it was 20 - 30mph winds with gusts to 50mph.  Sweet.  I love wind.  And sarcasm.   I waited for a bit to see if it would die down.  As if.  I would be running solo, as Kathleen had to do some labs early before work.  Now, if you are going to run in sucky wind, it is always "nicer" to have someone suffering with you, right???  OK, off to run and hopefully not be blown away.  I dropped in to Ute Valley Park hoping for at least some periods of shelter from the wind gusts.

 Theme for the day - see dust cloud coming, turn back to it and squint until it passes!!!

 Been a while since I ran here - love these trails and the sights along them!

 Walk the Plank!

I took the side spur out toward I25 at the bottom of Ute Valley Park, hoping to stay in the ravine for a bit and out of the wind.  This trail seems to be in the middle of nowhere, then out of nowhere you end up looking up at I25.  That is the great thing about unimproved parks in the middle of town.

 The trail skirts along the ravine on the right - I25 is straight ahead but you wouldn't know

 Not sure who put this up in the park boundary?

 Storm shelter... or wildlife hostel

I ran through the disc golf course, surprised to see a couple guys out tossing discs in gale force winds!  As I rolled past the cave above, which we have run by many times, it came to mind that this would be a great little shelter if some freak weather blitz hits while out on a run.  Although, the mountain lion and/or bear that frequently uses it may take issue with the occupancy!

 Always have to run past the favorite arch

As always, fabulous.

I had many opportunities to gaze on Pikes Peak during the run.  The wind was howling up there, as could be seen by the swirling clouds of snow whipping through the many large bowls on the massive granite slab.  I would guess that a run up there today would have been just peachy....  I was not sure what to expect from the day, as I started out the run with the expectation that it may be a short lap, then right back home.  I had just enough shelter in Ute that the run went well and I ended up with 10 miles.  Basically had the park to myself, as I saw three cyclists (still can't figure that) and a guy walking a couple dogs.  That's it.  So it turned out pretty good for a day that I could have easily passed on!

Shoes - Nike Pegasus

In the Can't Ever Find the Perfect Shoe department, I had a strange occurrence after our great run to Barr Camp a few weeks back.  After feeling pretty stellar throughout that whole run, including the big descent, I got out of the chair late that evening and my left big toe area felt like it had been smashed.  Nothing happened on any previous runs, so what gives?  No trips, no stubbed toes, nothing.  So I remove my sock, and whoa nelly - the whole side of the big toe trunk was purple.  I wasn't sure if I sprained it (is that possible?), broke it,  or any number of other things that run through your mind when the side of your foot is heinously discolored...  I took the whole following week off as a precaution but basically felt fine by Saturday morning.  I was set for a long trail run, so I laced up the Cascadias, just as I had on Barr, but felt a strangely familiar pain in the big toe less than a half mile in.  So I circled back to the homestead and did a little investigation.  When lining up the epicenter of the formerly purpleized area over the shoe, lo and behold it was exactly centered above this point:

Scene of the crime.....

So I am taking a few weeks reprieve from donning said torture device, hoping to not retire an expensive shoe WAY TOO EARLY.  We'll see.  On the run in question, I swapped over to the Saucony Peregrine and proceeded to run 16 miles on the Garden trails and part of the Ponderous Posterior route without incident, so I am leary.  I am interested if anyone else has had this issue with the new Cascadia, since it is the first model year to have the front wedge added to the medial side of the shoe...????   Remains to be seen.

Happy Trails to all - hope to run tomorrow, sans wind, with the lovely Mrs HT!