Gear opinions

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Blah, blah, blah. However, looking at a partial or full summer of no running is not without positives. Steve was once a backpacker, and has shown some interest in spending the summer camping and hiking. This has opened up a whole new world of gear - isn't that half the fun of sporting endeavors anyway? I've got backpacking and trail running gear already, but what I'm looking for is lightweight gear for long day hikes with possible big weather changes and the need to treat water.

Let me know your thoughts on the following:

Water purification - I've used the Aquamira but it's kind of a pain. Looking at the SteriPen with Iodine tablets as a backup... Shell - I want something reasonably inexpensive that is highly water and wind resistant. I get cold quickly when the temperatures drop. I've learned to carry layers, but would like this to help with warmth if needed. Anyone use the REI ultralight jacket?

Pack - I'd use my Nathan race vest all the time if I could, but I want a pack that has side bottle pockets. Not too many to choose from and I'm leaning toward this one by GoLite. Hoping REI has one in the store that I can put on. Some of the packs are just too big on me.

Any thoughts on trekking poles or other fun gear I haven't researched yet? Not that I necessarily need any of it, but it's fun right?

Looking for Motivation?

Touches of spring have arrived from 50 degree sunny walks to glimpses of green in my flower garden. Buddy has taken up full time residence in the backyard. Our walks are getting longer and my physical therapy is progressing along. A slight set-back last week had me panicked but once "The Stick" became one of my closest friends things perked back up. While I'm grateful for all I AM doing - I won't lie - I really miss running and hiking. What's a girl to do? See below - videos taken from various sources. A bit of hope for the injured.

Forever Lost from Dave Chenault on Vimeo.

UltraRunning from Matt Hart on Vimeo.

Isn't this a running blog?

Next week will be three months since my ankle went in a brace. It's the longest I've gone without a run since 2002. I've managed to avoid surgery so far, which is a very rare outcome with this uncommon injury.

Physical therapy still freaks me out a bit. I keep hearing "12 weeks for the retinaculum to repair itself, another 12 weeks for it to regain strength." I'm at 11 weeks and I don't like people - especially those holding an ultrasound probe - messing with my ankle bone. I'd rather listen to my body and follow its lead on what I'm ready to do.

And, it's proven ready to...

Walk 90 minutes at a time!

Walk some of that time on uneven ground.

Complete 30-40 minutes of strength and core work each day.

I've had no "pain" in the last 4 weeks. Some aching, mostly after icing. I do get some strange spasms of the tendon, which I hope will go away eventually.

The best part of an injury is learning what caused it. In this case, there's been lots of speculation. Primarily my stupidity in running snowy trails with a very weak body. We've also learned that my left glute/hip were basically not working, just going along for the ride. When I looked back on race pictures, sure enough, my left knee was falling in on every one. No running until that's fixed.

For now, I'm at least outside in our March sunshine with one very happy dog. Steve was also nice enough to buy me this for my new workouts.