Under the Knife

Just a quick note this week: This morning I had successful surgery to remove a benign tumor in my neck. It's true that this one was non-cancerous, but when I first noticed it growing at the exact same site of my cancerous tumor a couple months back, it wasn't exactly a happy feeling. It's been 5 years since my last chemo treatment, and I've certainly enjoyed life to the fullest since then. The thought of having to go back to battle again was less-than appealing, as you can imagine - Thankfully the tests I had this spring showed the tumor to be nothing more than a nerve growth that the docs could remove rather easily. Phew! This morning was the big day, and here's a G-Rated photo of the results...just another hole in my head, no big deal!
As for running, I've crept up to 40 miles this week with no shin pain. I've definitely noticed myself turning the corner in terms of tightness in the shin (less and less each few days). Seeing that I pretty much tore a tendon off my tibia, I'm not complaining about a little tightness, and I'm happy to take it slow while getting back to full steam (only adding 10 miles per week through August).

One last note: Congrats to everyone who finished Western States this past weekend. All the talk heading into the race was about the top elites running this year, but as the Drop list grew and grew during the race (to nearly 50%!!), it was obvious to me that even the runner who finished DFL deserved as much cheering as the Top 10. Well done, everyone!!! Way to make me proud of my fellow fighters!!

...and for those of you who recall me talking about Leigh Schmitt running the Bull Run 50 back in April, I mentioned I saw him running uphill with his hands on his hips. Thanks to a well-positioned photographer on the WS100 course just before the Michigan Bluff Aid Station, I now have this picture to prove what I saw!
The question is, does this really help? I definitely need to try it out on my next long climb. Even though he loses his arm-swing momentum, I'm guessing this helps keep his back straight and hips in optimum alignment. Since I'm the king of slouching while going uphill, I think this could help me out quite a bit.....if only I could borrow his speed and talent just as easily!