Deer at Dusk

This last weekend of training before St. George presented me with something of a dilemma.  I really wanted to run a 5K race as a final dust buster before next week's marathon.  The problem is the only local 5K went off at 5:30 p.m. in 94 degree heat.  So I decided to run a leisurely 10 miles just as the sun started to set to beat the brunt of today's heat.

A little less then four miles into the run along the American River the deer began populating the edges of the trail.  They are surprisingly tame despite the comings and going of bikers and runners.  I kept a wary eye on doe's with their fawns.  I've seen pictures of does defending their babies.  It can be nasty.

Other than the deer it was a rather uneventful run.  My sciatica is only mildly annoying at this point.  I finally relented and had an x-ray taken of my right hip earlier in the week.  The fact that I haven't heard from my doctor tells me nothing serious is going on in my leg.  I'm positive the leg can stand the stress of a full marathon. 

Tomorrow I'm putting on my racing flats and will head over to the practice track at Sac State to run a three mile time trial.  I won't be able to come anywhere close to what I could run in a real race but at least it will give me one last hard effort where I get my legs going.  If I can run 12 laps in 22 minutes I'll be happy.