The trail run that tried to break my ankle

Sunday morning, we got out of bed & headed over to the Tarbell Trail.  Kent purchased a pair of Cascadia Trail Runners by Brooks the night before.  It was time to break them in!  Our goal for the day was 8 miles.  Everything was going well....until I rolled my ankle just past the turn around at mile 4. [Cue the Debbie Downer music.  Wah-wah.]

We drove and drove until we realized we must be inside of a cloud due to the haze.

We were told Hidden Falls was just under 5 miles from the start.  Nope.  Almost 6.  We decided to bag making it to the falls, and sticking with our scheduled 8 miles.  (12 simply wasn't in the stars for us that day.)

First we stretch this way.

Then, that way.

I swear it was getting darker and cloudier as time ticked along.

I was so busy watching my footing, I neglected to notice how pretty it is on this trail!

Half way!  I climbed up this damn mountain trail for 4 whole miles!  This picture does NOT reflect how exhausted I was.

Within 1 minute of running, sweat was pouring from my face & dripping off my elbows.  I thought it felt super humid out.  These leaves are proof of what my body was telling me. That's not rain.  It's just moisture from the air.  At least it was cool out!  

Within 30 seconds of turning around to head back to my car, I rolled my ankle.  Bad.  I ended up landing on the outer ankle bone with all my weight.  I don't even know what happened.  It was sort of in slow motion....yet it happened so fast.  After it happened, I kept trying to run/slog/jog/hobble my way back to the car.  I didn't have much of a choice since I was 4 miles out on a remote mountain trail.  Sigh.

I spent most of the next 2 miles worried about my ankle.  I don't remember much, other than trying to find a comfortable way to get back to the car.  We stopped to take a phone call when I finally looked up and realized.....the clouds were lifting.  Check out the view.

It kept getting more and more clear.

Before we knew it, we could actually see something other than fog.  :)

I didn't notice this the first time we ran through.  Kind of Blair Witch'ish and creepy if you ask me.

DONE!  I made it back to the car.  My poor ankle was killing me, but I was so damn glad to make it to the car...I had to smile.  ;)

This picture does not capture how filthy we really were.  

But this one does.  Check out Kent's "dirt tan". lol

My ankle is doing a lot better.  By 10pm that evening, I was convinced I broke my ankle.  It was so swollen and painful. I woke up many, many times during the night with shooting pain from my ankle up to my knee.  Just having a bed sheet touch my foot/ankle hurt.  I could not move my foot at all.  By morning, everything was different.  I could walk on it lightly, but it was still badly swollen.  Still no side to side movement.  It still hurts to touch it on that outer ankle bone five days later, but it is significantly better.  I can roll my foot around, but it still hurts a little.  I ended up with a purple bruise on the outer ankle bone.  Probably from where all of my body weight ended up on the bone.  Anyway, my goal is to tape it well & run Saturday morning.  If it hurts or feels weak at all...I will go home.  I'm not going to push it considering how badly I bruised it.