Well, I thought I was prepared for the outcome of my MRI results. Truth is… I wasn’t. It wasn’t the revelation that my ankle was “not right”. That I was quite aware of based on what I’ve been dealing with since about 5:28am on October 12th last year (link here). Since then I’ve gone through a litany of issues – a major struggle being able to convince the medical community there were issues beyond their rosier assessments. I’ve covered that in the past, no need to rehash that. I finally got an orthopedic surgeon that understood my plight which has lifted my spirits tremendously, then he interpreted the findings in the MRI and my heart sank. The situation is bad, very bad. The tibia breaks have healed, but there is “missing” cartilage, tendon and ligament tears and spurs on the fibula from the trauma. That news was not the only proverbial kick in the groin. The treatment schedule was even more devastating. Surgery mid July, followed by 6 weeks NO WEIGHT, then 4 weeks of boot followed by 4 week of brace with heavy therapy involved in that last 2 months. Running done for the foreseeable future, 2025 racing season lost, impact on 2026 ultra levels concerning. My head was a mess playing those schedules out and I remember looking at Linda as we both came to the realization that our annual haunted trail party was in serious jeopardy. Three of my four passions were just pulled out from under me with one mighty pull. Linda and I are still running the timelines and getting prepared the best we can. The sickening thing is I could have been past all this had we started back in December.
I was scrolling through my queue for something to feature today and then the obvious choice came up.
Hit the jump to see more pictures of my early running icon.
I suspect that a large percentage of runners start out in some form of pavement setting. This was the case when I was looking for an alternative activity back when I was 32. Thanks to a pretty horrific incident during my 2nd degree black belt exam in Tae Kwon Do and Hapkido (combined 8 hour test) my dojo days were cut short. Ironically, I finished that exam with a badly torn shoulder – see a theme here ha! I’ve covered this in my early posting years, but in short, Linda got me hooked on a popular race in her Iowa hometown called the Bix7 – a 7 mile road race in the bluffs of the Mighty Mississippi.
You never forget your first running experience. Mine came at an older than normal age, but likely the same for most runners – sucking air after a fraction of a mile. A year later I crossed that finish line and had completely swallowed the racing hook, line and sinker – my road racing days were officially ignited. Each year brought new challenges – faster paces, greater distances, tougher courses all culminating in one windy, stormy day at my Alma Mater where I finished my first and only road marathon. To celebrate this achievement I had today’s featured feathered friend permanently inked on my leg.
True to my proclamation to Linda soon after crossing the finish line, that was the last of the endurance runs…”on the road”. That last part may not have been said in the same volume as the first part. I did back down on the distances after that, but then discovered this thing called trail racing. Road running was seen as a substitute activity for my days in combat, trail running turned out to be a full replacement for the joy I had missed since that fateful day I made a split-second mistake.
Outside my commitment to the annual Bix race, my attention turned to the trail starting out with the initial half marathon race. From there the distances increased to the 30 miler and then the 50 miler. Yes, I did have to explain to Linda about that distance caveat she apparently missed after that road marathon…and if you happen to be wondering, I got additional ink more associated with the trail to celebrate that accomplishment.
Due to this recent injury, I will have come full circle on my running career. Along with the required repairs, my surgeon will be inserting an internal artificial stability device in my ankle. This will allow me withstand the uneven terrain akin to the trail. The ankle internals will need to strengthen around that enhancer as I relearn the expectations and realities of uneven foot landings critical to getting through the ultra distances. To do that I’ll have to start back on the more predictable road surfaces. “On the road again, Just can’t wait to get on the road again“. You can’t tell the sarcasm in that, but at this point I will be ecstatic when I can lace on any running shoes again.
When I do, I will undoubtedly look down in fondness at the tribute to that previous marathon accomplishment as I tighten those laces. The surgeon is confident I will be able to get back to the trail and I’ll rely on that to keep my spirits up as I race… I mean ride my new knee scooter through the house (I just got a really bad look from Linda there, must watch myself hehehe!).
“Hey Bri, how about less of the woe is me and more about this beautiful specimen before us!?!” Got it. The Greater Roadrunner is monomorphic which means both sexes look similar (those species that do have gender differences are considered to have sexual dimorphism). They do have a naked patch of skin behind the eye (the postorbital apterium) that intensifies in color during the breeding season incorporating whites, blues and oranges. You can see some of that in my previous post (link here). There are some studies like one at a Texas wildlife refuge back in 1976 that appears to indicate females tend to have blue behind the eye where males are white. This has come under scrutiny due to the lot size and localization (link here). Clearly the only reliable way is to sit them down in a medical room and give them bad news about their running career and see which ones cover their groin.
The above specimen was spotted hanging out in the cattle field at Spring Mountain Ranch State Park in Blue Diamond, NV – just outside of Las Vegas. That was back in 2024, but I can confirm that one was still there in almost the exact same spot on our return trip in April this year. Did I mention that during the 6 weeks of no weight post surgery I am planning an attempt to get caught up on my image processing? Lemonade out of lemons as they say. The surprising element of the Roadrunner specimen(s) at the ranch is how tolerant they were of having The Beast pointed at it/them. Definitely some of the best, prolonged looks I’ve ever had. Especially like that this one was giving me a full display of its crest and proclivity for keeping its tail cocked.
In contrast, this specimen spotted at the 33 Hole Scenic Overlook at Lake Mead National Recreational Area was having no part of my intrusion. I had made my way all the way down to the water’s edge – I can’t help myself from humming that song whenever I find myself in that position (link here). Anyway, this Roadrunner noticed me and started blasting from shrub to shrub showing off their 20+mph speed – keep in mind that is done without the aid of Hoka Speedgoats! Far faster than I was able to get focus on and take a decent shot. I mainly included these two shots to show how naturally camouflaged they are to their desert habitat. Their sightlines are broken by the streaked body feathering and their coloring blends in with the local earth tones.
As the Roadrunner has endeared itself to me for its running reference, so too is it admired by Linda. No, no, no, not because of any racing activity – she believes only in agility ring sprinting and believes any distance beyond that is foolish, dangerous and cause for psychological analysis. Nope, she admires their ability to kill and eat Rattlesnakes, her arch enemy. Per Cornell’s eloquent explanation, “Roadrunners can also kill and eat rattlesnakes, often in tandem with another roadrunner: as one distracts the snake by jumping and flapping, the other sneaks up and pins its head, then bashes the snake against a rock“. I just hear Linda chuckle.
Well, that brings us to the end. I suspect you will be hearing a lot from Brad (and Jan) while I’m out. For now my attention turns to getting as much of the to-do list out of the way before they bench me and figuring out what options we have for the haunted trail.
Take care everyone and watch your foot landings!
Life Intrigued 