Last week, too lazy and unwilling to slog through a muddy local trail, I took a spare hour and put down a few miles on the paved trails in Farmington – plus a little gravel trail. That night, my right ankle started throbbed – exactly like the stress fracture I have on my left ankle.

It was one year ago – Jan/Feb 2014 – that I incurred a painful stress fracture on my left outer tibia by putting in too many miles too soon on the pavement. I was trying to avoid vert to rehab my IT bands (wow, life is cyclical) and overdid it. I don’t want to let that happen, so I’m trying something new.

Saturday:

I’m going to build my base mileage this winter on treadmills. I joined a $10 a month gym and am going to just suffer through it. I have done 2 runs so far, and no increased ankle pain.

Cons: I hate gyms. Treadmill running is pure torture. I miss the trails.

Pros: I get out of the horrendous inversion smog in the Salt Lake Valley. It is fast and convenient. It will hopefully prevent injury. I can use the other parts of the gym to do some strength training to strengthen my hip flexors and other muscles in order to rehab my IT bands and prevent them from flaring up.

Ugh. This is going to be a long few months.

Today: