No
really! This is the most difficult thing I've ever had to write because I fell and broke my arm this week! I am attempting to type this one-handed... left handed... and I am not a southpaw.
On Tues, Jan 7 I headed out for what was supposed to be a routine long run of 12 miles in preparation for two goals. Short term, doing the 20-mile route at the Wilson Creek Frozen 50K on Jan 18; and longer term staying on schedule with my training plan for the goal of hitting 50K in the time limit of 6 hours at the end of March (http://24hour.pickledfeetultras.com). I had only run
once on trails since completing the Foothills 50K Frenzy back at the beginning of October, and
that was several weeks prior, before Thankgiving. Only one trail run in three months?! Yikes. If I didn't want Wilson Creek to completely kick my ass, I needed to log some more trail miles, stat.
I knew snow and ice were factors, so I studied my Ridge to Rivers trail map for a route that was... long enough, exposed so there would be minimal ice, and not too remote. I specifically sought one of the trails that had multiple access points "in case something happened." In hindsight it's tempting to try to call that foreshadowing or a premonition, but in truth I seek that criteria for most of my solo runs, no matter what time of year.
I considered running up Rocky Canyon Road, but ultimately decided not to due to the lack of restrooms, and the unrelenting up followed by straight down. I wanted more of an undulating trail, since I was out of practice. Thus, I planned on Corrals Trail, up and around in a "U" to the end of Bob's Trail, and return. I knew that about a mile of Corrals was in a little ravine following a creek, which would probably be icy, but the rest should be fine. I actually wasn't familiar with Bob's. Just the day before, there was this on the Boise Foothills Trail Conditions facebook page:
