Searching for Milepost Eleven

I went on my required training walk today, but again I couldn't do the full three miles due to severe pain in my lower right leg. I tried stretching this time, but apparently the muscle is just not healed. I did try to walk through the pain, but that only can take you so far. I might have made two miles, I definitely got well over a mile, but I didn't reach three miles.

I started out in Bothell at the 9 1/2 milepost and had a mostly ok walk to the tenth milepost. As I approached 10, I felt the pain shooting up and considered simply turning back. I didn't want to, as I have the energy to go much further. I think I could have walked all the way to Seattle today, if not for the pain. After standing at the milepost for a minute to let the pain drain away, I decided to "just see what's around the next corner." Around the next corner was a bridge. I decided to "just cross the bridge." Once across the bridge I seriously considered going back, but I could see an old railroad trestle and couldn't remember if it was part of the trail or not, so I decided to just walk over to it and check it out. Once there, I could see the trestle was an offshoot, but I saw the tunnel and thought, "well, I'll just go through the tunnel, because it would be a shame if the eleventh milepost was just on the other side." On the other side was the golf course, and I could see well down the path. I started to walk it, but I suddenly realized my foot felt odd, almost numb.

I sat down on a fence near the golf course and checked to see if my foot was really numb or if I was imagining it. I was imagining it. But my leg continued to hurt, and I couldn't stomach going further with this pain, not knowing when I would stop. So I headed back to Bothell Landing.

Once I got home I tried to figure out how far I'd gone by looking up maps of the trail. Unfortunately, nobody seems to have just a basic map showing major landmarks and the mileposts along the trails. The best I could find was a King County map that just doesn't have any detail. Mapquest doesn't show the trail, but I think the railroad trestle goes across to Blythe Park, which gives me a slightly better idea of where I was.

Oh well. I met the strange fowl at the park again:

Just before I took this picture I saw one of them attack one of the roosters and scare it off. The rooster was clearly outclassed. Speaking of roosters:

"There are chickens in the trees!" They seemed to be gathering in there, I think somebody must have thrown some seed over that way. I know that somebody throws seed around frequently. These are well-fed birds. I also saw a fleet of ducks with some geese thrown in for good measure. Like I said, a truly fowl park. Further along the trail I found evidence that it is still winter.

Anywhere the sun hit the ground was steaming, but in shadow the ice clung to branches. Heh, when I went out to my van to drive down to the trail (doctor's orders, I can't walk on the hills!) I couldn't get my key to work in the driver's side door because it was frozen. I went in through the passenger side.