Wednesday, March 03, 2010

Leaving Bread Crumbs for When I Stray

I read somewhere once that when you run with a positive attitude, you are less likely to experience burn out and injury. Studies conducted in my brain, and on my trail support this theory. When I run with a smile on my face, the pain wanes and my endurance waxes. This morning on our run, I started thinking about my time spent running and how I went an entire year without injury and now it seems like every week there is something new, and aching. Since my tibial stress fractures I have pulled several muscles, fallen, hurt my knee, reinjured my tibias, and agitated my sciatica. Yes, it's true that the first injury is often the "gateway injury," but I think that has to be due in part to confidence levels being rattled.

Much like Goliath was after he was hit by the suburban, I was hesitant even afraid to get back into my usual grind. The suburban took away the confidence in Goliath, like the MRI took mine. We both know that there will always be a threat, only difference is mine wouldn't mean my life.

I woke up this morning at 5am for strength training, and then a four mile run. Strength training was part of my current Gym experiment, even if I'd like to pretend it was me trying to be a better runner. The guilt that sets in when I don't run Goliath, is intense so after that class I came home, immediately snapped on his leash and we went out. The sun was still rising, and my husband was still not rising but we clocked four full miles anyway.


I dropped my phone twice, and one of those times I didn't even realize it until a half mile later. At that point, I was really tired and my legs felt like anchors but I couldn't have ran faster to try and find it. Naturally, Goliath was the only one who didn't mind the extra minutes. He found the phone first, and circled it. He found the phone probably a full thirty seconds before I could even see it.


No, there wasn't anything extraordinary this morning. No PR miles. No giant revelations. No victories. Just a new relationship with a positive attitude, a knee brace and ice.


OH, and strawberries. God, I love strawberries.


Today's Mileage: 4.37
Times: 43:11

4 comments:

Bethany said...

Thank you for posting this. Thank you for being so honest, so translucent and so vulnerable.

We so often forget that we are doing this to better ourselves and we lose the joy in doing that.

Thank you for reminding us of the joy of what we are doing for ourselves.

Becky said...

You know, I never thought of it that way. The last 2 runs I have done have both been outside and I was so happy to be doing it outdoors that I didn't realize how easy they were because I was actually smiling and enjoying myself.

Great post. You truly are an inspiration.

Anonymous said...

Keep it up!!

I'm very proud of you! I'm thinking about going to Pilates tomorrow for our challenge. It depends on if I get to COSTCO to get my membership because I forgot my 7 day pass doesn't work out here!

Megan

Michael said...

STRAWBERRIES!!!!