After conquering the distance, I decided to step back and work on my speed. I figured I could get faster, so I spent the winter working on that. I spent much time on the treadmill inside - because it turns out that it's cold and snowy here in Baltimore! I was working my way down quite nicely, and was encroaching upon 9:30 min miles, quite the accomplishment from the 11:30 that I started with. I had hopes of completing a sub-hour 10K, and it looked in reach. Until my leg imploded. I ran with moderate to severe leg pain for a bit over a month, completed the 10K in 1:07, walking much of the second half (I finished the first 3 miles in 29 minutes).
I then spent the spring not running, but going to sports med doctors, physical therapy appointments, and the like. I was diagnosed with a pretty decent stress fracture. The PT determined it was due to my weak hips, and my attempts at getting faster. Without my hips and butt muscles to act as shock absorbers, my legs were taking way too much force, this combined with the gloomy darkness of winter (I still blame this since the blood work turned up a vitamin-D deficiency) my leg couldn't take it.
Finally, mid-summer, I graduated from both the sports doctor and the physical therapist and began a very slow Return To Running schedule. I began with one minute of running and one minute of walking. It was annoying, but after nearly 3 months of no running, it was just about where I needed to be. As I began to finish this, and be able to move into a regular running/training schedule, life began to throw me a few curve balls. After a few weeks straight of various catastrophes including threats on my life (thanks lightning and other disastrous events), threats on other people's lives, broken hearts, and even a middle-of-the-night police invasions, I was in a pretty low spot running wise. There were other daily activities I was struggling to keep up with, that running was so far off my radar.
Until yesterday! I decided it was time to get back out there. Thanks to some pretty consistent motivation from NDH, I strapped on my shoes and got out of the house. And what a fantastic run it was! I made it just about 5 miles, and it felt great. So great, in fact, that I did the same route again this morning. And it was easier, and a smidge faster. Thanks, NDH, for your help this weekend, the past few weeks, and in general being an inspiration of how to turn bad situations into some more positive healthy goals.
This song came on my mix while I was running - and I may have listened to it twice. It's not necessarily directed at any one person or situation (seriously), but I found the message of this song to be exactly the pick-me-up I needed in the last mile of yesterday's run. I needed the reminder that my problems, while real to me, are mostly inconsequential in the grand scheme. I am truly a lucky person, with plenty of wonderful people cheering me on in almost everything I do. It's about time to get things back on track and stop feeling sorry for myself. Time to turn this month around and come back swinging!
And swing I will. I plan to keep my miles low for a bit, and get my lungs and legs back into a groove. I think I can be consistently around 10 minute miles, and will still aim to comfortably finish a (maybe not official raceday) 10K in under an hour. Then I will tackle adding on some miles to meet my next two race goals - an half marathon in Austin in February, and the full Country Music Marathon in Nashville in April. I think NDH has agreed to go to Austin, and maybe even LDH! And then, NDH will definitely be in Nashville with me. It's time to get some training schedules into the calendar. My new method will CERTAINLY include a focus on cross training. I need my hips and butt behind me (literally) to keep my leg in line.
It's good to be back.
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