Jumping Ahead

Running has always been my solution to life’s obstacles. It clears my mind of all worry and frustration when times are tough, and sharpens my appreciation for the things that I am thankful for. Whether experiencing a good day or bad, running never fails to put me in a better place. I used to come home from a 20 miler physically exhausted, but so annoyingly giddy that my family seemed to disappear to tend to other tasks, and let me “relax and cool down” on my own. While I thought that the inability to run would be the most difficult stage of my injury, I did not think about the period I am in at the present: I am able to run, but it takes everything in me to do so at the pace and distance that I want to obtain.

Since beginning to run again, each day has been a struggle. I am thankful for that struggle because it means that I am moving towards my goal, but struggling every day tends to grow a bit tiresome.  Running is not currently my answer to the struggles in life; it is one of my struggles in life. I no longer have a “go to” to fix it. I have decided that when you lose your “go to”; you have two options: Give up and stop where you are, or keep going until you find it again. I chose this week, to keep going, and boy was that the right decision.

My weekday runs on Tuesday (4.25 miles @ 8:25) and Thursday (6.09 miles @ 8:19) were nothing special. Just like the past few weeks I “survived” the run each day and came back drained both physically and mentally. Friday morning I was feeling ambitious and decided to do P90X with Jason, then run, and then do the Ab Ripper X; all before work. After 50 minutes of the most intense push up focused workout I have ever experienced (we began phase II this week), I was seriously questioning my ability to run. It was 6:45am and I had already completed a great workout, I could have easily talked myself out of the run and into the kitchen guilt free for a protein shake, but something deep inside kept tugging me towards the roads. I willed myself out the door and hoped for the best. The 1st 800m was absurdly slow, and the 2^nd was even worse. The first full mile though is mostly uphill, so I comforted my ego with thoughts of a faster 2^nd mile. To my dismay the following mile was just as slow as the 1^st, and there was no excuse this time regarding elevation change. As I began my struggle through the 3^rd mile my mind began to wander, and I started thinking about the days leading up to my last marathon when a 7:20 felt easy. I cannot believe now how much I took for granted just months ago, assuming I would always be that fast if not faster. Lost in thoughts of the “good days” I almost didn’t hear my Garmin beep off the 800m split … then I just stared at those beautiful numbers … 7:45 pace!!! I haven’t seen numbers below the 8 minute mark since my 1^st week back when I stupidly ran as fast as I could at the track! I tried to contain myself, although I noticed that I felt very relaxed despite the bump in time. The next 800m came before I knew it, and I had successfully completed the 3^rd mile of my run in less than 8 minutes. With only 1 mile to go, I tried to keep my pace in check and avoid doing something stupid (like fall off of the curb … not that I have done anything like that before, I am an alert runner). I reminded myself that I still had 2 more runs this week and sprinting now was the worst thing I could do, then I held my breath as the next 800m split popped up on my Garmin … 7:45 pace again! With only 800m to go until home, I relaxed and lived it up. I swear giddiness is a side effect of running, and I must have looked like a fool rounding the corner of my street with a big smile plastered across my face for all to see. It was 7:20am, I was drenched in sweat from the sweltering heat and humidity, I still had the Ab Ripper X workout to go, and I was delirious with excitement.

Over the weekend, Jason and I travelled to Kiawah Island, SC to meet up with my mom for golf lessons. Knowing that Saturday would consist of hours of swinging away at the golf ball, I saved my long run for Sunday. I took advantage of Mom and Jason being too exhausted to think on Saturday evening after our fun day of golf in the 100+ degree temps, and persuaded them to commit to joining me Sunday morning on bikes while I ran. We set off at 8am on the same route I had taken the day before along the island’s pathways meant specifically for bikers, runners, and walkers. The shade provided on the paths for the first 3 miles was fantastic, and we just cruised along chatting. The 4^th mile we ran out of pathways and wound our way through the beautiful, but less shaded, neighborhood streets. With no shade and no breeze, we quickly made the decision to cut over to the beach for the remainder of the run as soon as we saw an opening. The views as we approached the water were spectacular! For a split second I felt like I was running in the opening scene of Chariots of Fire, and it would not have surprised me to hear the theme song playing with men dressed in white running on either side of me. While there were no white clad men, I did have the joy of finishing the run flanked by my two best friends. Running through sand is tough, but I was so happy to be on the beach without a care in the world surrounded by my family, that the miles just flew by. I definitely felt as though I was working for each step, and am still waiting for the run when I zone out and forget that I’ve been running, but it was so worth the work!

With 16 weeks to go before Richmond, I am happy with the progress I have made so far. Looking at my mileage build up for the next few weeks is intimidating, but I am excited to chase down each mini goal leading up to the big day. Running is not my answer to life at the moment, but I don’t think it is one of the problems anymore either, and I am ok with that.

PS - Congratulations to my good friend Brian Resutek for finishing the Ford Ironman Lake Placid this past weekend with an amazing time of 11 hours 14 minutes and 24 seconds!!!  

You are an inspiration!