mindfirerunner

Getting workouts in during the winter months for most is dreadful. I have not enjoyed this winter…AT ALL, but I’ve gotten done what I needed to only to be punished with an inflammed IT band. There’s nothing quite like being sidelined from running to ruin your day, week, month. It’s aggrevating, frustrating, depressing, just to name a few. Running in the early morning hours was the one thing I could give to myself and now I’m forced to sit it out and wait.

I knew it was bad last week when I couldn’t get my pace up and felt my leg and knee tighten and cramp up so badly it didn’t matter how many times I stopped to stretch, I couldn’t seem to shake it loose. No luck. I became that crazy runner girl sitting on the side of the road in Orlando screaming “Come on!” and crying her eyes out while cars zipped by, probably wondering what kind of psychotic episode was taking place. But I was in Florida and it was warm! I couldn’t lose warm running weather to injury. On my own accord (which is progress in and of itself) I took the next day off hoping that it would be better. Still, no luck. After reinforcement from my coach that I needed to take off a few extra days, I obliged. I thought to myself, “I don’t want to injure myself further and lose even more running time.”

I was able to run a few miles on Sunday and it felt great! No worries at all and I was happy to be back on the road. Then, Monday came and I felt it twinge again as I was running up a hill. Seriously? So, again I’m told to take time off and let it heal. As much as I want to get out on the road and run, I’m more worried about not getting better and having it become an injury that taunts me for longer than the immediate future. So I will put my selfishness aside for a few weeks and learn to take it easy. I’ve seen a massage therapist, scheduled an appointment with a physical therapist, didn’t run this morning (again, progress) and am determined to abide by this part of my training plan as much as I do the actual running part.

Am I pissed? You bet. Am I depressed? A little. But most of all I’m thankful for the feedback and advice that’s been given to me and I’m hopeful that I will be back on the road again soon.

So, here’s your running mantra for the next two weeks…

…run for me, ‘k?