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Monday, January 23, 2012

I am RUNNING!

This week I took a big step forward.

I had planned on not running until February 4th, focusing on strength and cross training while my ailing ankle recovered. However, with 2 weeks of completely pain free movement and the urge to get moving again I decided to do some striding last week. After completing about 300m of easy striding and waiting a day to see how my ankle responded, I was relieved to find that I had no residual soreness, no swelling, nothing noticeable at all!

With this feedback I adapted my plan and have begun the long process back to racing. Totaling about 5 hours a week for now, my training consists of the following:

  • Run 1 mile at a ridiculous effort for ridiculous pace :) In fact, the watch has been left behind for now!
  • followed by 50+ minute circuit on bike 
    • alternate days of upper/ lower body lifting
    • (...and lots of youtube videos viewed while pedaling in place)

The good news is that I am living sore these days! That is also the bad news... I have a LONG way back to the place where I can say I am running and even longer until I can consider any  racing. I am dreaming of running my old recovery routes... just a 5 mile "easy" run seems a long way off. But, I am RUNNING!

Turning the Corner 

Two months of doing NOTHING and eating myself into the book of deadly sins has me facing a big challenge and I love a challenge! With my pants' waistline out of space, my fitness at a 4 year low and my mind fresh, I am optimistic about what this 2012 running year will bring me! The spark has caught hold and I am RUNNING!

Riding the bike to nowhere has brought back focus and allowed contemplation of where I have been, what I've been doing with my running and allowed me to make sense of my priorities as a dad and a runner. I see so many parent/ runners out there and know it is possible to do both well. In fact, each likely benefits the other!

With this in mind I am moving forward with urgency... a mile at a time for now, though in a blink of an eye- 50k and beyond!! But all done with a miraculous single step at a time!

4 comments:

  1. So glad you're able to not start back! Sounds like you've got a great plan and an even better attitude!

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  2. Step at a time... great plan! Glad to hear you are on the road back to running!

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  3. Cool! Just put one foot in front of the other and watch out for new pains. Easing back into it will pay dividends soon enough. I'm fighting a similar mental battle now and telling myself the same thing.

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  4. 2012 is going to be great! way to enjoy the here and the now!

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