I suppose I should title this piece "where the heart ISN'T" rather than "where the heart IS."The topic for today's Take It And Run Thursday, courtesy of the good people over at Runner's Lounge, is... Running Injuries and Treatment. First it started as a slight discomfort or something that just wasn't quite right. And then maybe it blossomed into a full fledge injury. Or maybe...it didn't. Tell us what you do to prevent and treat your running related injuries. We are interested in how you use good 'ole RICE and MICE but also interested in the not so traditional methods as well.
It's very timely, given the decisions I"m wrestling with this morning. As you all know, I've been training for a half marathon... it's this Sunday... and I am in pain.
I'm in physical pain from the ankles to toes, and not the kind that comes from a really long run. Because frankly, I haven't run a step since my 10-mile run. I've felt some pain when running for the past month (basically, ever since I started my new job and started wearing uncomfortable shoes every day), and after the 10-mile, things just never quite felt the same. I feel the beginning of plantar fasciitus coming on, and definitely some ankle / acchiles tendon pain on a pretty constant basis, and there is this odd spur thing that keeps disappearing and reappearing (painfully, I may add), on my acchiles.
I'm not one who is very good with ambiguity -- I like to make decisions quickly so that I know how to move on / move forward. I feel like I've been up in the air about this race ever since I went back to an office job and sacrificed my flexibility (note: the lack of flexibility and the necessity to dry my hair every morning are the ONLY things I don't like about my current set up).
I feel like for the past month, I just keep saying "I just want it to be OVER, I just want it to be OVER," and part of that desire is so that I can get back into exercise for the FUN of it, rather than the necessary science of training. I want to get back into "normal" exercise -- an hour or 45 minutes or 90 minutes of walking/biking/running/swimming/rollerblading/yoga/whatever I feel like doing, most days of the week, with no necessary goals or outcomes.
Bottom line? I'm not EXCITED about Sunday. Not one little bit.
But, I'm excited to get back to exercise for the desired goal of weight loss, and frankly, training and endurance running have never done that for me (because I'm starving all the time).
Anyway. I hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate (Did I mention that I hate?) the idea of quitting, giving up, throwing in the towel, etc. I hate that I won't be there to run with Kat (who is doing a kickass job of training for her first endurance event, BTW), and I hate that I won't get my medal or the knowledge that I DID IT.
But again, it goes back to "Where the heart ISN'T." I've done this before. I've run a half, I"ve run a full, and there will be more in the future, perhaps once my life settles into a bit more normalcy, and I don't feel like I'm constantly cramming things into a too-full, inflexible schedule.
I think it's official, I think I'm out.
(But I will be there to cheer you all on!)
Off and (not) running,
~Jessica
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5 comments:
What's so interesting is how people's motivation for what they're doing can be SO different. And that's not a bad thing, it's just interesting. SO this part here, where you say, "I'm excited to get back to exercise for the desired goal of weight loss" makes me smile because I've now spent the last year explaining to people that even though I lost 80 lbs just calorie counting and hitting the gym, that "just exercising for weight loss" wasn't cutting it for me anymore. But training works - I have an end goal!
But our minds are all different, and we have to find what is right for US. For you, not training seems to be right... at least for now. It might change later.
It sounds to me like you made the right decision.
Holly, that's how I felt when I was at a weight I was happy with... then exercise became all about the goals, and weight loss was just a side effect. But I'm not very happy with my weight right now, which is making me want to focus on it more... Usually I love having a goal to train for (that's the whole reason I signed up!), but my life just changed so much when I went back to work, and I'm not used to it yet...
Sorry to hear about that. I was training for the TC marathon two years ago, and ended up battling a knee injury. Accomplished an 18-mile run, then after all of the pain, physical therapy (that I had been doing, trying to train through the pain) dr visits, and an MRI - the doctor told me I couln't run for at least six weeks. That ended the possibility of running the marathon.
I went to the marathon expo to get my goodie bag, and turned in my timing chip so I wouldn't be tempted. And I cried. It was hard, but then again, I knew it was a decision that would allow me to continue to run after I recovered from the injury.
You gotta listen to what your body is telling you.
Cheer loudly and I'm glad you are making good choices for your permanent health. Damn those heels - I keep wearing them and keep wishing I wouldn't at the end of the day.
You go girl(or don't)! If your heart and mind are not in sync you won't run well (meaning without injury - not speed or anything like that) If you're not feelin it don't do it. You're young, there is plenty of time left to train for another. Don't waste your time and energy feeling bad about it - life is too short. Do some yoga, eat some yogurt and kiss your boyfriend.
Carrie
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