Sunday, June 7, 2015

Rest Days are Hard

Remember that 6-mile run I was so happy about last Wednesday? National Running Day, beautiful sunny morning, felt like I could go forever? 

In the "no good deed goes unpunished" vein, I screwed something up in my right knee and it's been hurting more than usual since. To the point of I'm limping every once in a while. 

So I've made the usual adjustments: flat shoes, upped the ibuprofen and fish oil, and substituted bike riding/weights for running. 

For four days. Four long days. My Fitbit is pissed. 

I know pain is your body's way of calling time-out and, most often, should not be ignored. 

I also know that have these periods every once in a while. It just means I have to change it up. Less running ... fewer miles per session or fewer sessions per week. Sometimes no running. And, when it's like this, even walking is too much. 

I can't help but think about all the things I did wrong in the beginning of this journey. I ran every day. I pushed through the little aches and pains. I increased distance (and intensity) more than the recommended/safe 10% per week. 

I was not informed. In fact, I was dumb. The result? I learned my lesson the hard way and I created some of the problems I have now. 

The best defense is information and patience. I keep reminding myself that this is a marathon, not a sprint. My goal is to stay healthy so I can continue to run for a very long time. 

So, here's a little information for you: 



And now I'm going to see if I can find some more patience for me. It's just so not my best skill. 


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