Today marks the 5 year anniversary of the inaugural Myrtle Beach Mini-Marathon. This also happens to be the 5th anniversary of me running my first half-marathon at this event. It holds a special place in my heart. In spite of that, this year I decided not to run this race because I wanted to focus all my energy on the Myrtle Beach half-marathon in March 2016, and breaking 2:00. Because summer truly about kills me every single year, I decided I would just get through it the best I could, and not torture myself more than necessary, just to feed my ego and run longer distances on Saturdays. This race would not move me any closer to my goal of breaking two hours. If I ran it, it would simply be for the experience of running another half.
As it turns out, this decision saved me about $75. Why? Because in spite of doing all the right training things, my knee is injured. Again. This is quite infuriating. It’s infuriating because when you only run 3 days a week and keep your mileage to under 20 miles per week, when you are careful to buy new running shoes every 300-500 miles, when you build yoga into your weekly workout routine to make you more flexible and balanced, when you do some seriously hard core work to strengthen all the body parts that support you when you run, when you eat a diet full of nutrient-dense food, when you supplement this diet with anti-inflammatory vitamins and minerals like magnesium, turmeric, and glucosamine, YOU STILL CAN GET INJURED! UGH!
As it turns out, this decision saved me about $75. Why? Because in spite of doing all the right training things, my knee is injured. Again. This is quite infuriating. It’s infuriating because when you only run 3 days a week and keep your mileage to under 20 miles per week, when you are careful to buy new running shoes every 300-500 miles, when you build yoga into your weekly workout routine to make you more flexible and balanced, when you do some seriously hard core work to strengthen all the body parts that support you when you run, when you eat a diet full of nutrient-dense food, when you supplement this diet with anti-inflammatory vitamins and minerals like magnesium, turmeric, and glucosamine, YOU STILL CAN GET INJURED! UGH!
I understand that there’s no use crying about it. It’s just an injured knee.. It will get better, and then I will be back at it, right? There are WAY more serious issues going on the world, like mass flooding in my own town, droughts in California, mudslides, hunger, war, poverty….I know. Really, it’s like crying over spilled milk and it’s silly.
The reason it feels like complete agony having to sit on the sidelines comes back to why I run:
The reason it feels like complete agony having to sit on the sidelines comes back to why I run:
I never, ever, ever in a million years would have imagined that I would like, let alone love, running. I am not one of those naturally gifted people who just wakes up one day, goes for a run, conquers her first mile in 8 minutes, and thinks “Ah! This is so easy. I think I’ll just keep going!” No. I started because a friend basically bribed me into training for a 4 mile race. The most athletic thing I’d done before this was march in parades and for football games in marching band. I’m not kidding. I didn’t play soccer or softball or volleyball, and certainly didn’t run track in high school or college. I was a band geek. And the very first attempt at a run together, I barely made it a quarter mile before I thought I was going to die. But I had agreed to train for this race, and I was not a quitter. Eventually, we made it around the whole block before I needed to stop to walk, and then a block became a mile, and mile became two. I finished that 4 mile race with one walk break in 52 minutes.
I kept going with the running because I loved the calorie burn I was getting, and the extra weight I was carrying was melting off. It wasn’t until I broke being able to run 5 miles that I could honestly say I enjoyed running. Even then, it was more how I felt AFTER running that I was hooked on. Then that same friend convinced me to train for this mini-marathon. I thought she was nuts. I can barely run 5 miles, how could I possibly run 13.1?? I found a training plan that I liked, worked my way up to 7 miles and registered for this race. And I trained my ass off…during the summer…and I cursed at the weather. I questioned my sanity and why I was doing this to myself. But I stuck with the training plan and joined our local running club. Because if I could run 13.1 miles…I COULD DO ANYTHING.
I kept going with the running because I loved the calorie burn I was getting, and the extra weight I was carrying was melting off. It wasn’t until I broke being able to run 5 miles that I could honestly say I enjoyed running. Even then, it was more how I felt AFTER running that I was hooked on. Then that same friend convinced me to train for this mini-marathon. I thought she was nuts. I can barely run 5 miles, how could I possibly run 13.1?? I found a training plan that I liked, worked my way up to 7 miles and registered for this race. And I trained my ass off…during the summer…and I cursed at the weather. I questioned my sanity and why I was doing this to myself. But I stuck with the training plan and joined our local running club. Because if I could run 13.1 miles…I COULD DO ANYTHING.
While I enjoy seeing my progress in yoga, like being able to put my toes on the floor while my legs are bent straight back over my head, or being able to hold a side plank with one leg in the air, or seeing the number of push-ups I can do increase monthly, or the heaviness of the weights I can shoulder press go up over time, nothing compares to that feeling when I conquer I run. When I finish a run, I have conquered all the self-talk that says I can’t do it. I conquer my body telling me to give up. And I have that feeling, again, that I can do anything I put my mind to. There’s just nothing else like it. Since I am not that natural-born runner, when I finally do get over these injuries, I have to start from ground zero again - hence my frustration!
I just went for acupuncture treatment yesterday. If you’ve never tried it, I highly recommend it. Last time my knee was injured I rested for 4 months with no pain resolution. I finally went for acupuncture and was ready to go again in less than 2 weeks. It’s pretty amazing. While I go through treatment, I will stay focused on what I CAN do right now to keep my strength and sanity. I can still go for walks in the evening (which have become a whole different kind of therapy for me). I can still do squats to strengthen my glutes and quads. And I can still do upper body work. I can continue building my mediation practice.
And I will try not to cry over spilled milk.
I just went for acupuncture treatment yesterday. If you’ve never tried it, I highly recommend it. Last time my knee was injured I rested for 4 months with no pain resolution. I finally went for acupuncture and was ready to go again in less than 2 weeks. It’s pretty amazing. While I go through treatment, I will stay focused on what I CAN do right now to keep my strength and sanity. I can still go for walks in the evening (which have become a whole different kind of therapy for me). I can still do squats to strengthen my glutes and quads. And I can still do upper body work. I can continue building my mediation practice.
And I will try not to cry over spilled milk.