Reality Check

Okay, I didn't realize it's been two weeks since my last entry!  OOOPS!!!  But I seriously haven't been slacking.  I've actually been getting back into running again....at least I've been trying.  So, my first time back running was on Saturday, March 5, when my running club hosted a 15k race.  Not the best way for me to "ease" back into running and my plan was to not race and just run slow.  Well, so much for that idea.  I felt awesome to be back and well, missed seeing my friends so half way through the race I kicked it into gear and ran like a speed demon.  That all came to an end the last mile of the course when my legs started to cramp up and my ankles were like, "WTF girl...slow your rolll!  You've been on the bench for a month and decide to kick in gear for a 15k?! Uh, no."  Well, I slowed down my pace but basically just kept running to be done with the race.  Once I crossed the finish line my legs truly felt sore.  It was like I just ran a half-marathon....for the first time....without training. UGH!  Afterwards, my friends came up to me and were like, "MJ, what happened to you out there?  You took off!"  My response, "Ummm...I was trying to qualify for Boston, hahahaha!"

Me (in the black visor) just after crossing the finish line at the 15K.  UGH!

So, a few days after running the 15k, my legs were sore and my ankles were hurting again.  I decided to go to track practice that following Tuesday and actually felt great!  My legs were still tight from not running in a month and then forcing them to run at a faster pace than I'm use to at the race.  Either way, one thing I had to think about..."Am I going to be able to run the half-marathon I'm scheduled to run this weekend?"  I decided to give myself until that Friday to decide and run during the week.

My friends and I went running Thursday night (March 10) and I could only handle running 4 miles.  Reality told me there would be NO half-marathon race this Sunday.  BUMMER!!!  And then I had to give myself a reality check...you know,  I started to wonder if I would be able to run a marathon in a few months, or what this year would look like for me and my racing schedule.  I don't want to be injured anymore!  I want to trade in my ankles for a new pair....heck, they give people hip replacements, so why can't I ask my doctor for ankle replacements.  At least after that, I would be slightly bionic and could run "normal" again (sigh).  And then, I had to tell myself the truth.  The truth that I haven't been icing my ankles everyday, or doing the therapy my PT showed me for my ankles, let alone work on my ankles at least 3-5 times a day.  And "easing" into running again DOES NOT involve running a 15k all out your first time back.  Not the best moves, but time to learn from my mistakes and deal with reality.

So, I didn't run my scheduled half-marathon this past Sunday.  I went to track practice last night and have decided to run at a slower pace (almost 2 minutes slower) than what I'm use to.  Walk breaks are a must even if I feel good.  Time to check my running ego at the door and forego the pace I've been training at 'before my injury' because right now I need to focus on properly healing my ankles and that involves gradually getting back into running.  There, I said it.  "Hi, my name is MJ and I no longer run the way I use to.  I am a runner recovering from an injury and I need to run conservatively.  There will always be races, but I only have one body to live with for the rest of my life so I better listen to it and give it some TLC."  I won't lie though, a little piece of me thinks it sucks that I'm not where I planned to be in my training schedule, but not everything happens the way we plan.