I'M A RUNNER

Well the good news is that I’m able to run. The bad news is that I can’t just roll out of bed and go for a run. Last night’s run required a lot of warming up, stretching and massaging – before, during and after – to make it happen. After taking the dog for a walk I stretched and massaged my legs. Later in the evening I walked at a 3% incline on the treadmill for 10 minutes - gradually picking up the speed. Then I jogged for 15 minutes. My knee either loosened up or just went numb – I’m not sure. My calf was a little tight. So after the 15 minutes I stretched and massaged my quad and calf. Then I jumped back on the treadmill for another 5 miles and felt pretty good. I could have kept going, but thought better of it. Afterwards I stretched and then iced.

I think we can pretty much rule out a stress fracture. I guess I just need to keep treating it aggressively. I need to try and run through it rather than just sitting on my butt and expecting it to go away on its own.

I'll be interested to see how I bounce back tonight. I'm a little sore this morning, but that could be just from stretching and massaging more than I’m used to. Typically I feel better in the evenings than in the mornings. Now if I can just get Grandma’s race director to switch the race to a 5 PM start, I’ll be okay. Seriously, Tuesday I thought there'd be no way I'd run Grandma's. Now I'm thinking it's a possibility. I’d definitely have to adjust my goal. Maybe I could take a crack at sub-3, along with Eric, Jim and Scott. That’d be a nice little group to run with. We’ll see.

Quote of the day:
“Running is the classical road to self-consciousness, self-awareness and self-reliance. Independence is the outstanding characteristic of the runner. He learns the harsh reality of his physical and mental limitations when he runs. He learns that personal commitment, sacrifice and determination are his only means to betterment. Runners only get promoted through self-conquest.” – Noel Carroll