Injury, Rest, Back at it

This is the kind of stuff I google!!!

Injury sucks, plain and simple, whether it's a serious one, or a small one.  The thing we runners say is that this is a mental sport.  Your mind keeps you from doing so much more than you can actually do, unless of course, you actually injure yourself.   Injuries are murder on your mental state, because they tell you that you are weak, that you can't do this, that you failed because you got hurt, that if you try again you will get hurt again, that if you were hurt after that run how can you do a longer run...  The list goes on and on.  More than the physical pain injuries really work over your mind sometimes, but you've just got to persevere.  Know that injuries WILL happen, to everyone!  Also know that you WILL recover, you WILL come back, you WILL accomplish what your mind tells you that you can't!

I'm not sure what I did in NOLA, but my knee decided that it didn't like that run afterwards (thank goodness is wasn't during!).  On Monday it kinda buckled under me when I got out of bed, but loosened up and felt ok later.  Then we drove home hours and hours, so I attributed soreness/stiffness to being in the car and didn't worry.  But when I tried to run on it on Tuesday, that was a NO GO!  So, I rested (bahahahahaha), which meant obsessing over what was wrong and trying each day to run on it (without success) for four days.  I don't do injury well, it makes me mad, I pout and then I cry.  When you are doing well and your running is "clicking" the last thing you want to do is be injured.  But I decided to skip my long run the following weekend and rest for real without trying to run on it at all.  The next Tuesday I had planned to try again, but really life got in the way and I knew our new treadmill was arriving the next day so I decided to rest one more day.

When the treadmill arrived I was literally like a kid at Christmas and got on it as soon as possible (i.e. during Sugar's morning nap).  Luckily I ran mostly pain free, but not luckily I took that as a "move full steam ahead" sign, which it was not!  Went and did weights that afternoon, did not take that easy, and was limping around the rest of the night. **Cue panic stricken tears**  The next day I got up and stretched well and took Sugar for a walk in the stroller because it was gorgeous outside, we walked for about an hour, though I tried to run at first (the humidity was not working with my asthma).  When we got home rather than jumping in the shower immediately after I put her down for a nap, I hopped on my handy dandy new machine and took her for a spin--it was GLORIOUS!!!!  I did some speed work and enjoyed the treadmill immensely, probably because I could breathe!!!  

So, this weekend I did my LONGEST run ever!!!  Eighteen miles, and they were brutal if I'm being honest.  The first 12 were pretty good and I kept a pace that I was happy with, but after that I kinda lost my steam and it got misty, which meant the humidity was about 100% and my clothes were literally dripping off of my body, so the last 6 miles were less than fun.  BUT, I did it, I didn't quit, even when I was super close to the house and could have easily cut it short.  I finished, persevered to the end, and then I walked in a St. Patrick's Day parade for about 2 miles (I didn't think that whole plan through).

I think this post is a ramble, but here are the points, (1.) Injury can do more mental damage than physical, so don't let it psych you out!  (2.) Sometimes, your body needs a rest and when your body is screaming "TAKE IT EASY YOU LUNATIC!" you should probably listen before you cause long term damage. (3.) Then kick your tail in gear and get back at it and you'll be surprised what you can do--maybe even 18 miles :)