After nearly ten hours of sleep last night. I wondered what I'd get done today. And how my run would feel, more or less painful with my now knowing my running form had changed since my husband passed. Moly form weakened and got sloppier. I didn't think this would happen to me. I kept looking and the wear on the bottom of my running shoes. Yet, I accepted the unusual wearing occurring at the heels of the shoes which years ago was never prevalent. I noticed that once again the wear on my running shoes changed recently. I oscillated between three different types/pairs of running shoes over the past 10 days. My quads got sore, tired. Yet my legs felt different. I realized my old form from years prior was coming back. I had wondered why I couldn't get past a recent injury, no matter the hour I put in every day doing yoga, stretching and foam rolling before running. I knew the hours upon hours of writing every day would cause mental fatigue, thus it could effect my physical fatigue as well. Finally, after yesterday's very short run due to soreness and fatigue I was extra slow. Today, when I got up, I decided I would either run 2 miles and maybe wouldn't write at all. I had chores to do first thing, so that could warm me up for a short run; however, my writing beckoned me after chores. Standing in my kitchen I typed away for two hours, writing nearly 2,000 words. For me, it was a great piece for my book and was filled with multiple aspects of how people viewed the life around me and interactions with their questioning how I became who I have primarily concerning sport.
After writing, I followed my soul to my foam roller. I let my body lead. I decided I would do that today. It was as I'd thought, 'what else is there, anyway?'.
Before I knew it, I was in my car with my running gear on, listening to some Soul music from the 1950s and 1960s... to the likes of Sam and Dave... Then arriving at the park, I hoped I was motivated to less painfully get in more than 2 miles and no slower than 8:32 per mile.
I couldn't prove it was improving, but something told me if I just stayed the course of running every day no matter the mileage, monitor my stretching as to not overstretch I might feel better in another month. It'd already been just about 3 months or so.I had more extension on my right hamstring in the past week than I'd had in years. I just had to be patient, follow my intuition and I felt I could climb out of this funk.
The first 100 meters of running I felt awful. I felt slower than I had in years. My quads were horrible. I convinced myself to run away from the park, taking quiet tree-lined roads. There were no cars for about a mile of the first 2 miles of the run. I promised myself to not look at my watch as my quad pain relented. I was running at I had when I had been younger, energetic and healthy. I was running forefoot and toeing off as I had years and years ago. I didn't feel like I was going to fall on my face. I decided that today I wasn't going to drag my right leg. Or at least it felt like Finally, picking up my right leg was not going to be so laborious.
Then here I was two towns away from where I'd started. The nerve damage in my right leg made me go back to a better old running form I'd had in my prime. I kept one prayer going as I ran. Yeah, I say prayers for the safety of people I know and then for myself as I run. Yet, this time I felt less panicked.
Finally, after looking at my watch a few times I saw a high 6 minute mile pace, a few mid to high 7 minutes per mile pace and consistent 8 minute mile pace as well. My first peek at my watch was 26 minutes into the run. My breathing was good. I noticed the sun, but not the heat.
Soon, I was near another entrance to the park where I'd started. In entering there, I knew it was 2.6 miles back to my car on the other end of the park.I looked at my watch, it read 70 minutes and change I'd already ran for. Only a few hiccups of pain in all that time. Otherwise, it was a low-grade warning of pain that remained with me. I was grateful. I made my way through to the park, then onto the park pathway. I finished 11.2 miles in 90:20. About an 8:04 per mile pace. I hadn't seen that since mid-July. ---Jody-Lynn Reicher
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