I often get asked what I do for fun other than running. This question still stops me in my tracks and it reinforces how important running is to my life.
Most, if not all, of my friends are runners. I would rather go for a run then do just about anything and though I'm getting better at finding balance, running still dominates my life. It ranks right up there with my kids and my work in terms of importance.
While many of my friends have suffered some injuries during their running, including some who have not been able to return to running, I'm fortunate that I've been able to run pretty consistently 5-6 times per week for the past 2 years. I've had some stiffness in my knees and the occasional bout of plantar fasciitis but nothing that has stopped me from lacing up my shoes and heading out on the pavement or trails. My right knee gets so stiff at times that I have to stretch it out every hour and when I go to the movies I have to pick an aisle seat so I can stretch out my leg. Driving for long stretches makes it difficult at times and I'm sure that my two boys are probably sick of me telling them to watch out for Daddy's feet and legs. I'm probably more conscious when walking upstairs and downstairs than most people. If I could, I'd probably take out an insurance policy on my legs (LOL). I do see them as a huge investment in my mind, body and soul so I'll do whatever I can to protect them.
During these last 2 years I'm sure that I went out for a run when I probably shouldn't have but not running sometimes is more painful than the discomfort I feel when I run. I can predict which part of my body will be sore first and how long the pain will last for. It always starts with my right knee (never my left) and then goes away after a KM. If my shoes are worn out, then the next place I'll feel it is on the bottom of my left foot. This also goes away after a few KM's. It's almost as if I tell myself, "here it goes again." I feel that one of my strengths comes from being mentally tough enough to overcome any discomfort and I can tell myself that eventually the pain will go away.
On my long run yesterday we were talking about how long it takes each of us to get into our "zone" where our minds just take over for us. For me, it takes me about 10K before I start to feel good during a run. I've noticed that now that I have begun to decrease my speed runs, the running seems to be less of a physical issue and more of a mental one.
When I first started running I read everything I could find about breathing and trying to increase my oxygen capacity. Eventually I just let things happen naturally and I no longer think about it. If my breathing becomes "laboured" then I know that I'm running too fast and I'll slow it down.
As I write this I'm taking a day off from running but it's not an easy thing for me to do. When I'm not running, then I'm thinking about running, reading about nutrition and running or putting new music on my mp3 player (200 songs and counting)
In the end, I guess I AM a Runner and I'm OK with of that!
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