unlikelyrunner

See the Race Report category for The Race that Wasn't

You totally could have run the marathon, but the deferral was the smarter move. And not taking up smoking -- another smart choice!

"running again" sounds like a prize worth the agony

I mentioned that my DH challenged me to a one-mile race at the high school track this past Saturday. I was not excited. The track and athletic fields are locked up, and although it is a simple matter to go around the 20 foot chain link fence, it feels a lot like trespassing. And that is to go run on a track, which takes all the joy out of running (at least for me), not much better than a treadmill. Then there is the whole flashback to high school gym classes, where I was anything but athletic. And for what? To run a mile? One mile? Let's be clear, the first mile of almost any run sucks. And what is the point of getting all sweaty if you are only running a single mile? I have never, ever been a sprinter. Mile repeats are the worst. And then there is the whole racing thing, from which I have taken a break. I have not done any speedwork in at least a year, in hopes of avoiding injury (there has been a constant parade of injuries the past two years) and finding more joy in running. And racing the DH? Even if I win, I lose. So Saturday morning came and I tried to be a good sport, but if sulking were an Olympic event, I would have won a medal, for sure. I understood what the DH wanted. He felt the track would be kinder to his crushed meniscus. The most he could hope to run was a single mile. And somehow, he thought it would be fun (FUN????) to race me. So Saturday morning, I put on my best racing gear, and we drove to the high school. We walked around the chain link fence, across the athletic fields, and as we approached the track, we saw that it was set up for a track meet, with hurdles and registration, and adorable high school runners warming up. We drove home, not sweaty. DH was disappointed. It was probably wrong how great I felt. I won!

Fierce? Why, yes, you most certainly are fierce.

Compulsive! Good luck with your comeback!

No meds. Something may have been damaged by the breathing tube. I was sure it was allergies, but all those tests came back negative. Maybe I'm just getting old.

I miss the hummingbirds.

Devious! I like it!

Go for it!

I wish I had an answer for you. Injuries suck. Long-term injuries suck the worst. The weight gain just adds insult to injury. Good luck finding your way back.

Well that explains things. Thanks!

How did I miss that?

I thought it was just me . . . not training, no races, not caring. I feel better now.

Yesterday, my husband Bruce challenged me to a 1-mile race this coming weekend. Bruce has a completely crushed meniscus in one knee that prevents him from running, but he might be able to last for a mile. Me? I've been slacking big time. Since nasal surgery back at the end of March, I have had a chronic cough that makes it hard to breathe when I run, and if I try to run more than 3 miles, some nagging injury crops up. So I've been doing threesies for the past few months, maybe 2 or 3 times a week. I was starting to think I would never race again, and I'm okay with that. I'm 63 years old, after all. You might think I would have an easy time racing a non-runner, but Bruce is no ordinary man (and I would say that even if he weren't my husband, I swear I would!). Bruce is 6'2" tall, and most of his height is in his legs, which are superhero long. And he works out on a NordicTrak every single morning for 50 minutes, so the muscles in his legs are like he's a professional tennis player or something. I don't know if he has issued this challenge to renew my enthusiasm for running, or if he just thinks it might be fun. We play board games and cards, and he hates losing, so I think he plans to win. And he probably will, because I have never been a sprinter. And I have already won at things I did not even realize were a competition until it was too late to lose, so I think I really should just let him win. Not sure I can actually do that. I'm pretty competitive too. But my easy threesie pace has been around 11:00 mm, which is pathetically slow. It might not be slow for a newbie, but it is embarrassingly slow for me. And yet, I'm okay with that, because . . . whatever, at least I'm running a little. I think even if I lose, I win. Stay tuned . . .