Back to Running

I have a confession to make.

I haven’t run a single mile since June.  Early June.

After Zooma, when I injured my knee, I needed to take a few steps back and really let it heal.  I worked on strength in my legs, core and whole body versus adding miles.  I worked on flexibility and stretching too.

Saturday I was supposed to be three weeks into my half-marathon training.  You know, the part where my long run is six miles?  Yeah, that one.

I was all confident and ready to go all week-long, “Yeah, six miles!  I remember when that felt like a nice, quick morning run.”   H told me I was insane for trying to do six miles on a knee, a whole body, that hadn’t run a mile in two months.  I was all, “Meh. I’m cool. It’s all good.”

I remember nothing.

Actually, what I remember is that all I could think the first mile was, “Ugh. Running. I hate running.”

Mile two wasn’t such a slog.  I had agreed with H that six might have been a bit too much.  After all, my injury was from trying to add too many miles on too quickly.  I told him I would do three as I ran out the door.  Then I set my mileage counter to two miles.  Heh.  Yet, when I hit two I was in a zone of no real thought, no schedules, bills, tasks or anything running through my brain.  I zoomed on through that area and right into a sprinkler system.  It was fine! I was fine! Just not mildly spritzed like I thought, more soaking wet.  Mile three came up and I thought, “Glad, I agreed not to do six! My knee wasn’t hurting so much as saying, “Hey laaady…”  I saw people out walking their dogs, walking for fun and as a form of exercise and strolling their babies.  I thought to myself, “WHY?! Why can’t I just walk? Why do I have to run?”

But, I wasn’t finished yet.  Three just wasn’t how I wanted to end the day.  By the time I ran home it was 3.5 miles and the timing, well, I didn’t even keep track.  It was somewhere around 35-40 minutes.  There were hills that required walking and an iPod that got stuck on one song.

At least I got out there again and began the training.  I didn’t hate it.  At times I remembered why I loved running so much just a few months ago and that will keep me going into training for this week.

 

 

*Want to run a half-marathon with me?  I’ll be running the Hershey Half-Marathon on October 21, 2012 at the Sweetest Place on Earth!