Time Heals All


I became too injured to continue training for the 2015 Chicago Marathon. I was able to defer my entry to 2016 which was such a relief.

Slowly, but surely, I'm almost back to the speeds I was at in 2013 - truly my best year.

That too, is such a relief, because, as you know, when you're injured it feels like the end of running.

But, I'm back at it!

My next race is a half marathon in mid-March. That will be the true test of where I'm at with my speed. 

Optimistic Me

Marathon training was off to a rocky start, DAY ONE. Everything I've read says training for a marathon with an injury falls under the category of what-not-to-do.

Focusing on form has been my focus (see the optimism coming out?). I've had a high hamstring issue for a long, long, long time until I started doing a few trail runs where form become a different kind of necessity.

A Sunday Miracle, I thought.

Working out muscles A to B was taking a toll. Trail runs work muscles A to Z. The Sunday Miracle was truly that I didn't get hurt, and my hamstring felt better. I was on the mend. (I'm thinking "Sunday Miracle" needs to be capitalized because it's a big deal, so I'm going with it).

Being a novice trail runner (held my own though - only fell once) I trashed my "street" running shoes in the mud. Feeling great = Let's buy new running shoes!

There are many, many runners that alternate shoes and are fine with it. Not me. The minute I change it up, there's an issue. Even if I buy a new pair of the SAME PAIR I've been running in. Damn those shoemakers.

You know where this is going. New shoes = new issues. Now, to the point I can't land on my right leg without terrible quad pain. I'm literally (really, figuratively) running with a flat tire.

Reading this, you can commend me for my calmness and composure, but honestly, last night's run was a train wreck that brought me to tears in the middle of the road. I'm a grown woman and I didn't care. I'm sure a neighbor from two neighborhoods over, saw me, but the bottom line is A GIRL'S GOTTA RUN! Every neighbor, worldwide, has got to understand that.

I had big plans for this blog and blogging about training for (not to mention RUNNING) the Chicago Marathon. It's halfway through training. My longest run was 14 miles last weekend, I couldn't bare the pain to run 2 more to make 16. I haven't been able to do much speed work simply because my leg can't move with ease and I don't want to make things worse.

So, I thought I would post a smiley picture — prior to buying those new shoes or whatever it was that threw me off — to remind myself I can get through this.

Going into training, I thought, ok this will be my last marathon. This year's Chicago Marathon may not be "the one", but I'm not giving up.




National Running Day


Happy National Running Day!

May the wind always be on your back and the sun upon your face.

Have a great run today.