February is finally over, can I get a HELL YES?!….Man that month is just gross. Technically the big snow storm was in February but what a way to bring in March. Either way that snow storm put me in a funk of a mood. I know that there is nothing that you can do about the weather and its pointless to get in a snit about it, but I was just so frigging tired of snow and cold and wind. To get that dumping when things were starting to melt down literally crushed me.
February was also when I got my first running injury. Not during the snow storm, lets be serious, I wasn’t out in that, it was the Monday before the snow flew. It was the last Monday of the month, a warm-ish out on a running clinic night, there were a lot of puddles but nothing that wasn’t manageable. I ran through what I thought was just a puddle only to find uneven ground and trying to save face and not fall on my face I rolled over my left ankle. Goooood times. I should say that I have fractured both ankles (not at the same time) a couple of times each. Young dumb and recklessness to thank for those injuries. So since I have started running outside, I have been very aware of my footing and have tried to be careful even in the slickest, wettest conditions. I recovered some and the tears of pain turned to crazy nervous embarrassed laughter, (I am pretty sure that my chum who was running with me thought that I was a little imbalanced) while my ankle was killing me and the pain was up my foot. I managed a quick pace walk back. I wasn’t able to run back.
I iced it, massaged it, elevated it when I got home. It was tender the next day but I was able to put my weight on it and move around. I still iced it at night because I’m paranoid like that. And I thought that it wouldn’t hurt it since it was still a little tender. On Thursday I hit the gym up for a class and some treadmill time afterwards. My ankle felt fine but the pain and tightness was now up the back of my calf, and it was sharp. I finished off my cardio with a fast pace walk with a 4% incline.
I felt very down after that workout, discouraged and down right pissed off that I did something so silly that might set me back in my training.
Sunday the sun was out and it was looking like it was going to be one of the warmer runs I have at practice run in a while. I was excited to get out but I wasn’t sure how my leg would feel. The plan was a 5k, out and back along the canal, the first half of the run was garbage. I was taking longer walk breaks, jogging very slow and cramping up everywhere, not just in my left leg. I was getting pissed off at myself. A run like this, shouldn’t be THIS hard for me anymore. We had the option to turn around 3/4′s of the way home, and I had it in my mind that once I got to the half way point I was going to duck out early. Chalk this up to a garbage run and move on.
As I was about to reach the half way point I started relaxing a little more, telling myself that I would break there, for as long as I needed, stretch and jog the whole way back. I took a longer break, stretched out my legs, changed up my music to kick ass power songs and started back towards the Running Room. I listened to my music, turned off my interval counter and just moved. I got to the street that I could have cut out early on but continued past it. My left leg was a little sore but I wasn’t focusing on that. I was rejoicing in the fact that I made the choice to move past the cut out point. To keep going, even if it was slower that my normal turtle pace…and just keep jogging.
I jogged all the way back non stop. 2.5k. The longest consistent distance so far. I did this on a day when I have never been more sore, discouraged and just in a weird head space. I cried when I finished because I am a mush ball like that. To me, that run signified that I have courage and more strength than I usually give myself credit for. Mother nature isnt the only chick who can bring March in like a Lion 
(teehee, couldn’t resist!!)
YAY! Great job! I’ve definitely done the cry at the end of a challenging run, as well! Keep it up!