Time & Patience & More Time

RUNNING...

Runners tend to be impatient when it comes to dealing with injuries.  I have been a runner for 20+ years and I have dealt with my fair share of injuries.  Stress fractures, heel spurs, tendinitis, blah, blah, blah.  There is no need to go into the details as it's really not all that interesting.  And likely, if you are a runner, you have dealt with your fair share of them, too.  There are a lucky few out there who can run until the cows come home and their bodies hold up (damn you!).  Then there are the unfortunate crew out there who just look at a body part and then wake up with a soreness there the next day (so sorry if you are in this camp).  I fall somewhere on the middle of this spectrum.  Could be worse.  But it still kind of sucks.  Just being honest.  On Friday my doctor called to tell me that my recent MRI showed that I have a tear in my plantar fascia, the thick connective tissue that supports the arch on the bottom of the foot.  For weeks I had been worried that I was dealing with a stress fracture, and I was hugely relieved to learn that this was not the case.  That said, the only difference, really, in terms of recovery is that the tear will likely take less time to heal than a break would.  When this injury surfaced to the level that I could no longer ignore it, which was about a month ago, I stupidly continued to run on it as I waited to hear the diagnoses.  I have been training with a coach since March and we have been working to hit a specific time in the 5K.  I have been busting my butt on the road and on the track and at this point I am so close I can almost taste it.  Which is why I have been so reluctant to put everything on hold.  Understandable, right?  This past Saturday I got my wake up call.  I raced and my foot hurt.  A lot.  I felt all together off.  My time was terrible.  And I knew that I could no longer push through it.  The gig was up.  I dropped a lot of these... (quietly, to myself)

And then I told myself that it was officially time to stop and deal.  I could no longer pretend that nothing was wrong.  My body was talking and I needed to listen.  And to be patient.  Time heals all wounds.  Time and stretching and icing and physical therapy and...well...and not running in this case.  I have overcome all my other past injuries and I'm still running, so this one shouldn't be any different.  I have time.  I will do my best to be patient.  Good things will come.  Maybe even better things.

...AND MUSIC

Listen to this:

Roll Forever - White Arrows