If there was ever a week where I needed to get some miles in, it was this one. This week had been a rough one. From Ken's eye surgery to the death of The Boy's new puppy, from the hectic pace of getting ready for the start of a new school year to the complex feelings I've been sifting through - this week was an A-Z tour of emotion: from Angst-filled to Zapped.
My runs are a form of therapy for me. Getting out on the trail allows me time to sort through what's going on in my head. Working out those feelings of frustration is such a wonderful thing. I'm fortunate to have found an activity that is both good for me physically and mentally. I've come to crave the time and the exertion.
I was prepared - I'd downloaded the audio version of The Great Gatsby a few weeks ago, and was ready to immerse myself in Nick Carraway's world. The weather was perfect - cool and a bit overcast with no threat of rain. I was feeling good and so ready to work it out.
I got about 2.5 miles into the 10 mile course when I was seized with an overwhelming pain on the outer side of my right knee. Every time I lifted my foot to take a step, it hurt.
I was at first worried I'd done some kind of permanent damage. (That's the curse of the novice runner - every tiny twinge of anything amiss is cause for worry.) I had been reading an article about common running injuries, and this seemed to be consistent with an irritated IT band. But at that moment in time, I wasn't concerned with the cause or the treatment. As I walked the 2.5 miles back to my car, all I could think about about was missing my run.
I was bereft.
The tears started as I pulled away from the trail head. They didn't stop until almost 45 minutes later. (Read the bio - I can be prone to mild histrionics occasionally. That's what would-be Drama Queens do!) How was I going to survive without my outlet? How could I process all that had happened this week without my run? I needed the miles to sort through everything that was knocking around in my head!
After a while, I pulled myself together. (Turns out, bawling your eyes out is another effective way to deal with excess emotion.) I got online and started to do some research. A short email to the expert at www.digitalrunning.com - a great resource that all you running types should be checking out - and my suspicions were confirmed. IT band inflammation.
So it's rest for this girl. One week of total rest, one week of stretching and strengthening, and then back to collecting the miles. It feels good to have a plan to get back on track, but I don't know what I'm going to do with myself in the meantime. I didn't fully realize how important this is to - now that I can't have it, I fear I'm going to go into withdrawal.
However, I am intent on making this merely a temporary setback. Too many times in the past, a snag like this would completely derail me. Not this time. It may be a pain - but it's not going to stop me.
I've got way too much angst, and I need my therapy!
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