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| Early morning path, captured on my cell phone |
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| where i stop to reflect, stretch and pray |
I should've kept better track of my return to running, but I think it's been about a month. Slow and very cautious has been my approach. I try to run every other morning to give my joints plenty of time to recover. I also walk the first and last 5 minutes of my trip and follow up with a good stretch and strengthening routine. I plan to post that when I have a little extra time.
As for the milestone, well I had this idea in our neighborhood that it would be nice to someday run through the back of our neighborhood which follows the river about a mile and then join onto the golf course that borders us, run the back nine as it loops back to the entrance of our neighborhood. I'm not exactly sure, but I'm guessing it's about 2.5 miles. With two sick little ones I didn't get much sleep last night, so when the 5:45 am alarm went off I hit snooze. But I drug myself out of bed a bit late, 6:15 and set out. I did not feel like running, honestly I didn't think I would be able to start. But I did. And then my lazy side began it's usual negotiations with my will power. They agreed to run 10 minutes and then walk. Ten minutes came and went and I was feeling stronger, so I turned on the golf course and rather than a small loop back I just kept going. Before I knew it I was rounding the corner to the entrance of our neighborood feeling enough energy to keep going, but for the sake of injury prevention I headed home to hug the dogs, high five the husband and celebrate with two little ones over a glass of fresh carrot juice.
To most runners 2.5 miles is nothing to brag about. But a year ago today I was still hobbling around on crutches, not knowing if I would ever walk normally without pain again. Honestly never dreaming I would be able to run at all. Slow and steady wins the race and I have nothing to prove, but everything to gain.
Happy Healing and lots of love,
Vanessa
