Hope Inspires Strength

It has been nearly 4 weeks since my last long run! I miss running! More importantly I feel lost and without a purpose. I have little engery these days and my motivataion is low. I feed off my friends and collegues who are running and training for races this spring! And to my best ability, try to remain hopeful that I will join them on the roads soon. Half of me believes that I still have time to train for Bayshore. The other half of me (perhaps the more realistic half) realizes that each passing week, only means the remaining training is going to be that much tougher, if not nearly impossible. But...I'm not ready to give up! Honestly, my goal when I started training for Bayshore was to finsih the race. I think this is ALWAYS a respectable goal! Of course, deep inside you long to finsih within a certain time....that desire is quickly passing. ALL I WANT IS TO RUN THE RACE!!!!!

Some days are better then others. Some days, I don't notice any nagging pain or burning in my knee. Other days, the only way I can walk is with the help of Motrin or Aleve. Today, with the helpful nagging and encouragement of my wonderful husband, I made it out the door and into the gym. I logged yet another hour on the elliptical, burning yet another 1100 calories! Though this is the only number that makes me happy or gives me any sense of accomplishment, I do hope that the time I put into cross training will make me that much more stronger for the days ahead when I begin running again! I worry about my cardiovascular health and strength and of course my legs, too. I don't have time to ease back into training. Nor do I have time in my training schedule to have another set back! I have to hit the road full strength and even advance my schedule a bit, to ensure I'm getting in the miles I need!

If there is a positive in this set back, it is the recognition that cross training should not be taken lightly. Cross training, stretching, good nutrition and hydration is vital to a successful training regimen! The flexibility I once enjoyed in my youth is not the flexibility I now enjoy. Perhaps if someone told me that years ago, I would have listened (or not)! I look forward to testing my knee in the coming days. Maybe we will meet on the road in passing! This is a hope I hold onto tightly!

Until our next run......!