A week without running

My runs last week sucked. There is no other way to put it, really. They blew chunks. I was in pain; I felt slow; I was sure I was never going to be able to do that damn half ironman. So I took drastic measures -- I cancelled all running for a week. I swapped a bike for a Sunday run and added some extra swimming.

I wanted to see if, after a week of no running, would it at least not hurt me to walk. I hobbled through most of last week, desperately cluching the hand rail on stairs and trying not to wince as I walked down the street. I even dreamed that I had to do a half ironman in reverse order (half marathon first) and was trudging along ever so slowly while thinking "I am never going to be able to finish this!" Eventually the pain in walking went away. Today, I ran.

I ran free as a bird -- no heart rate monitor, no treadmill, no outdoor track. I ran down Riverside Drive after dark all by myself and I could not have been happier. It felt like a great weight had been lifted from my shoulders. I don't know what's going to happen next with my running, but for the first time in a LONG time I had a run that I actually enjoyed. Tonight I go to sleep with a big fat smile on my face. Maybe tonight I'll dream of finishing that f-ing half marathon!