Well, getting old just plain sucks! If that is a little too harsh for your taste, sorry-don’t read on. The truth of the matter is that in just a few weeks the Sun Trust Marathon will be happening and I had been hoping to run the half marathon portion of it right along with my hubby. A setback in late August (skin cancer removed from behind my right leg resulting in movement restricting stitches) made training impossible for a while and I saw my half marathon goal in November slipping away.
Bummed but not ready to quit, I sat begrudgingly on the sidelines as the doctor ordered. (Sort of) When I got the green light, I picked it up again and even did a couple of short races to keep me focused in the interim. The Run for Read 8K, however, brought to light a problem that I had been dealing with for a while but managing to “run through it”. The terrain changes in the 8K made it impossible to ignore and I will be going to the doctor on Wednesday for what I am almost certain will be a diagnosis of stress fracture(s) on both shins. The pain has stopped me in my tracks! If the diagnosis holds true and I am out of commission for 8 weeks or more, I am truly going to be deflated and may call it quits on this whole running thing altogether.
What your not saying is calling it quits in running means starting cycling and swimming. Those that know you understand your determination and energizer bunny like drive! It doesn’t suck getting old, you/we just need to adjust our focus to those things that make more sense and keep listening to what our body tells us. Chin-up! you have a b-day coming up…maybe it is time to hit the trail on a Mtn. Bike!
Listen to your hubby. My own hubby is “sitting it out” at the moment. Stress fractures (seem to happen with that ole pounding out the mileage thing), bruised bones, and two bone chips that came out of the stress fracture. Now he’s getting operated on Nov. 21st. But again, like hubby says, you CAN bike, you CAN swim, and J’s doc tells him that all of the above keep you in good enough shape that when the bones heal, your cardiovascular fitness will be enough to pick up running again at a kinder, gentler, pace. Who knows, the swimming and biking may get you motivated to do a tri.
Sorry you’re having trouble…please FOLLOW the doctor’s orders (all the way). And like your hubby says, listen to your body and adjust to doing what you CAN instead of focusing on what you can’t. Personally, I don’t think getting older sucks at all—I’m enjoying life more in my late 40’s than I did as a “youngster!”
Kim, I can’t imagine you “quitting” anything! I can see you putting it on hold and resuming rigorous training at a later date
Sorry to hear of your injury. Have you considered racewalking? I am planning on participating in the Half-marathon this weekend, walking it for the most part. I did that for the R&R Half in Virginia Beach — it was fun! Then again I never was a runner, so it might not be fun for someone used to a faster pace. If you change your mind, I could always use the motivation of a “walking buddy”…
Race walking,huh? Well, I am not going to rule it out. The bottom line is that I need to be competitive-even if I have to race my RASCAL!
Oh man, that stinks! I am so sorry.
But a happier note, my running partner recently told me about inline skating marathons. Who knew there were such things?!