Whiner Winner
Work has been hectic and I missed the Wednesday night run with The Group. I was very upset.
On the outside. Inside…evil grin.
This weekend will be our goal run. A 5k run for women. It is sponsored by Kaiser Permanente, which is appropriate since many of us most certainly will be in need of medical attention during and/or after the run.
I had truly hoped to be much further along by now in this step by step journey. I’m still slapping one foot in front of the other, but the distance between the two has become shorter and the strides have increased in number just to cover the same distance.
I began this process believing I would have more difficulty with stamina and breathing. Both of which I felt would become easier over time and repetition. What I’ve found instead is I’ve had more issues with pain and heart.
I thought, at first, my knees might be an issue, as they have been for most of my life. But my shins have since become the major concern. I’ve studied and studied and done much research on shin splints. I’ve stretched, warmed up, rolled on the Biofreeze, rubbed on the Biofreeze lotion, worn the compression brace, all of the things I think I’m supposed to do in order to get relief.
And yet they burn. Feeling like dry shards of gristly meat being ripped off the bone more and more with each step taken.
Every Monday and Wednesday I get to the place where The Group meets anywhere from 20 – 40 minutes earlier than everyone else just so I can walk the course a bit and do my stretches and rub stuff on before the rest of The Group is ready to take off.
It has become disheartening.
Regardless of the hurdles (HURDLES? maybe next season.) I’ve faced, I will still show up and I will still try to overcome the setbacks. Many people have had much worse pain and frightening adversity and have eventually excelled in whatever they’ve tried to accomplish. Why should I be any different?
Besides, having the minor goal of being able to simply jog, is helping me get my mindset – and my butt – off the couch and out into the weather. I believe that is what they call “progress.”