The Ultimate Injury.
As a running coach, my typical evening includes answering several pain-related e-mails. I never take them lightly. I know that due to the commitment and goals driving the competitive runner, getting sidelined is devastating. Even for us has been runners, the daily clearing of the cobwebs during the days run is often all that holds our shaky world together. When we cant run, it is a big deal, Ive been there often enough to know. I thank God and revel in every healthy day. Without injury, would we appreciate health?
Ten years ago I was on top the game. I had a string of PRs going. My best 10 km, 10 mile and Marathon all came to me that fall. I was running in the 70 to 85 mile per week range with all systems maxed. Business life, family life and the running life filled a good 18 hours of each day. I was the master of time management; I was loving life and living full blast.
Soon after my marathon, what seemed like a bad chest cold soon turned into what I thought was pneumonia.
Running Adventure!
Last winter in the Dominican Republic I had an Indiana Jones type run. We woke on departure day to a tropical rain storm. It had been raining hard all night in fact. The group was supposed to meet at 7:00 for a last run then hit the airport. Earlier in the week we ran a very hilly donkey track of a road up into the foothills of the mountains. The track took us through 3 or so villages, people living on a thread of existence. No power, open sewers, no schools or much of anything. A few goats and scrawny chickens, lots of crying babies and impassable rutted roads. A 10 mile loop course with no turning back. Did I say HILLY?
Well, the group that planned to run with me on the loop decided to sleep in ... or were wimps about a bit of mud. My Chinese buddy Youngmen did finally show up and we decided to go ahead without the safety of a larger group, my usual insurance on such a run.