Slowly learning

I’m stubborn. About a lot of things in life and training brings out the worst of that in me. I like seeing boxes turn green in TrainingPeaks. I hate red boxes! I even hate yellow boxes. One time when I was sick I even played around to see what was the minimum time I could run and still get a green box (insert sound of Katie’s head hitting her desk). I love watching the blue fitness line go up (even if it’s BS which it could be) and hate it when it goes down because I’m not training due to injury or illness. I feel like if it’s within my ability to do the workout, I should do it. No excuses. That has gotten me into trouble too many times though. And I don’t just mean the yelling emails from Katie for running while sick. I know she is right. Time and time again she is right. And yet my stubborn ass decides to still do the thing I know I shouldn’t be doing.

Ever since that “great” run I had two weeks ago, my foot has been bothering me. I’ve also had various lower leg pains, some which I had before the run, others developed sometime over the last week or so. I’ve been keeping such a close eye on every nagging little pain to decide if it’s just one of those things I can work out or if it’s something on the brink of injury. This led me to take a hard look at all the injuries I’ve had in the past. They all revolve around one thing… a half marathon. One injury popped up during a race, another was there before a race and made must worse after, and now this before another half marathon.

It took a lot for me to eat my ego and tell Katie I was concerned. Normally I wait until it’s bad enough that I’m forced to miss training. I knew my schedule would be cut back and that always kills me. Same thing as when I’m sick. Sure enough runs got cut all together and sexy hard runs went to easy runs. I knew it would happen. Although it sucks to see my training going down when my fitness level can handle it, I knew it would be for the best.

I THINK that’s a sign that I’m finally maturing as an “athlete”. To recognize when something needs to be addressed even if it means lowering intensity or volume. The message is finally sticking that if I run harder than I should or run when something is hurting too high on the pain scale, that I will pay for it much more than if I just addressed it in the moment. In the end there’s less down time (ie less fitness loss) to slow it down or sit on my butt for a few days instead of screwing with my training for weeks due to full blown injury (or illness). I am learning. Just slowly. The real test will be next time I’m sick. Injury typically only impacts one disciple which means you can shift training. Sick means zero training. In the end though it’s worth it to make it to the start line healthy and to avoid more doctors’ visits or more of this type of fun…

Although I could use some of this right now I think. I’m afraid it’s too late and I’ve pushed to being officially injured in regards to my lower legs. It hurts to even walk. Starting to think its shin splints. Sigh… I hate being injured.