A Comedy of Ailments
I’ve had quite a few people ask recently how running has been going. They’ve also mentioned that I’ve been delinquent in updating my blog. So, to answer the running question and also provide some insight into why I haven’t written in a while, here’s a visual depiction of how things have been going:
Many of you who know me well are familiar with my general lack of skills and propensity to get injured. Amazingly enough, about the only thing I haven’t managed to hurt yet are my knees - both of which have had extensive surgical repair (including torn ACLs and cartilage). In spite of all this, I’ve still managed to log over 250 miles since mid October. Some of those miles were accomplished on the Cybex Arc Trainer, which is about the best running “replacement” workout you can get. However, the vast majority have come on pavement. There’s been some wincing, and a lot of discomfort, but for the most part I’ve been getting through. Nobody said that this was going to be easy.
I wanted to stay positive and optimistic in my blog, so it has been tough to write; I don’t want anyone to think I’m having second thoughts or being a whiner. And that’s all I have to say about that.
Now, on to the fun stuff. Last Thursday night for our weekly Crossroads Pub run, we ran “The Hills”. For this run, we took the Green (D) Line to Woodland Station, which just so happens to be around the 16 mile mark of the Boston Marathon route. Then we ran the marathon route, through the Newton Hills, all the way to the Crossroads. Basically, we ran the last 9 miles of the Boston Marathon. Pretty cool. Heartbreak hill isn’t so bad when you’ve only run 2 miles before you get to it!
Provided that my current ailments (foot & hip) aren’t too bad, I’ll be running between 11-12 miles this Saturday for my long run of the week. I feel very confident that I can manage the distance and keep a good pace, as my conditioning is really good right now. Just need the old body to hold up…
