Author: Sloan

Anger

/ Sloan / 4 Comments

I’m angry. I’m not an angry person at all. I’m fairly mellow, maybe too mellow type of person sometimes. But being unable to hit the trails or sidewalks—hell, I can’t even walk without cringing in pain… I’m becoming angry and crazy. I am living/suffering proof that running is therapy. It’s MY therapy. Running clears my head and balances my life a bit better than any other form of psychoanalysis I’ve ever put myself through. (Can I get an AMEN?)

Not being able to run sucks. Yupp, I said it—these past few weeks hobbling around in pain, unable to jump, run or detox my brain have been hard. Not only physically am I suffering, but mentally I’m losing it. A few years ago I was unable to run for nearly an entire summer, but I went to the gym daily, talked about running all day while working at Gazelle Sports, helped people get into the right shoes and prepare for their race. For some reason that sufficed, but I have since become more of a ‘runner’ and need that endorphin lift I get from moving my body.

Now I’m unable to run once again, I’m still going to the gym regularly; however, I’ve found myself to be stressed out, annoyed and downright angry. I’m angry at all those runners outside in the spring weather, while I’m slaving away on the elliptical. Yesterday a woman hopped on the treadmill and started running—I was sooooooooooo angry. I was angry at her not because she was running but because she was running INSIDE when it was 62 degrees and sunny out! Puh-leeeeeze!! How could she be on the treadmill?! Teasing and taunting me with her perfect pace, her upcoming half marathon, and then had the nerve to complain that it was too hot in the gym! Maybe the steam coming out of my ears was what was making the gym so hot, my tension release comes so easily to those non-injured.

 Anyone who has felt that ‘exercise high’ we all strive for will know how I feel and what I’m talking about. So I ask you to do me a favor on your next run, walk, and exercise routine: take a moment to breathe it in. Take a moment to appreciate what your body is doing for you, and in turn, what you are doing for your body. That feeling of clarity, sweat, and the ability to power your body forward and use your muscles is priceless. Enjoy it, savor it, and do it as often as you can.

I’m off to the MD tomorrow in hopes of figuring out how I can get back to running. In the mean time I’ll be the girl in the corner doing squats, lunges and waiting in line for the elliptical.

You Gotta Listen!

/ Sloan / Leave a comment

I feel like life is a series of us asking ourselves a long list of questions. Questions that we never really get definitive answers to. These questions, when you’re a kid, seem like the biggest issues that you’ll ever have to face. Like, who do you invite to your party? Or, chocolate or vanilla? Even questions like where to sit in math class—you don’t want to sit in the back and be associated with those kids, but you also don’t want to sit right up from and be a teacher’s pet, ewww.

As we grow up questions are a bit more important, ones like where to go to college, or do you drive after that last beer?… all of these decisions impact our lives in one way or another. Same as they did when we were younger, we had to ask ourselves these questions and ultimately the final decision came down to what we wanted, what your heart and head thought was right for you not anyone else.

 

So, where am I going with this!? What on earth could this possibly have to do with running? Per my last post, you must know that my bum hurts, bad. My (amazing) roommate (who is basically a Doctor) helped me figure out what is probably wrong, however—I haven’t been able to run for two solid weeks. My relationship with the elliptical is bordering on inappropriate. Not only am I sick of starring at the TV while I crank away on the machine—I’m mentally tired and missing my daily run, daily does of vitamin D and daily sightings on the road.

I’ve been asking myself a series of questions: does it realllly hurt that bad? (Yes.) Can I cross-train hard enough to finish this race that I planned on for April? (Probably.) Do I want to hinder my recovery just to do the race? (Hinder my ability to run? HELLZ NO!!!)

I want to recover as soon as possible. I want to enjoy this summer on my feet, in the trails and with my running group. I emailed my training buddy the other day telling him my qualms and booty pains, he confessed his running hasn’t been going well either. He’s older, a seasoned runner, an Ironman veteran, and knows that there are other races, other events to train for. He’s decided to listen to his body and pull the plug on the race.

In turn, I’m pulling the plug too. I’m being forced to listen to my body, (something I know I’m not good at, I tend to get stubborn and ignore key factors, my heart wins, my head is shut out and I don’t give my body the time of day to speak up)

I’m ready to train so that I can train for a race again. No more questions, just an answer. I have to admit that I can’t do this race and that’s okay. I’m going to sit in the middle of the classroom, I’m going to swirl chocolate and vanilla because they’re both so dang good, and I’m not driving after that last beer—I don’t want to risk it! One race isn’t worth my running “career”.

What a BUMmer

/ Sloan / 1 Comment

I haven’t been able to run for nearly a week. I am feverishly cross training in hopes of not losing the strength I’ve gained the past months of training. I’m stretching. I’m foam-rolling. I’m using my stick religiously. Wednesday evening I went to Nic Ebright, a sports massage therapist, so that he could massage my butt in hopes of getting the extra ooph I need  to get back on the pavement, (or trails) running. Nic told me to write about this… this… I can’t say it…

Writing about it does not admit this is an injury just yet. I’m still moving. I’m doing everything I can to make sure this feeling in my glute doesn’t get worse. I’m slowing down and listening to my body, and Nic.

Sorry if you’ve seen me and I’ve been cranky, I need a run.

Excuse me while I go stretch…it’s a bummer, but I gotta stretch before I hit the road for work!