Just like you can go overboard with fitness and get hurt, you can go overboard with fitness updates in the social sphere. I really try to keep mine to a minimum. Hopefully I have managed to do that. Having said that I want to give you a quick update about what has been going on fitness wise with me.
If you have been watching my updates on Facebook, you will probably notice that I have been all over the map this summer, first with increasingly longer and faster runs and then, a sudden drop, back to it again, and then another drop off. I can answer the question of why the sudden drops with one word, “Injuries.”
As many of you know, I live up north, and my preferred form of exercise is running. This means that I can run outside for only a few months out of the year if I don’t want to brave the winter weather. The rest of the year I’m stuck using a treadmill. (I hate treadmills.) So when the nice months are here I try to make the most of them. This year, started off really well. I managed to get up to a decent pace and I was really starting to increase my mileage when I started getting shin splints. For a while I just ran through them. But then the pain just kept getting worse. It was time to take a break. Well one week turned into two. Then I when on a business trip. The pain was less, and what else am I going to do during the long hours between getting off work and bed time, well run of course. So I did. The pain was still there, but it was getting better.
By the end of the three weeks away I was back to a point where running was downright painful. I stopped again. I gave it another two weeks and worked hard on the exercises recommended to help with the pain. Then there was last week. I started running again. There was a little pain, but it has actually gotten less all week, so I am back at it as long as the weather and the injuries hold off.
I had really hoped to get to a half marathon distance this year. I mean so I could do it comfortably but I don’t think that will happen at this point. I think I could probably do it, meaning I could run that distance, (I ran 9 miles on Saturday) but I am pretty sure I would hurt afterwards, and the goal is to get to a point where I can do it without feeling like that afterwards.
My second son has also taken an interest in running. We (the 5 older kids and I along with a few folks from the homeschooling group) ran in a small 5K this year, and he placed 11th. He was pretty excited and so really wants to try to run more. Having run since high school myself, of course I want to encourage him. We will likely do another one before the season ends and see how it goes. Maybe next year we can do a few more. I am excited to have someone to run with. as much as running alone is a nice way to sort out my thoughts, having someone to run with occasionally is nice. Even with all the technology that can tell you how you are doing, it is not the same as measuring against someone else.
So that is the running news from me.
The Great Hites 