When I first started running there were two very specific things I kept hearing that I was sure were either myths or legends. The first was that after a while you will experience a "runner's high" that will have you craving more. The second was that taper runs/weeks were so hard to get through because you have excess energy that you want to burn so you crave the run. "Hogwash" I thought to myself as I struggled to complete my 5 minutes of running and looking forward to my 1 minute walk break. "Who loves running that much" I wondered,and I'm pretty sure I used my outside voice as I did so.
Then I finished my 5km clinic, racked up a few races and started running longer distances. I am pretty darn sure that I have NEVER experienced a "runners high". I have never had a sense of euphoria after finishing a long run or race. I have cried, almost collapsed, hugged my husband a little too tightly and analized every minute of every race. I have soaked my feet and my legs in epsom salts and hoped for a speedy recovery. But I have never felt like I could or should just go run it all again. I have never felt like I was on some kind of emotional high. Maybe that only happens when you run a marathon? Or maybe it really is just a myth to keep people like me running, searching for more?
What I have had happen is I have totally caught the bug of fitness. I want so much to look like the athlete that I am. This is due to a few years of inactivity followed by a few years of illness that made me unable to do even the simple things. When I started to work out again I did so by setting some fairly lofty goals. Do a triathlon, check. Do another triathlon, check. Learn to be a better runner, check. Hire a swim coach, check. Become a better cyclist, check. Take some spin classes, check. Run a 1/2 marathon, check.
I look at this list and I am so pleased with myself and what I have managed to accomplish. Yet I know that I have more. I want to run the ATB and I want to beat it. I want to walk away from that race with my head held high and a smile on my face. I want to complete an Olympic Triathlon this year, a half ironman triathlon next year, and a full ironman distance triathlon in 2014. I know that I am not getting younger so it is ever more important to stay healthy and strong while training for these goals. To that end, I looked for a better gym that would lift me up and help to make me stronger and more competitive.
I joined Hi End Fitness and I believed that they were going to help me. I started my journey with them just before Christmas and all the while continued swimming, continued spinning and indoor cycling, doing hot yoga, running and training with the Running Room Hamilton, and seeing my massage therapist and chiropractor. I wanted to do all that I could to make sure that I was/am doing my part to keep my body in shape and ready for the demands that I am putting on it.
Then it happend. I tweeked a little muscle in my thigh near my groin. I tried to ignore it and hope that it would just go away as it didn't hurt when I was exercising or running. But it was bothersome and I was beginning to become more and more aware of it. I had to admit that I was worried and that I needed to give myself permission to take a break. Funny thing was, I did have all this pent up energy and I did feel like I was going a bit stir crazy. And the only thing I stopped was running for (2), count them (2) scheduled short runs. Could it be? Could the myth about not wanting to take time off be true? Had I crossed over into the realm of folk lore or had I experienced one of the things I was warned about right from the very beginning?
I saw the chiropractor today. He assures me that this is something that we can get right back on track and that I can do my scheduled workouts, including my runs this week. I don't mind telling you that I took a big sigh of relief when I heard this. Now I can put my fear and anxiety on the back burner where they belong and get back to chasing my goals. Maybe I will experience a runner's high and I will know that all the stories they told me were true. Maybe I will just keep chasing it and accomplish some more pretty amazing things along the way. Who knows? And actually, who really cares?
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