40 minutes of awesome pain!

Today was yet another milestone in my effort to recover from some lingering patellar tendonitis.  Until this week I had been splitting my run into two runs, one on the anti gravity treadmill and one on the ground, each lasting only about a half hour.  After meeting with my trainer today and discussing how another week of running had passed with the pain still absent we decided to up the stakes!   So today started two weeks of running for 40 minutes, all outside.  The only pain I was feeling  was the pain of being out of shape, and the boiling temperatures which have been hovering right around 100 degrees, and that is before you throw in the humidity!  But barring a heat stroke or side cramp everything has been exceedingly great.  It always feels nice to be reminded just how easy it is to let things slip.  It keeps us grounded, and forces us to challenge ourselves everyday.  On that note, I pose a challenge to anyone reading this:  Ask yourself, what do you desire more than anything?  Once you have an answer, make a positive change, take a step in the right direction, go get whatever it may be that you are desiring.   

Flotrack

As some of you may know Flotrack is one of the only websites that offers great interviews along with race videos of track and field these days.  This friday they will be featuring a q&a done with myself earlier today.  It lasted about 45 minutes and covered nearly all running related topics past and present.  Make sure you check it out!  I will post something about this again just to remind everybody.

100% gravity has never felt so good!

If you know me then you probably know that when it comes to listening to people I am a little slow to react, especially when it comes to running.  Recently I have been running on the Alter G treadmill ( a gravity defying treadmill) but that all changed yesterday.  Initially I was given the green light to hit the ground running next tuesday but slowly I have been showing a lot of progress with my knee rehab and strengthening.  So yesterday I ran on the alter g for 45 minutes and then ran for 15 minutes on the infield at John McDonnell field.  Today I ran for 30 minutes on the alter g then another 30 minutes outside.  The end result....pain free running!!!  The feeling of running outside is one that I will probably take for granted most of my life but not today.  It was great to feel like a real athlete again proving to my body that it can run and be pain free at the same time.  My biggest test will be leaving for home in just a few short weeks and then Australia, with no trainers for nearly 20 days.  With the way things are going these past few days I have no doubt that the only thing bothering me will be the chilly winter temperatures of Melbourne.  

No news is good news.

These past few days I have been feeling the aches and pains of running as I slowly creep back into the routine of a distance runner.  One thing I am proud to announce is of the many aches and pains I have been feeling lately my knee has not been one of them.  Slow and steady surely won't win any NCAA titles but luckily the only race I am running right now is the race to injury free running.  I have been plugging away the last few days, logging anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour of running.  This surely has been one of the hardest summers for me as I have gone without family, friends, Rachel, and until these last couple days running.  Luckily for me it appears that my prayers are being answered as I not only have three weddings to attend in four weeks, but I will also be home for 3 days, and after those three days I will be in Australia with Rachel for another 10!! So it looks like everything I have been lacking all summer is slowly starting to come back, including running.  Once again my first run outside at 100% gravity will be this Friday! I will most certainly keep everyone updated on this most special day.

baby steps

I have been blessed to be on a strict regimen of Alter G 3 times per week and aqua jogging twice a week for the last 2 weeks, lets just say that at the very least this can get extremely boring and leave me feeling like less of a runner and more like a fish.  Well this all changed today.  My trainer and I agreed that running on the Alter G everyday this week would be the best idea for right now, he even sweetened the pot by offering a 20 minute jog on actual ground this Friday!!!  I ran at 70% body weight on the Alter G for 45 minutes, in that time I covered just over 7 miles.  Today was a baby step for now but a huge move in the right direction for the long haul.  

Inch by inch.

It seems that everyday as I enter the pool I dread the ensuing pain a little bit less, and everyday as I exit the pool I realize I have swam a little bit further.  As the days get easier and the pool gets more inviting, I realize that day by day and inch by inch I am getting healthier and more focused on the year to come.  I have many things with which to focus on, a senior campaign for the mighty Razorbacks, a degree, a job, but the one thing that I set my compass to each and everyday is what I did the day before, and what I can do tomorrow.   One thought enters my mind as a crawl into bed after a long day, what did I accomplish today?  Just as the night before, each morning that I summon the strength to crawl out of bed one thought enters my mind, what can I do better today?  Thoughts come and thoughts go, just as quickly motivation can come and go.  What will you set your compass to today?  Who will you chase, follow, idolize, mimic? Today I strive to be better, but not better compared to another person, just a better me.  Challenge yourself today, take risks, leave nothing left!   

Back to the daily grind...MInus the gravity.

I have been slowly starting to get back into some physical activities these last couple of days, apparantly lounging on the couch eating ice cream cake doesn't get you back in shape! I have been receiving tons of help on my knee from the U of A's newest athletic trainer Aki. We try something new almost everyday. We have been on a strict regimen of rest, rehab, treatment, and ice the past few weeks, but I finally got the go ahead to start running and pool jogging again! I was on the alter G for a short 20 minutes run Monday then in the pool yesterday for a grueling 20 minutes, today I was back on the alter G for 30 minutes and I am getting ready to head to the pool now with some fellow Razorbacks. I will be attempting my first run outside next Friday....Wish me luck!