Running’s Got a Hold On Me

The past 8 weeks, have been a roller coaster ride of emotions. One day I am at 

Thank goodness for Kinesio tape.

the very bottom of the well, trapped in a downward spiral of negativity and despair. Then the next day, I wake up and run 3 miles with no pain and life is as good as it gets. My Achilles injury has stumped me and the medical professionals alike. It is no longer bursitis, but not quite tendonitis. My symptoms are unlike any testimonies I have heard. I can walk around pain-free and go for a short easy jog with no problems at all, and then the following day the sharpness in my Achilles manifests itself 1.5-2 miles into the run and I am forced to stop. Aggressive PT with ultra-sound, massage and electro-therapy has helped tremendously, and at the beginning of the week I had another violent encounter with Graston. I’m not sure what else to do other than to work on managing my thoughts because the longer this injury persists, the more I realize how unhealthy these bipolar feelings are. Don’t disclose this to a non-runner as they are likely to schedule you an appointment with the soonest available shrink. Luckily, I am surrounded by a community that is beyond supportive and understanding. I think it is required that you be a runner or at least a runner once-removed to live in the state of Washington. Studies are showing that sugar has effects on your body that make it more addictive than cocaine  but I bet they never looked at what happens when you deprive a runner from running.

My new sweet ride!

On a positive note, I have become quite the yogi (minus the zen state-of-mind). Last week I logged 11 hours of yoga, a statistic in which I am quite proud. Tad surprised me with an early birthday present- a beautiful new mountain bike, which I can not wait to take to the trails. I received the brand-spanking new 2013 Inov-8 uniform in the mail, which I will anxiously and impatiently wait to wear.

Team Inov-8 will be shining brightly this year!

I am entered to run the Yakima Skyline Rim 25K  in Yakima, Washington which will take place on April 21^st. I have no idea what will happen in regards to my training between now and then. One lesson that  I have learned this time around is that you can not let your race calendar dictate your recovery time. You have to get the race out of your head or else you will constantly will yourself to get better and make irrational decisions that more often then not, kick you two steps backwards.