So a week and a half after the Chicago Marathon I'm still not entirely sure whats going on with my knee... the doctor suspects a torn muscle (specifically a sprained IT band)... but she had me get an MRI this morning to make sure I hadn't torn a ligament...
Turns out there are no torn ligaments which is GREAT.... but the MRI showed thinned cartilage. Now weak cartilage has always been an issue for me... it is the reason I stopped running in high school... so now I have a nagging fear that maybe I just pushed myself to far this time... but... all I can do is think positive thoughts and hope for the best...
Anyway, onto the second half of lessons learned from the Chicago Marathon...
Over the course of the six months I trained for this race, I had opportunities to run 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 16, 18, and 20 miles... some of these distances I only ran once, some I ran repeatedly...
The benefit of participating in these runs (besides the obvious need to increase endurance), is that you begin to know what to expect from your body while running long distances...
You start to understand that at certain points in the run your energy is going to run low... there are going to be points where physically and mentally you are feeling completed depleted... you start to question why the hell you are out there running all these miles, early in the morning, in this blistering heat when you could EASILY be at home laying in your bed.... you get annoyed and frustrated and every single inch of you is BEGGING you to stop...
but the experienced runner knows that it is at this point that you have to provide your body with some nourishment. that this almost sick like feeling your experiencing, isn't a sign of your body's inability to finish... rather, it is a sign that your body needs to be fed because it is currently running on fumes... so... depending on the runner... you'll eat some power gels, power bars, pretzals, or whatever else experience has shown to work for you...
over the course of the training season you'll experiment with a lot of different nourishment... some will end up being sickeningly disgusting, some will literally make you sick and throw up, some just don't do anything for you, but eventually... every succesful marathoner finds some nourishment that works for them.... and it is this understanding of the necessity of finding that nourishment... that motivates runners to keep trying every weekend until they find something that works for them...
so what is the life lesson in all of this?
well first... i'm starting to understand that my life is a lot like the long distance runs... there are going to be points where everything is just smooth and I am just looking around enjoying the scenary... but I can also understand... and expect... that there are going to be low periods...
and it is the expectation of those low periods that helps me to not be taken out by them... when i experience them, i can just acknowledge them as temporary... and nourish my spirit in order to move past the low time...
so what does that nourishment look like? well unlike running there isn't one "fix-all" everytime i get tired... but it can look like anything from prayer and meditation, to just swinging on the swings outside or talking over things with elders and mentors... one thing i'm working on now is finding out what type of activities i really enjoy... its amazing how as you move out of childhood... you start to forget what makes you happy (other than having a boo! LOL)...
the point here is... that like the marathoner, we have to be dedicated to taking time out to nourish our minds and spirits when we feel depleted... we have to experiment and find what works for us... without that nourishment we can't possibly hope to be able to function and be healthy...
so... this is the end of my marathon journey... its been a phenomenal experience and I thank you all for sharing it with me...
peace and blessings.
No comments:
Post a Comment