Not sure how to title this one

Well...since that last post on the positive run I had, I have not run more than a half mile. Soon after that run I flew to Colorado to work as an official for the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference track and field championships. It was a busy weekend with lots of standing. The standing was painful. Sharp burning pain down my legs.

In my progress back to becoming a runner, I'm retraining my body to run properly, more effectively again, like when I was younger. My muscles have been compensating for bad form for years and I'm trying to correct that. The result is my body, legs and hips especially, revolting. There are muscle groups that have had years of vacations that are now being required to return to there former load levels. And they are not happy about it. They show it in the burning pain I get when I stand for many hours, run for what they think is too long and just pissingly think they should be left alone.

Both my trainer and massage therapist have independently conspired to inform me that my weaknesses have developed over time as a way of compensating for other weaknesses in my running gait. (I hate them both...not really) Both of them are giving me assignments, that are similar, to work to strengthen and encourage greater mobility in my hips, abductors and other areas where none of my high school and college coaches, trainers, etc. ever mentioned were important to injury free running. 

If I were a younger runner I would be frustrated by all of this. As an older runner, I'm frustrated by all of this, but I'm also more wise (hopefully). I don't have race goals, I have longevity goals. That allows me to give me grace in my training. 

The peak cycle I spoke about previously was an emotional lift. This current setback, in my younger days would have been depressing. Today, it's a minor setback. I realize I need to be patient with my body. It doesn't respond and heal as quickly as it once did. Giving myself grace and patience I have found is freeing in that I can enjoy running for the movement and elevated heart rate I need to feel...how do I describe it...to feel the oneness of myself, the spiritual connection of body and mind. The feeling that I've come to realize is the God within me and I don't need the superficial God of ancient fictional texts.

 

Milestones

Today was a milestone. July 21. 2023 was the day of my last 3 mile continuous run. There were three more 2 mile run the following week then no runs until late 2024. Ankle surgery January 18, 2025. Today, April 21, 2025, I ran 3 continuous miles. I'm a runner again!

I've been building up to it, gradually, observing my body for signs of stress. There have been some setbacks, but nothing major. Mostly sore and burning muscles re-learning how to run properly again. Breathing is becoming easier. Legs feeling strong, though still some hip and hamstring burning. 

I still have a ways to go to get to the fitness level I want. No more marathons but running 3-5 miles 3-4 days a week. Throw in a mile repeat workout every couple of weeks. An occasional 5k race for motivation. 

67/52 could be a good year. I have a couple of people I need to try and keep up with...and who are challenging my "cool" grandpa factor.

 

Rising Above the Plateau

Plateau - a region of little or no change.

Training goes through cycles. There are buildup cycles, endurance cycles, speed cycles. An aspect of the training cycle is the "fitness plateau." It is that part of the training cycle where it seems like I'm not making progress. Each run feels difficult, often times sluggish. Progress seems to have stalled. It's frustrating.

This part of the cycle can last a couple weeks. I'm doing the work, but progress isn't showing. Mentally, it's taxing, especially at 67. It makes me wonder it this is my peak, that it's just not going to get easier or feel more fluid, or breathing will just have to be labored from now on. Until one day....

Ah, today, the cycle moved forward. Today during mile repeats, breathing was less labored, legs were more fluid, less heavy. The feeling of being a runner came back. 

Will the next training session be similar? I'll have to wait and see. But today showed me progress hasn't stalled. At 67 I can make progress and running can feel more fluid, less difficult. There will be more plateaus, they will be at a higher level, it may take longer to rise above them, but there will be more rising above the current plateau. Aging isn't a limit, it's another challenge.

 

Musing From a Conversation with my Trainer

I have a wonderful trainer who is focused on keeping me running into my 90s and beyond. I love her enthusiastic optimism, especially when I'm feeling the aches and pains of being my current age. 

I sometimes wonder if she has expectations related more to a younger athlete than a sexagenarian athlete. But she knows her stuff, is a runner herself and after 11 years of working together she probably knows my running mentality as well as, if not more, than my bestie Marky. 

The current issue is I want to run without thinking about form, push off, landing, yada, yada, yada. All of that is important to keep me running injury free and I would have loved having that input in my collegiate and younger days. Now I just want to enjoy my body in motion, free thinking while I run, hit the running sweet spot of a 45-60 minute run when the endorphins kick in and high of running embraces the effort.

It's been a couple of years since I've been at that level. Currently, I'm seeing progress that I hope will get me back there. But the work it's taking is not enjoyable. I'll admit, I'm lazy, I'm impatient, I'm stubborn. Results now come more slowly than in years past. The work I need to do to make progress isn't what I like.  

Much of this has to do with accepting my age. Things that were once easily done, aren't so much. Morning aches and tightness are frustrating. Mysterious pain is head scratching in trying to recall why it hurts. 

The good is that I'm feeling better than I did a year ago, post ankle surgery. Overall, I feel myself moving better than I did a year ago. That's progress. I'm also running again, building my endurance gradually. I need to remind myself progress comes in stages and recovery takes longer now.

     

 

Happy birthday

 

She turned 60 today and will be retiring soon after a long career in education. She deserved a celebration. So we smashed things. Then had dinner.

Her people were there, smashing things with her, then enjoying a good meal. Not all knew each other so we went around the table telling storie about how each of us met our spouses. Those are always fun stories.

Celebrating milestones is important, whether it's a birthday, anniversary, graduation, learning to ride a bike, potty trained. Celebrating the accomplishment and the person. 

We go through our days doing the things we do without fanfare but with the dedication and pride we have for our work. Most of the time thank yous, gratitude are seldom given. It's taken for granted you do what needs to be done, even when those tasks are out of the ordinary, sometimes heart breaking. The lives and emotions of little people are often at stake. Gut wrenching circumstances. Angels sometimes intervene, but you can't rely on them. You do your best. It's all you can do. 

Until your best is used up. Time to focus on your own health and the people who have had your back for all these years. Focus on the little ones who run to you with joy and excitement when they see you, who sing Happy Birthday to you, who want to tell you their day's story.

Happy birthday.

 

The Wrecking Ball, Salem, OR