Tough

I've had a number of minor (very minor) injuries since I started running. It started with a left hip/butt pain that turned out to be some issue with my SI (sacroilliac) joint. It mysteriously went away after a while.


Then there was a series of very painful blisters on my insteps that (thankfully) went away after getting some amazing consultation and different shoes from Body and Sole.


The one below is unusual because I really didn't know it was there until I noticed that my toe was black and realized that the vague soreness I'd been feeling in my toes was probably due to this:


No, that's not dirt on the second toe.... it's a bruise. Apparently this kind of thing can happen from your toe hitting the top of your shoe over and over....like when you run. The bruise is unsightly but at least my polish is pretty!

My most current frustration is a thingy in my right calf. I can't tell if it's a sort-of-shin-splint, an achilles tendon issue that's running up into the calf muscle, or something else altogether. It hurts here....


and it has for weeks. I've tried icing, anti-inflammatories, and elevation. It hurt so bad after I ran the Arcola 5 K that I gave in and tried the last resort -- not running. I took a whole week off which was very, very hard. You'd think that I'd want to stop running because it hurts, but the only thing that has even briefly made me consider quitting was my Arcola 5K time. (It's not that bad, but I'm not happy with it.) A lot of people experiencing chronic pain would at some point consider consulting a medical professional. Not me....I'm convinced that if I go see a doc, s/he is going to recommend not running. Unthinkable!!

It's not the actual running that I enjoy. Wait. That's not true either. There are moments that I'm saying to myself "hey! this is ok!" But more often, in the middle of a run, all I want to do is lay down, right now and right here! and stay there for a week.

The "after glow" and the widely reputed "runner's high" do provide important pay-offs for me. But the reason I keep running and wanting to run, even though it causes chronic pain, is the way I feel strong and invincible -- like I could KICK SOMEONE'S ASS (if need be) after I'm done. Well, after I've caught my breath, stopped sweating, and stretched, iced, elevated and drugged myself.