It's astonishing how quickly miniscule details add up and change everything. The diminished daylight at 6:00 a.m., a prolonged flu/cold, school starting, an injury.... I am weak and injured. And now so many unwelcome details occupy the diminished privacy and enjoyment of the most pristine and beloved time of my day. I had a fantastic summer did I not? Didn't I soak up the beautiful Utah mornings? Didn't I challenge myself to run long, fast, and hard? Didn't I make new friends and give myself tangible, exciting new challenges? Didn't I marvel at the beauty of Spring and Summer? Did I not flourish in new landscapes and climates? I did. But the table has quickly turned. My body's calling the shots right now, forcing my mind into a time-out. I have a pain deep in my hipflexor/quad which started the 23rd of July, and has since become worse. Also, I am also trying to recover from a prolonged case of strep throat and a cold which I caught somewhere in DC. Once home, I called Sarah to make my a running date for my first Friday home-- phlegm and all. She suggested that running with a 7 month pregnant lady would be 'easy.' But don't believe her.... It was therapeutic thought getting out there with a friend. And while I was pretty tired, I didn't hurt afterwards. Sasha suggested running slower and less to see if the inury will pass. I agree. I did that with a tendon pain in my knee last year and worked carefully through it. If it does get worse during this week of less and slower running, I'll find an ortho doc and make a better plan b (bicycling, swimming, strength training-- I know, icky). I was complaining to Sasha (as I should be ramping up in these next weeks for St. George). I said "I can't believe the monumentally bad timing of this -- I don't have time!" to which he replied "Yes you do. You have your whole life." He's right. This may be inconvenient, and it may just ruin this one race, but my primary goal, above all else has always been to JUST KEEP RUNNING throughout my lifetime. So I must respect and appreciate my body for what it does for me, and be patient through this process. | 