Patience; the new endurance sport.

What a beautiful fall morning to sneak away and enjoy the melancholy isolation of the rivertrail before anyone is awake.  Sunday mornings are so silent around here. Since I'm not doing so much mileage during the week, I've been enjoying a light Sunday walk/jog in the pre dawn. I have been holding my breath, however, until the snow comes, knowing that skiing offers equal therapy to my psyche as far as being outside is concerned.  I think I am being patient.  I am grateful I can run some now days.  Even if just slowly.  But the thought of skiing is keeping me going.  If it doesn't snow soon, I may have to start spin class at the gym.  I can't go on with these mediocre little work outs.

I have been diligently performing my stretches, and the most painful one (for the hamstring --lateral bicep femoris-- connected to the pirifomis) is starting to feel like a real stretch and not just like scratching or poking a fork down into where the tendon connects at either side.  Yesterday I did 60 minutes on my stationary, and today was able to get outside for another delicious fall run.  I love late fall and winter running most of the fair weather cranky old  people are now off the trail.  Only the tougher skinned more tolerant kind are left. As winter progresses, the trail becomes more and more my own (well, me and a few other die hard fishermen, walkers, runners).  Today, these 5 miles were actually a little difficult.  I was sluggish, tired, and couldn't seem to get my breath.  It's taken 2 months, post marathon, to bring down my body's level of fitness.  I've been so good about not overdoing my hip, but I've got to get some higher intensity, low impact.  I apparantly can't be trusted on my own stationary bike---even with all that sweating, it's not enough cardio-vascular wise. If it would just snow and I could get up the mountain a few times a week, I could spare myself spin class.  But it seems inevitable.  I hate starting my day at the gym breathing the sweat of strangers and chlorine. I  HATE it.  It's the antithesis of outside runing. 

Used lunch time to run up to the mouth of the canyon. The weather was great, I didn't even mind those strong gusts of canyon wind.  I still can't bring myself to do the gym. It's the smell. I may get brave soon, in the meantime it's all easy trail running, lots of stretching, stationary bike and treadmill (and walking, I try to walk everywhere now).  I missed yesterday due to too many nights in a row of insonmia.  The healing of the hip & lack of physically challenging myself on a daily basis has left me way too much energy to worry about and get mad about minutia....usually right before I need to go to sleep. Running has always been a way of taking the edge of my anxiety over real life. So not only am I healing this hip, but I'm having to learn some new coping skills--which so far has just meant that I"m mean to everyone around me.  I had no idea how much space and energy running filled up before now.  It's been an interesting 'injury' to heal.

Ran up the canyon with Catherine.  We chatted about 007 and Alias, and her Mom. I stopped to do a good stretch after 2 miles. I've felt pretty good after every run this week.  I work pretty hard at running the way Steve taught me at physical therapy.  It definitely helps take the pounding out of the right places.  I just need to stretch before,during and three or four times during the day.    These clear, cold, autumn mornings are perfection.  Yeah for Thanksgiving this week!  I love the extra time to take long walks and bike rides, and eat leftovers.  I think I love thanksgiving almost more than anyother holiday because there are no gifts involved and it's all about the food.