Monday, March 12, 2012

Tenacity

The checked the schedule the other day. The 5K I have been planning to  attend is a little earlier this year than normal. It is  scheduled for April 15th. In keeping my eye on the ball, the training continues. I can't tell myself that "maybe" I will attend. In spite of my slow progress and the injury set back, I will be attending.  I have been consistently running 2-2.5 miles in my new Saucony Kinvara’s for 3 weeks now since the injury.  No major issues other than tight hamstrings and a little Sciatica flare up (due to forgetting my right shoe lift).

This week is an abbreviated week for me. I leave Wednesday and head to Arizona for a few days of R&R. That means my workout routine is a little messed up since Wednesday is a workout day and instead I will be stuck on a plane. Today, I snuck out during my lunch hour for a workout at the gym. They have a track. 8 laps = 1 mile. I also forgot my ipod. Running without music makes it that much harder for me. The schedule said 3 miles today. Ugghhh… This would be my first attempt at 3 miles since before the Achilles tendon injury.

The first mile was horrible. Everything felt out of sync, my hanstrings were tight (even after stretching) and I got my usual shoulder /sideache thing (anyone have a clue what this is?) half way into the first mile… but I unhappily continued. I focused on putting one foot in front of the other , thinking, just one more lap and let my mind drift. There is always plenty to think about.

Is the dog okay at home? Did I let Rebel out of his pen ? What time is my flight again? Crap- that report is due tomorrow, I need to call the farrier and get JB on his schedule, where did I put those socks I need for the trip? I wonder how I got that stain on my t-shirt??

Before I knew it I hit the 2 mile mark. This is my comfort zone. I wanted to call it good. I took another lap anyways. I passed an older woman on this trip around. She was a small woman and very hunched over but that wasn’t what got my attention. She had two walking sticks and on her back was a small pack which held her oxygen tank. There she was, slowly making her way around the track for some exercise, clearly in some real discomfort . I am sure every cell in her little broken down body was telling her it would easier to play it safe, stay home and not exercise and yet here she was. In the face of real physical limitations, she pushed herself to get dressed, get to the gym and walk that track. Slowly , albeit, every step an obvious effort.

It was the kick in the pants I needed at that moment. Call it doggedness, perserverance, determination, whatever you want but that woman right there? She had grit and tenacity. I only hope that someday, if  I am crippled up  ,  I can have a glimmer of that internal strength and fortitude to drag my sorry butt out to the corrals and climb on my horse to steal one more ride.

Another 7 laps? Yeah, I can handle it..

3.0 miles 31 min/25 seconds

2 comments:

Funder said...

Sounds like you'll be just fine for your 5k, and I bet you'll be just fine in your old age, too.

I saw Barbara White get her 30th Tevis buckle last year, in her mid-60s, and I thought "that's what I want to be like." :)

cheyenne jones said...

Agreed, you will be fine, so will the horse, after all, you`d know if things were`nt right.

Good luck!