Speaking of Hurt People...

I am hurt! Injured, that is. It's been a while (thankfully) that I've had to deal with a real injury, one that sidelines me. And it's extremely frustrating! I've been on a real running kick the last six months or so, and I guess that was my bane.

Actually, this injury started last March when I had the hair brained scheme to race again. That prompted me to buy a Kinetic trainer, and start spinning at home. I felt a tinge in my right quad soon after that. My normal running stride aggrivated the situation, but I found if I ran on my "tippy toes", it mitigated the pain.

That's how I happened on Newton running and minimalist running shoes, but that's for another post. Anyway, when I compensated the pain in my quad with more of a forefoot strike, I soon developed pain in my achillies, calves, and interior shins. Ugh... I wrapped my quad, and would vary my stride to accomodate all this nagging pain. Miracoulously, I came through it fine, and had a new found appreciation for different running style.

So with my new appreciation and no more pain, I kicked in my miles by running every day (six days a week). Three of those (M, W, F) were additional, and short, just two and a half or three miles. My T\Th runs are usually six miles or so, and then my weekend long run was in the low double digits. This lasted all of three weeks when my quad began aching like it did in March, and my shins majorly revolted. I figured with years of running behind me, I wasn't vulnerable to overuse injuries, and the "never add more than 10% in milage a week" rule didn't apply to me. I figured wrong.

I continued to plod along hoping it would just go away, and then last week as I was sitting down, I felt a pop in my quad. Game seriously over... for a while. Oddly enough, I can still bike fine, and am doing all of that while I can (i.e., while there's enough daylight to get out, and when my schedule allows). We did a great, hard 25 mile trail ride tonight. I just can't get psyched up about that trainer yet, though... yuck!

Hurt People Hurt People

I've wanted to write for a few weeks now; I've just been too busy! I have so many things in my head that I want to get down on paper, uh err, blog. Things like barefoot running, the book Born to Run, my current injury woes, my experiences in Canada, and tattoos. Every time I think about writing, I think about the need to address my last post before I write anything more. I've just wanted to say I'm alright, and it was no big deal; I was really just venting and, obviously, frustrated.

As a result of that post, though, I had some great dialogue with family and friends... so it turned out to be good. My Aunt Shelly said, "People have been dealing with that (type of issue) since the beginning of time." Interesting, because things like that always seem so "current", like you are one of the first and few. Barry said, "You can't do it (change) without God."

One thing that I did not realize is that the pastor of my church reads my blog! Oh, my... He could have at least asked me, or given me some credit, before basing today's whole sermon around that last post! Wow... :)

I didn't plan on following up with more "stuff", but today's message was too good to let ride. Pieter (pastor) basically first reiterated what Shelly said. He sited scripture from Romans where Paul laments exactly what I did in my last post (sans the language, of course, haha). Then Barry's point is made. Having knowledge of the right thing to do (or simply knowing laws and rules) is not enough. It takes faith in God, and help from the Holy Spirit within, to give you strength and keep you on the right path. Often times, even in non-religious settings, the steps toward change include reliance on a "higher power". It's a necessary ingredient.

I'm not a "bible thumper" by any means, and all I can really say about my spirituality and faith is that I continue to grow and learn. I honestly believe the Holy Spirit lives in me and at times beckons me. I am beyond humbled by and thankful for that! I believe the only disappointment God has in me or any of us, because of our inability to make "good" or "right" decisions, is because of the hurt it causes us (not Him). And... hurt people hurt people. It can be and often is a perpetuating cycle.

Be the change...