A Love Letter

It's been roughly 4 weeks since I learned that I have a stress fracture in my hip. It is driving me crazy. it is making me insane, and I am pretty sure I am driving every person around me crazy too! Let's see how many times I can write the word 'crazy' to make it clear! 

I think the stress fracture developed from some overtraining and a slip I took on some ice. Either way, it was a slow progression from an achy hip to a full-throttle limping around, painful, highly dramatic injury. This winter I started training with a new running partner, we like to call her Jim (long story for another day) and it has been a true love affair for me. I love love love running with this woman. We get along, we run in a very comfortable way, and it's a relationship I feel like I've had for years. Like any truly special relationship, it is so easy- it just works. I complained about my hip a lot and we would refer to my irritated hip as Granny Hip, but I didn't want to skip days or miss long training runs so I pushed and I pushed and I made sure I did some damage (picture the little engine thinking he can, thinking he can, but actually breaking down. There, now you have the proper visual). We ran the NYC Half-Marathon on March 15 and I found out about my fracture with an MRI on March 16. Our goal had been to run the New Jersey Full-Marathon in April and qualify for Boston.

Happy! Don't I look super
happy here?!

What kind of shitty love letter is this? It's one about running I tell you!! Here comes the romance.....

I miss my running so much that today when I was in the pool aqua jogging I had a revelation or maybe it should be called an epiphany!! Today's epiphany coincided with me getting a waterproof shuffle so instead of driving the lifeguard crazy trying to talk to him, I got to water jog to some maroon 5 and kesha! Who knows what other amazing and crazy revelations I will have now?! I can honestly say that if I can get back on my feet and on the road again, I will appreciate the running for what it is. It's not about the big race day or the Boston Qualifier (although that would be super nice, just sayin'), it's about the day-to-day running and training. It's about the feeling of satisfaction that comes from your hard work outside on the road or a nasty treadmill workout. It's about seeing your running partner and setting out for 3-4 hours of running together side by side....it is that feeling you get when someone refers to you as a 'runner' and not just as someone's wife or mom. It's that feeling you get when your son asks you how you can run so far and for so long....are you wonder woman? It is the sun in your eyes, the salty taste on your skin in the summer and it is the frozen thighs, numb fingers in the winter. It is knowing your body is working so hard on this earth and feeling one with it. And it is the feeling of eating cake and dessert because you can, because you earned it. I miss it so much.  

The word of the day: Epiphany

As part of my 'epiphany' this morning I also learned something else, I think to be a truly good athlete, you need patience and me before Granny Hips didn't have much patience. I would read training books and log my miles, I would follow some directions, but not all. I ignored rules about distance- often pushing for more miles when I didn't need them. I would ignore my body- push push push it! And I love routine and schedules so much, that I refused to alter my training program. But, if I had trained with some patience, taken some advice, and maybe-- maybe, cross-trained smarter, I might be heading to Jersey with Jim. 

One thing I know for sure about life is that you can't have the good times without the bad. I mean it, you simply cannot have the special, incredible, take your breath away moment without the heartbreaking, painful, terrible one to keep it real. Life is all about balance.....being merry and happy comes with being a little cranky and mad. There it is, the yin and yang to it. Today's epiphany brought to you today by apples waterproof shuffle and Adam Levine!

Dear Running, 

I miss you! I can't wait to be back together in June. Please write me back soon.

Love, Granny Hip