Friday, March 9, 2012

Let Me Moon You

I had the most peaceful and amazing six mile run this morning.  I think part of what made it so incredible was that I woke up to this:

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Nothing like watching the moon set!

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This view at 6:00 a.m. set the tone for my day. Even the dog’s mess of runny turd all over the carpet did not phase me. WTF? Even the tough discussion I had with my daughter did not send me off balance. Huh? What is happening to me? It is not like me to be so damn reasonable and centered.

Back to the run. I tried not to focus on how ugly it was:

Even when yet another dog, not on a leash, charged at me, I didn’t lose my mind and crumble into a puddle of profanities. Okay, I might have dropped a couple f-bombs under my breath and wanted to punch someone in the balls, but I got over it.

The good news is that my body is no longer hurting. Yes, it gets tight at times, but that is different from that frustrating feeling when you know you are injured or semi-injured and you just can’t kick it. I am not sure what is doing the trick, but my gut tells me it is a combination of things:

  • Very small lift in my shoe to correct a leg length discrepancy.
  • Paying attention to form – two things specifically – quick turnover (180 steps per minute means less impact) and having that slight forward tilt so that my feet land under my center of gravity.
  • Strength work, especially for my core and lower body (ASS). Building up to having thunder thighs.
  • Consistently stretching and icing.
  • Sitting on an exercise ball instead of a desk chair at my computer – this has greatly helped my lower back and almost completely eliminated some sciatic pain.
  • Moving towards less of a heel drop shoe (very gradually).
  • Spending a lot of time on the trails vs. the road (the surface is more forgiving, but the biggest advantage for me is that the terrain is so varied, I don't step the same way every time. This gives my body a huge break).
  • When I do run on the road, not always running on the left. For the past two years I have stayed left and over time I think the camber of the road has messed me up a bit.
  • Recovery time to rest and refuel (protein within 30 minutes of a work out, hydrating well, sleeping enough at night).P1080058

My hip stress fracture occurred about 1 ½ years ago, but just because the fracture was healed did not mean I was healed. The entire left side of my body was jacked up. I needed to re-strengthen, to realign.

My confidence was also jacked up following the injury. These days I have become diligent about making sure I do inspirational reading every day. The reading is not necessarily about running, but about how to control my mind and my thoughts when they don’t serve me well. Every day I leave the house with an intention about how I want to approach the day. Today it was/is to focus on the positive, the gifts and to not give so much attention to the areas I think are lacking. 

I had this epiphany recently that it is possible to practice our minds just like we would practice to perform at a piano recital. We are consistent. We are patient. We do not enjoy every minute of it, but we press on because the outcome is worth it. There will be a day when we won't have to concentrate so hard on hitting certain notes. It will become habit.

Some thoughts this week that have served me well:

  • Trust. Stuff unfolds how it is meant to. Don’t force.
  • Experiment with not being so rigid about things. Let stuff go. Let them be imperfect. Sometimes it turns out a lot better that way.
  • Watch your inner critic. It is harsh. It lies to you. It’s mean sometimes. Don’t take that shit.
  • Follow your gut. You know what’s best for you. No one else can speak or dictate it for you.

In case none of this sounds like me, well I can be deep sometimes. But I’ll throw this in for good measure:

penis

SUAR

39 comments:

  1. Wow, a Guest blogger fro your Friday post!

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  2. Awesome! Much food for thought for me. Hope you're having a great day!

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  3. Running on the same side of the road over a long period of time can cause an upslip of the pelvis. I am careful now to run on both sides of the road.

    http://www.maximumtrainingsolutions.com/Upslip.html

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  4. I have recently come to the same realization, about setting my intentions. For years I just assumed that I would get where I wanted to go by happenstance and a little bit of effort, and it worked, for the most part. But, afterI started running and really training my body, training my mind seemed the next step. I can now do things and accomplish things that I never thought possible. And, that is exactly why I could never do them before!
    Also, your moon is phenomenal ;)

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  5. Yeah, isn't it hard to live in such a shithole?

    I love this post, by the way.

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  6. Great Post on every level..and beautiful pics!@runreadrant

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  7. Great reminders for running...I never thought about uneven terrain helping your body recover and avoid the constant pounding (TWSS). I like that-esp as I've noticed my right foot/ankles get increasingly sore faster! :(

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  8. Who are you and what have you done with the Beth we know and love? Kidding!

    You are completely right about training your mind. Some writer said something about nothing being good or bad but thinking makes it so. You probably know the guy. If you've trained yourself to see nothing but problems and bad things, then even paradise isn't going to make you happy.

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  9. Wow this message is timely as I am in the zone of fear with my 20 miler tomorrow. I created a leg length discreptancy when I was ONLY running on the left side of the road. i can say now that is no longer an issue for me. :)

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    1. Good to know!! I am not sure how I was so in the dark about this road thing.

      Good luck tomorrow. You are going to KILL it. Tell yourself that.

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  10. As I putter around with my wonky hip trying to string together 3 very short runs in one week, this post is really exactly what I needed to read. "Trust" ...yes...combined with patience...turning these two into my friends :) Thank you for this and for that lovely moon!

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  11. What a pretty sight of the moon setting. These days, I don't wake up early enough for that.
    I pee'd in my pants while running a half marathon last Sunday. Not full blown pee. Just a little trickle and tinkle.
    And I thought of you.

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  12. Great words. You have inspired me today. Thank you!

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  13. What a great post. I think I have been reading your blog for about a year now, but this is the first time I have posted. Oddly enough, I'm not even a runner! I am active in other sports. This post exemplifies why I have been following you though, the past year has been one of the most difficult of my life as my husband and I have been trying to start a family and I have miscarried three times. I think I started reading your post in envy of your lifestyle and family, but quickly found your positivity and determination an inspiration. It has been amazing to see how diligently you have worked to stay balanced even in the wake of your recent tragic loss. Hate to be so serious on your page that is for the most part so light hearted but I have wanted for awhile to thank you for being an inspiration and proof of how much a positive mindset can make even the most difficult climbs surmountable!

    And just so this post isn't totally out of place on your blog I'll share the funny sign I saw recently 'Sometimes I laugh so hard tears run down my legs' :)

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    1. Wow, thank you for this feedback. Yes life is so much about balance. We all have heart aches in different forms. I had miscarraiges as well in my past, so if you ever want to "talk" email me.

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  14. This hit today so well. Thanks!

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  15. I saw that moon too..it was so beautiful! I loved this post and am so happy that you are doing sooo much better!!! One of these days we need to meet up for a trail run!

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  16. I needed this. More than you know. Thank you...I have a hard time finding this balance these days, so knowing others can do it truly helps.

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  17. Gorgeous moon shots! I'm still in the healing process as well. I think the camber in the road had something to do with the start of the problem as well. I had/have a partially torn abductor that I felt twinges in back in August and September when I couldn't run on trails because of severe flooding and then the damage from the flooding. I ended up doing 20 milers on the road and hated it! I finally felt a pop at the end of October and the PT (b the time I went) said that my left pelvis and hip were slightly off kilter and that plus a lowered flexibility in my left knee (from surgery) probably led to the problem over time leading up to the final injury. It's still bothering me, but that's my own dumbass fault for pushing it too soon.

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  18. Not a bad way to start the day at all. I don't think I've ever witnessed the moon 'setting'.

    It must be so refreshing to run without pain and with regained confidence. I imagine something like that would mess with your mind as much as your body.

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  19. Beautiful pictures!! This post really hit home with me. Thanks! Glad you are feeling better.

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  20. Very inspiring! Also, amazing pictures of the moon! My pics of the moon never turn out good!

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  21. Can you give us some recommendations for daily inspirational reading?

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  22. That is a beautiful site to wake up to!

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  23. Great pics. Very beautiful. I agree about training your thoughts. And when they go in the wrong direction -it takes practice learning how to stop them, get off that train, redirect and think positively!

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  24. I LOVE PENIS!!! (oh, and thanks for the rest as well. I'm completely with you!!)

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  25. I am SO happy to hear that things are going better for your running!! Makes me smile! :)

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  26. Excellent post, as always. You are always so Inspiring. We are lucky to live in such a beautiful state and you, in such an awesome location. Keep on keepin on! You ROCK!

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  27. Keep those revelations coming. They will also serve me very well.

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  28. Amazing that you can put one foot in front of the other in that shit-hole ghetto you live in. Hey, I'm still sweets-free and have lost a ton of weight. Thanks Ken for the inspiration. Love ya SUAR!

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