Living life one mile at a time, but slowly!!

New TAT!!

" I live my life a quarter mile at a time. Nothing else matters: not the mortgage, not the store, not my team and all their bullshit. For those ten seconds or less, I'm free." - The Fast and the Furious (2001)

Well, I'm not a mid distance runner and I don't live my life a quarter mile at a time but I do run long stuff and I felt the quote and title would be a little settling for this post.

Last couple of months have been a struggle for some reason trying not only to get heathly but get back in the competitive racing shape that I have been in before I ran the Boston Marathon. You see, a few weeks after Boston when I tried to run again I've been feeling some discomfort in my left side of my hip and around my lower abdomen. I thought it be no big deal and just go away and I would slowly ease into. Well it continued and I realized I had a bad muscle strain in my left hip flexor/psoas muscle. This tended to tire out my legs and cause some tension in my lower back. Basically I haven't been running as much, getting massages, and putting a ton of heat on my hip, back, and glutal to the point where it feels like its burning and turning red.

I have never had anything like this happen to me before. Usually, I have the runner's knees and my nagging right hamstring/glutal injuries or very rarely sore shins but I've dealt with them overtime. My body has just been in a state of soreness and been a little bit tired. Life has been in a hurry at times, never seem to have enough time during the week to stretch a little more, or clean like I want to. I've tenden to goof off by looking at Facebook, TV or whatever leisure but that could be one problem saying enough to those and just get some rest. My massage therpist, Catherine, has been trying to help me out a lot with some advice and stretches. She even has notice a lot of tension not only throughout my back but around the neck and shoulders. So basically my entire body just feels sore. I'm feeling a little better due to my vacation last few weeks, and other things I've been trying to do but it just seems when trying to comeback I feel my body is still running on fumes!

Though, on Monday, I did my strengthening workout before running with the Monday Night Running Group. Which wasn't smart but this week I have to squezze in a couple of strenghten workout since I'll be gone for the weekend. In fact one of my best friends who is a personal trainer is the one who gave me the workout program to do at least 3 times a week for the next 3 weeks. I can't go over 30-40 miles a week. Pretty much my plan is to try to get healthly enough to start half marathon training for the next 12 weeks after that for Columbus in October if not that maybe Indianapolis in November. I still have a goal of PR'ing in the half marathon this year. PR is 1:10:22 and I want to go under 1 hour and 10 minutes which I know I am capable of.

But, right now I feel as if I still need to catch my body up on a little more rest. Mentally and Emotionally I believe that I know I am in the right place so far. However, it's physically and also spiritually I am lacking so far. Physically, I don't think I'm getting to an age yet where I feel I can't do this race after race. Competiting in a couple of road races to build up for a main one.

 But, I realize during a 3 hour meeting at work where there was a section wide discussion on new systems, I got bored  it happens and your mind wonders. I started to mark off in my notepad how many races I have done Cross Country, Road, Track, and even the very few triathlons for the heck of  that I have done a lot over the years. And I didn't even include High School Track where I started for the first time. I did check off how many XC races for high school, along with college and afterwards. The races may be catching up my body over the years I have put it through.

Also, I begin to realize that I'll be turning 30 this September, believe it or not. Somedays I feel like this clip from Seinfeld when I start to think about it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcX6ZYHgdqk

Now I don't know if marriage isn't like prison like Kramer would think it is but at least it's nice to come home to someone. I especially feel that way now that I know my sister finally moved out and now I'm back on my own moving to another place to live. I mean it's not bad if you have friends and things to do once in awhile but you tend to get lonely.

That's why I believe that I relied on running as a crutch to lean on over the years. Dealing with an injury, especially as you get older year by year way be a way of my body telling me that this can not last forever. That may be true. Now I've accomplish so much in this sport despite the talent I got. I'm defintely not an Olympic Calibar athlete but I'm a very competive and pretty good runner for my age group around my Home State of Ohio and a tiny bit around the Region of my country where I live. I still have goals I want to obtain. Run a fast half marathon, run more cross country races, PR again in the full marathon, and run the 2 other major marathons in this country besides Boston which include New York and Chicago.

Maybe I just have been rambling too much. I dunno but I feel I just have to let a little bit of this frustration out of my system. I have notice some improvements in my body the last week or so. My Psoas Muscle in my hip flexor is feeling much better (maybe a little bit more loosing up in the back and hip areas of course), I'm starting to get better sleep and don't feel too heavily on caffeine in the mornings, and I actually races the Columbus Running Company Anniversary Mile Dash  this past weekend with a 4:36 time with no speed training a little mileage.

Racing the Mile Dash

Yet, I just got to keep positive and stay the course and rely on those around me, family and friends from CRC and church to help me through. I quote a Dierks Bentley song (he's a country singer) when he said, "I got a lot of leaving left to do." Well I got a lot of racing left to do before I hang it up for good. I know God has a wife and family planned for me somehow. I just got to remain patient and not sweat that or anything else stressful at work also. I think this retreat I'm going to will be good for me this weekend. I can draw closer to my friends at Church, strengthen my faith, and also relax and not worry too much about running and whatever goes on in my life right now.

Now, how about that tattoo. Well, the idea came when I was on the trolley in Boston heading back from racing the marathon with a ton of other people. One of them I talked to was a woman from Montana who is orginally from Michigan (but Buckeye fans we won't hold that against her LOL). Anyway something came up about tattoos and she noticed my earring and she mentioned it would be best after racing Boston that I get a tattoo and lose the ear ring for good. So I did a couple weeks ago.

 I wanted to get one that reflected a little of my character so I choose a track shoe and my favorite bible verse. Isaiah 40:31. I got the idea to combine both after watching one of my favorite all time movies, Chariots of Fire. The movie is based upon a true story two United Kingdom sprinters back in 1924 Olympics, Harold Abrams, a jew who runs for acceptance and to overcome prejustice, and Eric Liddell, a Scotsman, whose parents are missionaries, runs for the glory of God. The movie is about their journey to get there. Abrams went on to win the 100 meter dash. Liddell was suppose to run the 100 as well but a semifinals were on Sunday and he choose not to run do due to his belief that Sabbath was for rest. It caused such an uproar. But in real life he went on a bronze medal in the 200 and at the conclusion of the movie it depicted him winning the 400 meters. I loved the scene in the movie where he preach to the Scotish Church in France and read Isaiah 40 while the Olympics were running.

Very powerful scene. Watch the movie on Netflix.  It shows a little bit of how I feel about competiting. I'm D-Money and that's my two cents!!!