Valentine's Day Mantra: I Heart My Running, I Heart My Running. I Heart My Running

Hoping to avoid another whine session, I'll get this out of the way early: what a crappy beginning to the new year of running. Already down 45 miles from last year. Done. Now, let's move on.

I've hit this little groove the last few runs. It's called minimal discomfort. It is characterized by there being no pain in my knee, no sensation of imminent collapse in my knee, no feeling of structural damage in my knee. I realize that my knee is there, and that it's not perfect, but it's okay (and okay is the new awesome). This phenomenon is three days old.

On day one, I ran a meager 3 miles. I was kind of amazed at how I felt (knee wise - I still felt old and out of real shape otherwise). Day two had me waking with less stiffness and pain than is usual, so I doubled down. I decided to give the Rock Tape thing another whirl. Result: another good run. 5 miles. So yesterday I decided to GO BIG, or go home. I ran 7 pretty nice miles (by the way I did go home after I ran so I guess I did GO BIG AND GO HOME).

Rocking the Rock Tape

There truly is a part of me that is hopeful that today's run will be #4. I'm also smart enough to know that these things do not simply disappear. The wear and tear of 53 1/2 years and 113,000+ miles is not something that magically vanishes. The bad knee run is coming and when it does I'll have to tolerate it. In the meantime, I am seriously on the lookout for a good doctor to help me re-evaluate what has transpired since my surgery over two years ago. Finding that "Dr Right" is kind of difficult and very scary as I thought I had her last time and was so, so wrong.

On yet another optimistic note, my pace, while incredibly pedestrian, is getting better. My 14 to 15 minute shuffles has given way to 12 to 13 minute blazing as I slowly (and I mean SLOWLY) make improvements. Like any progress, what was once challenging has given way to what is now challenging. The best thing is that despite all of this frustration and some high level impatience, my motivation is high.

So that's a wrap (or maybe a Rock Tape job). Hope your running is going well. Hope your life is going well.

Run on.