Once A Runner

My copy of the famous John L. Parker novel with the aforementioned title came in the mail yesterday. For years it was one of the more expensive novels out there--it had been printed in limited numbers and was recently in high demand in the running community. People were paying hundreds of dollars for a used copy. Crazy, eh? I thought so, too.

So I waited. And my wait paid off. Scribner issued a reprint, and I picked up a copy from Amazon for $15. I haven't started it yet, but I look forward to making my way through it.

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It's a strange coincidence that it just came in the mail this week. I was wearing my shirt from the USA 10 miler yesterday, and at some point when I happened to catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror, it occurred to me that I can't really remember what it feels like to run 10 miles. Or really, what it feels like to go for a run at all. It has only been three months, but it feels like a lifetime. And though my PT tells me that I've got another 4 weeks at least, I feel like it'll be longer. Day to day it doesn't really bother me, but every now and then I'll make some kind of a small move that really tweaks it and I'll realize that I'm not that close to being able to run again, and it's frustrating. Sometimes I'll almost wish that it was a stress fracture rather than some vague, nagging soft tissue injury, because at least I could see healing on an X-ray or a bone scan. This is just a "you can run again when the pain goes away" kind of a thing, and the pain isn't going away.

So I guess that I can say that I was once a runner, too.

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Bah. At any rate, I'm still trying to stay as fit as I can on the elliptical, and I've started doing strength training in addition to my PT exercises. I went to a lifting class at my gym for the first time last week. Think spin class for weightlifting--high energy music, high energy instructor, lots of reps of lower weight amounts rather than throwing around larger weights. Lots and lots of reps. In fact, my triceps were so fatigued afterward that, though the class was on Tuesday, the soreness didn't let up until Sunday. It was pretty sad--I couldn't raise my arms above my head to even shampoo my hair when I got home from the class. Or the next day.

But I went to the class again yesterday--it was better. I was smart enough this time to use less weight, since I know that the sets are really, really long. Now that I seem to have figured it out, I'll probably throw in Friday as a strength day, too. No reason to be on the elliptical every day if I'm not going to be racing again for months, and the strength workouts will hopefully help me prevent the next injury that comes down the pike.

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Boston is on Monday. Congrats to all of you who will be running, and a special shout out to our fearless leader, who I believe is running his tenth straight.

And to Ryan Hall, who is going to win. :)

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Hope you're enjoying these last few cool mornings. Carpe Viam!