Rest

....We all know, the best remedy for any sport related injury, is the dreaded REST. Telling an athlete to rest is like telling a monkey not to swing. Nonetheless, we know the sooner it will return us to our sport. This rest has reminded me why I love to run,  as we know with distance, the heart grows fonder.

I read a quote in this super book I'm reading, and it went a little something like this: "Was (HE) a a great man who happened to run, or a great man because he ran? His gut kept telling him that there was some kind of connection between the capacity to love and the capacity to love running. The engineering was certainly the same, both depended on loosing your grip on your own desires; putting aside what you wanted and what you got, being patient and forgiving and undemanding." (McDougall, Born To Run). Speed in running and passion in loving -- we can't be surprised that getting better at one could make you better at the other.

Resting gives you humility. It's admitting your physical weaknesses. It's surrendering your mind. Today I tried running my favorite Balboa Island Loop, in a slower jog. The pain was still there, but the sights and the feeling of motion were so enticing, it overrode the physical pain. But I still told myself to slow down. The more rest I give it, the sooner I'll be 100% back. On another day, I hit the treadmill. I took it for a sloy jog on 5-6, after 8 complete days of rest since the OC Marathon. I couldn't help myself. 'Just for a little', I thought. I boosted it up to 8 and ran for twelve minutes straight. Damn that felt good. That speed. It seemed easier than usual because my body was so rested, but the pain in my hip flexor was reminding me to stop.
Rest, girl. Rest.

....In the meantime I'll continue to dream of the reasons why I run, and anticipate that next solid run. I know it's around the corner.