Week 2…Pain, Prayer and Triathlon

This picture was taken after one of my 3 mile runs this week and boy was I a sweaty mess. I often look at the pictures people post and think..really?…that’s what you want the world to see of you…that’s  you ‘looking good’. (I know, call me Miss Judgemental…I’m working on it, I promise) Well, this particular day, I ran at lunch instead of first thing in the morning and WOW the difference 12 degrees makes. It was about 90 at noon, so yes, this was the best picture that could be taken of me.

Week 2 held a couple of ah-ha moments for me.

1. Training for a marathon is hard. I know it sounds silly, but this was a new revelation to me. I thought running a marathon would be hard and the long runs would be hard, but the whole process is going to be a little hard.  I was very tired this past week, just always looked like I needed a cup of coffee.  When you walk into the kitchen in the morning and say good morning and your husband just laughs…you know you aren’t looking too spry.  I think it was just my body’s way of adjusting to our new schedule and then on top of that I caught a cold. That’s right, I’m running so fast I’m catching germs. Well, no, maybe it’s because I volunteered in the preschool area at our church and was surrounded by 20+ three year olds. Either way, congestion joined me for my 9 miler.

2. God is still doing miracles every day. About 4 miles in to my long run last week, my right lateral knee began to have a sharper pain. My knees typically start aching at about mile 4, they are joints and pounding pavement just isn’t their thing. This is an ache I’ve come to recognize and tolerate though as it comes with almost every long run. This sharper pain was new. A couple times, I even found myself doing a bit of a limping run (which I’m sure was interesting to watch). When I got home, I talked to the hubs (while an ice pack sat on my knee) and he thought it sounded like my IT band. Apparently I didn’t pay enough attention in anatomy, because I had to google IT band to learn more about it. I found multiple articles on ITBS (iliotibial band syndrome) and the fixes for it. The 2 easiest remedies are using a foam roller and some specific stretches, so I did them. I used the foam roller 2-3/day for the next 2 days and also did the stretches about that same amount. My next run was the very next day, a short little 3 miles and at mile 1 that knee was hurting again. I pushed through the pain and kept running and then I did the most powerful remedy that wasn’t mentioned in any of the articles I read…prayed. While I was running, I started talking to the most magnificent healer of all time and asked that I be healed from this pain. We talked about other things too on my run (well I mostly talked and He listened) and I finished up my 3 miles still hurting, but feeling good about starting week 2. The next day I had a bit of a longer run of 5 miles and the knee was pain free. He did it…no wait…HE DID IT!  He poured out another helping of grace on me. Now, some may counter that the foam roller and the stretches were the trick, or maybe even that it wasn’t my IT band because it typically can’t be healed with just 2 days of stretches and rolling. But, I know it was Him. He gave me a healing miracle when I asked for it not because I deserved it, but because God is good and his grace knows no bounds.

Other big news this week….I signed up for my first triathlon. I will be doing a sprint tri at Eagle Creek on Saturday July 21st. Doing the online registration gave me butterflies in my stomach, so I can’t wait to see what I feel like on race day!  But I need to do this for a few reasons. The hubs is passionate about triathlons and if he is that interested in something, I owe it to him and our marriage to have an interest as well. Secondly, I am afraid to do it and I feel convicted by that fear everytime it rears its head. How can I be surrendered to the God of the universe and yet live in fear? Well, I can’t. I can trust in Him wholly or I can be afraid. Afraid of failure, afraid of embarrassment, afraid of falling/tripping/crashing, being caught doing the breaststroke instead of freestyle (this one will happen).  Those fears are going to be faced next Saturday and I will conquer them with His help. Because even if they all come true and I live each of my fears, I’ll still be loved by Him, so bring it on Eagle Creek because you are no match for my tri partner.

I will end with my week in review:

Monday: 3 miles in 27:05

Tuesday: 5 miles in 46:20

Wednesday: Rest

Thursday: 3 miles in 28:10

Friday: 30 min. upper body workout and 8 mile bike

Saturday: Rest

Sunday: 9 miles in 1:30:52….This run I did around 1pm and it was so hot and uncomfortable. I was slow as slow could be. So slow that I got hit by a bike! She was just a kid though, so no harm no foul. I could not get cooled off even by dumping water on me, at mile 6 I finally had to take a rest break in the shade and just cool off. I did that again at mile 7 and refilled my water bottle. Though I felt deflated for stopping twice and for running 10+ minute miles, I still had victories. I had no knee/hip/ankle pain, no side stitch, no GI distress, and I managed to drink about 8 oz of water on the run (which is great for me). The beauty of a bad run is that it was still a run…and I will get out and do it again tomorrow.

Single Post Navigation

← Older Entry

Newer Entry →