Plan C

It all started earlier this year when I ran the Stillwater Half Marathon and missed my goal time of 1:55:00 by 4 minutes - in some ways, so closebut in all ways that mattered, so far from what I had hoped to achieve.  I was determined to redeem myself from this disappointing finish and to prove that I had a 1:55:00 finish in me. I quickly created a plan:

Plan A: Run the Minneapolis 13.1 Half Marathon in 1:55:00.

I signed up for the race, developed a training plan and began diligently following the plan. 3 weeks in I developed an IT Band injury. No worries - I rested for a full week and massaged and stretched my IT Band frequently. Confident that my quick diagnosis and wise actions had healed my injury I hopped on a treadmill the next week and - well, hobbled off 2.5 miles later. Realizing that I was going to loose at least one more week of training and that the race was already only 6 weeks away it was time to develop a new plan:

Plan B: Run the Minneapolis 13.1 Half Marathon. 

No time goal - the pressure is off! It might not be fast or pretty but it will be 13.1 miles more than most people will run that day. Who knows, maybe the lack of focus and strategy will help and I'll run faster than I expect. And so after two additional weeks of resting, massaging and stretching I walked out the door into a beautiful morning and started running. It felt GREAT to be outside and running again - until about 1.5 miles in when my knee started to hurt. Seriously!? Is this really happening?!

Yesterday I went to see a sports medicine doctor. He was able to confirm my self-diagnosis and develop a recovery plan that should have me back up and running at my pre-injury level in 3 - 4 weeks. We both agreed that running a half marathon in 3 weeks is not a reasonable goal {sad} but that participating in the Minneapolis Duathlon in 4 weeks should be quite achievable {happy!}. Which means it's time to develop a new plan:

Plan C:  Focus on the enormity of what I am able to do rather than dwell on what I am not.

Honestly, I'm looking forward to life on the road to recovery. I'll be icing, stretching and strengthening my way back to running. I get to reacquaint myself with the Elliptical for my first few workouts and in turn enjoy the amenities available to me at the gym that I've missed out on due to outdoor workouts (can you say "eucalyptus infused steam room"?). I get to focus on shorter running distances and in turn enjoy more balance and variety in my workout routine. I get to be reminded of the limitations of my own strength and the limitless power of my God and in turn become a more humble, faithful servant.  Who knew a running injury could be such a blessing? 

Keep Breathing... and running!