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4 Year Runniversay and a Spill

Last week, March 17 was my 4 year Runniversary!!  I can’t believe I have been a runner for 4 years!!  I have been so blessed to be able to run, not only for my health and overall fitness, but also for the ability to challenge myself and to reach goals that I never thought I could.  It’s amazing how much stronger and more motivated of a person I am because of running.  
Four years ago when I stepped on my treadmill because I had hit a weight loss plateau and needed to add something else to my routine, I would have never thought I would be where I am today.  Today I have run countless 5Ks and 10Ks; a 20 K, 7 half marathons, and a full marathon!! When I started running 4 years ago, 1 mile felt like forever!! It hurt, I was out of breath, and I thought I was going to die.  It took me forever to run that mile and I never thought I would be able to run farther or get faster.  Now running a mile is nothing!  Running 5 miles feels like nothing!!  It’s crazy how things have changed in four years.  My weekly mileage four years ago was something that I never even thought about.  I didn’t care and just wanted to run to get better little by little.  I am trying to bring more of that back into my running today.

In four years, I have become completely obsessed with the numbers and trying to increase my speed and distances every week.  I am trying to get out of my head with these numbers, but it is really challenging.  I want to continue to challenge myself, but I need to remember to do it without it affecting my family life and my overall well-being. I overdid it last year at this time and had plantar fasciitis for most of my marathon training.  I am trying to train smarter this year so that this does not happen again.  
Despite being obsessed with the numbers, I am loving my runs and loving the conversations I have with God along the way.  This is one of the things that I love the most about my long runs especially.  I love that I can talk to God about anything and everything along the way and no one is going to judge me for it.  It’s one of the reasons I love to run alone.  It’s my time with my thoughts and my time with God.  We work through whatever issue or struggle I may have and by the end of my run, we have worked out a solution to it.  It’s another reason why I try to run every day. It’s my God time and I miss it and need it when I don’t run.  
Well, last week Thursday on my runniversary, I was on a roll with my speed that week and was heading home early in the morning.  One of the roads that I run on early in the morning is a country road right by my house.  I usually run towards traffic but on this road that early in the morning cars usually have their high beams on, so I cross over to the other side so to not be blinded as much by the headlights.  Well on this day my headlamp gave out and I was concentrating on my speed and not paying attention to how far I had crossed over when a car was coming towards me.  I slipped off the edge of the road into the gravel, usually I can regain my balance after this, well not today.  I totally wiped out!!  It hurt, but I got up and kept going for my last mile.  The most embarrassing part of the whole thing was that the car saw me and slowed down to see if I was ok.  I am glad they did, but it was so embarrassing!  I can’t believe I fell!  I felt like such a dork!  I ended up tearing my Under Armor pants that my hubby bought for me for Christmas one year, scraping my left knee, scuffing my shoes and hurting my right foot and knee.   Luckily, that was the extent of my injuries from this spill, besides my ego being hurt.  I really am grateful that after running for 4 years, this is the first time that I have fallen.  I have run in snow, ice, uneven trails, in the dark, and this is the first time I fell.  So, so, so thankful for that!  Truly it was me being cocky that morning and not paying attention that led to me falling.  It was a good wake up call for me.  
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I am happy to report that after this spill, I am still running and am having the best time getting extra miles and longer workouts in over this wonderful spring break week!  I will not be discouraged and I will continue to push forward with my training!  I love running and love how it makes me feel.  One fall is not going to change that!  
Have you ever fallen while running?  Did you shake it off and keep going? How did you recover from it?  
Until next time, my running friends, RUN ON!!!!!

Laura

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