Leg 005 – Respect and Mastery

The Run
Short run this morning. Born mainly of necessity from sleeping in a little more than planned. (Okay. A lot!)  My work has me burning both ends of the candle lately.  So the extra 45 minutes was a nice bit of recovery.

Quite often, depending upon the route, I run through an area that serves as a school bus stop for a dozen or so elementary school children.  I always have a fun little exchange with these kids as I pass by.  (Wearing my Blue M&M t-shirt or my Perry the Platypus t-shirt generates a good deal of chatter!)  This morning, a few of the boys decided to race me for a few yards.  They got a huge thrill when they beat me to the “telephone pole.”  Losing to them made my morning !

The Mind

When I was much younger, I could just pick up and run with little or no preparation.  There was no real penalty back then.  My young body could take it.  Not so much anymore.  (Youth is so unappreciated by the young!)  A series of running injuries has taught me that my “now-mature” body demands maintenance and care!!

Lately, my left leg has required attention, especially the Iliotibial (IT) Band and quads.  They are very tight and uncomfortable.  I am giving them extra doses of stretching, before / after my runs and throughout the day.  As I run, I continuously analyze what is happening. I make a list of things to research.  In the meantime, I discover that my leg responds better to a fuller stride! Very good! And very cool!

While running, I have realized that there is a fine line between respect and mastery.  Both are necessary.  I have to monitor and listen to what my body is telling me.  But I can also choose to push myself despite any red flags being raised.  Each one by itself is potentially harmful.  For example, if I stop and react to every physical alarm, I am unlikely to reach my goals.  On the other extreme, if I take the “withstand any pain for 30 minutes” approach, I might be rewarded with an injury that will ground me for an indefinite period of time.

Conversely, I believe that one can do just about anything with appropriate application of both principles. That, and a little persistence!

So where exactly is that line between reverence and willpower? I am not certain. For now though, I’ll say this.  If fatigue is the sole signal coming from within, my response must be to focus and lengthen my stride!

The Journey
Made a small leap forward, now reaching 27.3 miles into my coast-to-coast marathon.  Today’s run took me through residential neighborhoods of East LA and the Boyle Heights section of LA.  I finished up today’s run in front of the 85-year-old Malabar Branch Library, a branch of the Los Angeles Public Library System.