If you follow this you know I've been dealing with some health issues. As for the pesky parasite problem, I'm still not 100% sure that I've got that beat. As far as the hip/back issues go, well, that's another story. I've been trying to convince myself that I could train through the issue and I really did give it a good try. I took rest days, cross trained, you name it and I tried it. The end result is that running hurts. More than normal. Especially anything over 10 miles. It seems that even my gait has changed. I remained optimistic and even registered for one of my favorite events-Ice Age Trail 50. I figured I could put my head down and shuffle through a 50K. As the year progressed and my training regressed I swallowed my pride and moved down to the half marathon. I surely could stumble through that, right? Well, today I choked on what was left of my pride and contacted the RD and chalked up a first- Did Not Start. Not quite how I envisioned my season starting. I'll still be at the race this weekend, but in a supporting role, as Tammy run her half marathon. I'll be cheering everyone and enjoying the atmosphere. Can you say "more cowbell"!?
So now what? I'm pretty much tossing in the towel this year as far as running is concerned. My thought process is that the rest, both mental and physical will do me good. That doesn't mean I'm going to spend my days on the couch. I'm planning (hoping) to spend more time on the bike(s). The non-weight bearing component of bicycling doesn't seem to bother me. I've been putting in some fairly good miles with relatively little pain. Mostly just getting used to being in the saddle again. I'm certainly not fast but I'm okay with that-really! No, really! I realize I'm not a kid anymore. There will be more rest days and smarter training. Maybe even a race or two. I haven't looked too far ahead but I'd sure like to do an event or two this summer. Maybe a WEMS race. https://wemseries.com/ Maybe Wausau24. http://www.wausau24.com/page/show/175723-home
I like the idea of something with more endurance than speed. I think it plays more to my strength and years of working shift work.
I plan to commute more by bike this year. It's a bit of a logistical chore, but I can do it if I quit making excuses. Plus, this gives me an excuse to put some miles on what seems to be a growing corral of bikes.
Hopefully, I'll be lacing up my shoes again. I really do miss the trails and the long miles. It's where I feel most comfortable. I guess I'm already thinking about 2017.
As always, thanks for reading. I welcome your thoughts and comments. And hopefully I'll see you on the roads and trails this year!
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