The Battle Continues

Written by MMR

click here for preceding story ...

Whilst running with the Apprentice, we got to talk about a dear friend, Fiona, who unfortunately was a casualty in the injury department after a recent race where she stepped on a stone and fractured a bone in her foot and (her leg and foot) is currently in a cast. Our poor injured friend is starting to “itch” – she feels the itch to run and also the actual itch in the foot cast, and cannot wait to cut it open to scratch the itches!
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Fiona also entered to run in the Sundown marathon. Treading between being overly cautious and also to ensure encouragement in this bleak period of injury, I am battling on how best to advise her to “forget” about the Sundown marathon lest sundown becomes a “sunset” for her running career! Better to forgo one war and win the final and long-term battle. I can only hope that the injury heals quickly and the doctor will advise her accordingly.
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Plan B

Plan B dictated that I stop at about 12 km as I had many other plans and chores in the morning so I stopped running vowing to return in the evening. A short nap in the afternoon and I was up again getting dressed for my evening run. As I changed I thought "Gee, haven’t I already been through this ‘torture’ this morning?" Laziness set in again and again the brain and body is battling “to run or not to run?” Again, thankfully ‘good’ triumphs over ‘evil’ and the very thought that if I do not suffer now will mean that I will suffer later at the marathon certainly put a spring in my step.
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A mid-day shower had cooled down the temperatures and it turned out to be a very good run in the evening. The legs were already "warmed up" from the morning run. Nothing beats running when one feels "in the mode" when running is effortless, breathing is even and leg turnover is fast and efficient - what a feeling! Wow! Total kilometers ran today 27 km, about 1 km short of target.
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And so as runners and in our daily lives, we soldier through all our “battles”, be it in running or otherwise. With a fitter body and sound mind, soldiering on wisely and strongly, God willing, will hopefully ensure “victories” in all our battles, be it small or big. This coming weekend’s scheduled run is 32 km – a MAJOR battle. Hope I make it.

By MMR
8 April 2008

Posted by KC