Blocked goals in the form of hamstrings and sinus infections.

*****

I finished the Couch to 5K a few weeks ago and it was a hard fought journey. When I started it was hard to run 4 minutes straight! Just the idea of running a whole 9 minutes seemed so IMPOSSIBLE! I’ve realized that it’s not just about being healthy or loosing weight though. Don’t get me wrong, of course that is what started all of this and it’d be a lie to say it wasn’t important to me, BUT I think that achieving small goals every week in the form of distance and time has been even more beneficial.

Distances that I honestly felt I’d never see and the amount of time I’m able to run after just a few months is still amazing to me. Almost every week I was running further and longer. It makes me wonder what other small goals I can make for myself in other areas of my life that I could achieve! Mentally I feel much better than I did 3 months ago. Physically I feel better.

and then the last month happened.

I’ve been sick for a month with a sinus infection. I can function, but I’m exhausted. I just finished round two of antibiotics and felt good enough to run on Friday, which I did, and pushed myself hard… only to have to stop and stretch my hamstring several times. My hamstring has been gradually getting worse, I ignored it hoping it would just go away and it just got worse. Now I’m on a running break for a week, hoping that when I return to running that the pain will be gone and that the sinus infection will be gone so I can BREATHE.

There are good months and bad months, wins and losses and I wanted to be real in this journey even when it’s not all positive. Part of me wants to give up, but a deeper part of me is wanting just to get better so I can continue. A friend who is a long distance runner said, “Welcome, you are a runner now.” Because this is the life. Frustration, blocked goals, sickness and injuries. But I will keep on.