Still NO Running, But I DID Log Some Miles

I couldn't remember the last time I ran.

Then I looked in my workout log book.

June 24th was my last official run.

More than a month ago.

While I had the log book open in, I counted the days to my Disneyland 1/2 marathon (38 days) and my TriRock Olympic Distance Triathlon (45 days) and my Soma Half Ironman (87 days).

Seeing those numbers should have upset me.

But they didn't.

Since my laundry incident on June 12th, where I injured my patella tendon, I have realized a few things.

1. If you are injured - take care of yourselfI sucked it up and bandaged my leg and competed in a triathlon about 10 days after my accident, when I really should have been smarter and kinder to my body and RICEed  (rest, ice, compression, elevation) it. But no, I wanted to compete. So what if I bettered my time from last year by a little more than a minute. In hindsight, it was NOT a smart thing to do.

2. Turning Lemons into Lemonade is a good thing.

    So I can't run....I have spent my running time riding my bike and working on my swimming. Since I can't MASH the pedals with my right leg, I have learned to really spin it. Yep, I am a little slower going up hills. I mean, how fast do you have to spin your legs to go 20 mph up a hill? Don't ask me because I have NOT been able to do it yet. I can spin pretty fast on the flats...and I am looking forward to the time when I can add some muscle to that spin. 

I have spent more time in the pool working on my swim technique. I am not sure I am faster, but, jeez, I can swim an entire hour and not get out of breathe or start thinking, "When the hell is this workout over?"  I am even starting to feel "pretty" when I swim.

What I probably look like. But I feel like this

Well, except I DO wear a bathing suit or a wet suit. But I think this is pretty.

3. Get Rid of the Ego.....You wouldn't think I would have one after all I have admitted in this blog (such as, peeing on a towel in T1). But darn it, it is hard to go on a group ride and have a cyclist pass me when I know they are slower than me. It has been tortuously hard to let those "slower" riders go by me. I had to stuff my ego down and think about my freaking knee and how I needed to take care of it. So I just plastered a smile on my face and spun on. I have shoved my ego down so much in the past 4 weeks that now, I am not sure I have one...which is apparent by the lack of makeup I have been wearing lately.

By putting my Ego aside, I have realized that no matter what speed I ride my bike - I LIKE TO RIDE MY BIKE!

So screw all you fast people who are mashing on your pedals and going past me. Okay, just kidding.

4. Running is NOT everything.....but it is something.

It is irony that I can't run right now. After all my bitching and complaining about running, I can't do it. And I do want to run. Mostly, I miss my trail running. So I have learned my cosmic lesson and from here on out, when I DO get to run, I am going to LOVE it and feel grateful for every hard, pounding step.

5. (And this is the last one....I promise). No matter what my injury, I can always find some way to exercise so I can stay in shape and stay healthy. So I can't run. I have walked. I have hiked. I have spent a lot of time on the elliptical machine and a lot of time on the treadmill with the setting on the highest grade. My legs have been getting a workout, without pounding my knee.

So it's been 4 weeks since my doctor said no running for 4 to 6 weeks. It's been 2 weeks since my second opinion doctor said no running for 4 to 6 weeks. My plan is to keep doing what I have been doing for another week and then take a "test" jog.

So what, if I have to walk my half marathon?

So what, if I have to walk the 10k of my Olympic Distance Triathlon?

And

So what, if I have to walk/jog the run in my half Ironman?

My goal is to Finish!

But please GOD, let me be able to run.