Running - an extreme sport

I'm not about to recap my year in running because it's not that impressive to anyone except for me.  I will say that comparing where I was at the beginning of the year to where I was at the end denotes progress.  I literally limped into 2013 last year.  Even though I was slowly getting over my bout with plantar fasciitis, I then attempted tubing while in Keystone last year, with fairly disastrous results.  I ended up feeling pretty crappy in general about my physical abilities - or limitations.

Flash forward to this Christmas, and running has been a source of joy and frustration, especially here in Boulder.  Despite having to run at an extremely slow pace thanks to HR training plus altitude, I did strive to find the joy in being outside and in such a beautiful place.  And it really was not that hard.  Once my HR settled down by mile 2, I relaxed about the fact that I was running well over 10 minute miles and I just enjoyed the scenery.  On Sunday, a long slow run took me around the Wonderland Lake trails and I even saw people ice-fishing (seemed like a foolish endeavor since they were ON the ice, even though temps had been fairly mild in the days before). My shorter and equally slow runs took me along running paths in North Boulder - kind of boring but pretty safe.  Or so you would think.

Apparently, running, even running slowly, can be dangerous!  I discovered this fact yesterday when a dog, in an attempt to get a ball, jack-knifed me and knocked me literally off my feet.  I still can't believe that I could not manage to avoid this little mishap - talk about clumsy!  Even more embarrassing, there were plenty of people around to watch my feet flail in the air as my body then landed on my right side.  I think that I yelled out an expletive well before I even hit the ground because I was so startled and scared.  And then, I stood up, a bit shaken, apologized for dropping the F-bomb with kids around, said that I was sure that I was okay (which was a total lie but I thought that I was) and then I went on my way, plodding along slowly but still plodding.  I finished the run with frequent check-ins with my right buttock, which took the brunt of the fall.  While I am a bit sore and tender, I am mainly happy and relieved that there was no major damage that accompanied the fall.

But it does make me laugh a bit and also think that I shouldn't take it for granted that I can get out and run, or even walk.  So, yesterday, given the chance, we took our boys out for their final 2013 walk.

And, today, when I had to do five minute hill repeats, I tried to find the joy in the experience.  Until I was too exhausted or wanted to throw up or was avoiding small patches of snow and/or ice!  Fortunately, there were no snafus today, so it was a nice way to start 2014!