2019: Time to Run

My running watch ;)

Happy 2019! We left off in late 2018, dealing with random ankle sprains and getting back into the swing of things. This month, I got it together, healed up, and started running again! 

Every time I get back from injury, I feel new to the sport. I get frustrated with how hard it is, yet excited about the possibilities. Reminiscing about the start of my running career, I dug up my old training logs, and sifted through the entries:

A 5k at 22 minutes. 

An easy 21 mile run at a 9 min/mile pace.

My old log is peppered with runs that swing between 7:30-9:30 paces. I feel a small disconnect from being this younger version of myself. I was new to running, and it was easy.

Also peppered into the logs are warning signs. A pain here, an ache there. Running through stress reactions, and of course, the months and months of blank spaces where I was sidelined by injuries. 

Today, my logs read a lot slower. Multiple minutes slower. But what I lack in speed, I've made up for in health. My injuries are not as damaging or as frequent. I've pushed my body, found the line, and pulled it back time and time again.

I was fast then, but I am smarter now. Hopefully, in 2019, I can marry the two.

I started this blog as a comeback. I wanted to finish a marathon. Looking forward to 2019, I'd like to do it faster.

So, training for Chicago, I'll try to set a time goal. Something I have not done in years. Is it possible, for an injury prone runner like myself, to get faster without being sidelined?

With all of my starts and stops, I feel as though I've been many different runners. I have been a newbie, I have been a veteran. Fast, slow, injured, and healthy. I don't know what will happen this year, but I am excited to find another runner in there somewhere.