Appreciation

I love it when the award is a beer glass! That's me in the middle!

Nothing like an injury to make you really appreciate being able to swim, bike, or run or do anything really. I held back on blogging last week because I was afraid I might complain. I have been so bummed out about having a run injury that it has created so many worries and believe me, I am a bit of a worrier: 

1. What if I can't race to my potential by the start of the first triathlon in April?

2. What if I loose everything to this date that I have worked so hard for?

3. What if it doesn't heal quickly and I need to be in pain for potentially 9 months?

4. What if I can run but it remains painful?

5. What if I gain weight which will in turn affect racing?

On the left - coming down the red carpet finish!

What it has done is make me appreciate running. Maybe I needed this. I LOVE racing but I have never though of myself as a "runner". I'm not so sure I have felt a runner's high. I have good and bad runs. I don't always go out and think "Wow! What an amazing run!". I don't find it particularly comfortable. I forget to relax and enjoy it when I am doing it. I get quite bored. I usually look at it as something to get done and I what I like about it is that if I do it after swimming and biking, it is something that carries me home. 

I think it would be more fun to me if I didn't have such limited running options during the week. Running circles inside or in a cemetery just doesn't do it for me. I do like the way it makes me look and the way it makes me feel once I'm done. I find that I have good runs in the mornings but if I wait until the afternoon then I don't. It's like a big cloud that hangs over me during the day if I don't go get it done in the morning. 

Me and husband Rob

But after this injury and feeling so down this last week, maybe I realize that deep down I must actually love running. Maybe I needed this reality kick to make me appreciate something I usually do just to get done. For now I'm running in the water and actually enjoying it. Go figure! So go out today, tomorrow, this week, or whenever and take a moment to appreciate you are able to do it!