R4R L10, Part 1
Tonight’s run was my first continuous run without walking since that last dreadful treadmill run on June 8th, exactly 5 months ago. I’m not sure where time has gone, yet simultaneously it also feels like the longest 5 months ever. The mind has a way to remember vivid details during injury and recovery. And I remember that agonizing treadmill run like it was yesterday. I was in pain the entire time and galloping like a horse instead of like a gazelle. That hip was on fire, but I just didn’t know it was a forest fire.

The workout tonight came after a long work day, but I managed to scoot out 30min early which was perfect. The workout was 5min WU, 45min run, 5min CD. I’ll be honest that I was constantly thinking about this run for about a week. Would I have pain? Would I be able to survive without walking? Would my aerobic capacity be put to the limit? Where would I do this run in the dark?

In looking back, I definitely let fear get inside of my head to question all of my rehab. I simply needed to let loose and live in the moment to realize I was more than capable – I just didn’t believe in myself. What the mind believes, the body will achieve!

I grabbed a quick snack after the long work day and got outside, fluffing my dog’s head as I passed by him sitting in front of the door in an effort to thwart my run. Tonight, I just didn’t have time to let him do business, so he stayed home. I chose to start out slow so that I could survive and then gradually kicked it up as the body welcomed each mile. It was just me and my headlamp, illuminating the roadway, with a few deer trickling through the wetland nearby. Every mile just felt smooth and effortless. Finally, at last, I had understood why it is important to run slow to build mighty mitochondria. I had no problems taking things slow and jogging down memory lane in my head. I also hit negative splits for the run, despite not even knowing this while the run was actually happening.

How is it Week 6 and I’m wrapping up this return-to-sport phase already? I’ve appreciated this return-to-sport journey more than last time. Something about this one just flowed better – probably because I didn’t fight the process and just let my body respond as it was ready to.

As I wrapped up the run, the stars filled the clear night sky as Coldplay’s “A sky full of stars” blasted on my playlist. And at that moment, a shooting star jetted across the backdrop in the westerly sky. What an incredible night on so many levels, even after a long work day!

R4R L10, Part 2
Today’s the day – the end of this part of the Return-to-Sport phase! What a journey it has been over these last 5 months and I was feeling all of it this morning. I set 11/11 as my final day of the Return-to-Run program from the beginning and I never looked back. It was a non-negotiable in my book, so I could check the box before hanging up the shoes to attend to other ecosystems of life. I knew it was going to be a little packed, jamming in 20 runs within a 6 week period, but I kept checking boxes one at a time to arrive at this final day with no setbacks.

I woke up early to get my mobility workout done before my morning run, a repeat of Level 10. I cranked in my breakfast and hopped right to the mobility work. I had a late night strength session, so I was a bit stiff this morning getting moving. Mobility work just hit the schedule perfectly, getting the kinks out and the joints well-lubricated before the run.

I headed out for my stroll as the sun was coming up. I would have loved to sleep-in today, but I needed to be on the highway before noon so morning workouts it was. Not every day’s agenda is ideal, but I always have discipline in making myself the priority. It’s taken awhile to learn how to put my needs first, but it was a needed life lesson.

I approached today’s run similar to Thursday, but I caught myself clipping much faster than I had intended. I just wanted to replicate that glorious Level 10 slow roll run from the other night. While it was 31 degrees out, the morning humidity was elevated and the sun was beaming. I kept shedding layers every time I passed by my driveway. I was cooking in the sun, despite an easy effort. I definitely pushed the needle towards the end of the run, bouncing up into HR Zone 4 a bit and probably RPE 5. It all felt good but I could feel the fatigue setting in near the end. And with that, Round 2 of Return-to-Sport progressions has me in a nice spot to resuming training after a bone deload week.

As I wrap up my last run, I also wrap up my return-to-sport blog installments. I used my blog to sort through the thoughts in my head, to reflect on the good and the ugly, to make sense of why I am in recovery – both physically and mentally. This return-to-sport phase went much easier than last time and here’s why:

1 – Expectations: I knew what I was getting into and the purpose. I trusted the process.

2 – Metrics: There was much less emphasis on metrics, despite sometimes I still got lost analyzing them. Focusing on RPE was a good move to just take what the day gives me.

3 – Solo: I did every single level without any running pals. It allowed me time to focus on my skeleton and clear my head from anything. I didn’t have to try and keep a conversation or offer advice to anyone but myself.

4 – Variety: I changed up both the scenery and the terrain every chance I could. I started my run progressions on vacation up north, enjoyed plenty of them at the track, a handful at the park, and a few in my neighborhood when I was tight on time. My brain appreciated the variety of scenery and my skeleton thrived with the change in terrain every week.

5 – Enlightenment: I finally have a better grasp on truly easy running and not pushing it when it doesn’t need to be fancy. Simple is effective. The contrast from high intensity running to relaxed smooth easy running will be important to my future success. And now that I’ve embraced it, it’s time to go work for my future success that I’ve waited long enough for.