Once A Runner…

The Road Back So Far (Week Seven)

I wound up taking off nine straight days to let the ankle get better. I wasn’t very optimistic when I laced up to go for a walk Friday, but it turned out well. Today, on the other hand, was much better. I walked about half a mile and then, for no other reason than because I suddenly felt like I both wanted to and could, I kicked it up into a slow jog that I was able to easily manage for over a mile before slowing back to a walk to cool down a bit.

Overall, it felt great. Almost no problem with the ankle injury. Nearly nothing at all from the knees. Almost no knee pain or ache in either knee the whole way. The pace was very slow, of course. I remember reading somewhere the poet Odgen Nash saying something like, “…when I jog, I joggle.” And I do joggle, what with some extra weight still on my frame, while jogging — not running really yet — but the weight will come off someday and I might be able to actually run again… without the joggle.

I guess an initial adjustment period is to be expected. I forget how these things should go — even though I read what others have written and should expect certain things — but it’s easy to simply not remember how the body has to adjust progressively to increased physical stresses. So long on the couch or in front of the keyboard and not out on the roads. Yeah, I forgot what it’s like.

And — just to be sure I can stay on track from here on out — I’m going to try to keep in mind that there really is some wisdom to taking days off to recover. I’m taking Sunday off. I think I may alternate days of only walking with days of mixed walking and jogging. When I can manage something faster than about 11 minutes or so a mile, I may be able to cut down the walking and slowly build up from jogging to some faster running. At least for a while, I believe, I’ll have to be a jogger until I can get to the point where I can run easily and comfortably without much trouble.

It’s going to be a long road. I knew that before I started, but I think I wasn’t clear on how long it could really be this time around. I’ve got a lot of time to travel it, though. There’s no hurry. Not really. Patience and perseverance.