Do you remember
when you were a child and you desperately wanted to cuddle that huge, eerie
dog? While nearing, you would stare at his eyes and see how his facial expression
was changing. Can you recall that moment of fear and anxiety, that terror you
felt when you were putting out your hand so the dog could smell it and decide
whether to trust you or not? You were happy and afraid, concentrated on your
moves and his reaction, tense and ready to recoil. You couldn’t be sure if you
were doing the right thing and if it would have been better if you just hadn’t
wished to approach him.
That’s how I
felt on March 31st. I was a terrified little creature approaching
that enormous, savage beast called running. Since running hurt me numerous
times in the past, my fear was justified. It’s like giving trust to someone who
lost it, or, even worse, someone who is prone to loosing it and hurting you.
But I did it. Once again, I decided to give it a try.
I know very well
I can exaggerate from time to time, so I had to set some limits. I decided to
go to the city park (Giardino Pubblico) near my place, so that I could go straight
home if something should go wrong. The longest circuit is 600m with a few
meters of descent/ascent and I planned to run no longer than 30min, no further
than 5K, no faster than 6:00. Eventually, I ran 3km in 20min39’ (pace 6:52) and,
hot diggety dog, I felt great! I finished my run with no cramps and no pain!
Yesterday (the 2nd of April), I did my second running session: 3,7km
in 23min34’ (pace 6:21). I ran with a friend of mine. We were chatting all the
time and my average HR was 126.
A dog’s age, 109
days of abstinence
Although I
started going to the gym more regularly, working out at home and increased my swimming
and cycling trainings, with no running I felt as I wasn’t working out enough.
The abstinence from running was like a long distance relationship: it put my
love to the test. Luckily, this test went well. I was jealous of runners. I
missed my pre-coffee morning runs (both hills and easy runs), my LSDs by the
sea or up the hills, my HIIT trainings and that feeling of being dog tired that,
no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t get from any other activity. Three days
ago, after my first post-injury run, I felt alive again, like a dog with two
tails! Once again I realized what running means to me: it helps me wake up, it
charges my batteries, it releases me from the stress and tension, it helps me
keep calm during difficult periods, pull myself together and get a hold of
myself when I get really nervous or angry. Running has been my escape valve for
more than a decade now. It’s precious time I dedicate to myself getting my
thoughts together. I’m in love with it and I cannot hide it.
Getting
unleashed: going back to track
It’s really
tough to take a break from what you love and it’s hard to know when you are
really ready to resume your favourite activity. You have to bare in mind that
you are not ready when you feel ready, but when your injury heals completely.
How much time will you need to recover and what your running plan should be
like after you come back depends on the type of the injury and its severity, on
how long you took off from regular running and on the consistency and the
quality of your treatment approach.
As Jason Fitzgerald says, coming back from any injury requires a gradual
approach; the first few days of running are simply to establish consistency,
evaluate any existing soreness or pain and get your legs used to running again.
You shouldn’t be greedy with miles, but grateful for every step.
Mental note to
myself: PATIENCE is a key word both for recovery and for comeback programme. Don’t
run out of it.
Back to gantts
and charts
I plan my next run
to be 5K with the pace 6:00 and above. Most probably, I won’t make triathlon
training plans before May. April will be the month of gym, swimming, cycling
and easy runs for me: I will try to avoid hills, keeping my mileage and pace
low (<10km at pace 5:45-6:20). If you want to start running now, I will be
glad if you wish to join me :)
My goal for the
next period is having fun and enjoying sports in sunny Trieste!
