Every dog has its day and mine was March 31st

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 31^st. 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 2^nd 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!