The funny thing about saying you feel old is that someone, who is older, will always deny your statement, no matter how old you are. Well, today, I feel old. Now I realize that I am still young and healthy. What I mean by declaring this statement, is that running does not get easier as you age.
I stayed fairly active as a kid through the school years. I was no star athlete by any means but I wasn’t a couch potato either. Through my various activities, I never experienced any serious injuries. I was always able to push myself and go with no serious consequences.
Training for this half-marathon has brought new challenges to me. Today, I sit on the couch with my left knee aching. What does this mean? Is this serious? Can I still run tomorrow? Should I take a week off? Should I start strength training? How will I find time for that?
I don’t consider myself a competitive person…with other people. However, I am my biggest competitor when it comes to running. I love pushing myself to go further and run faster than I did last time. I know that I’ve been pushing my pace this week and I think I’m paying for it. So now I face my biggest challenge thus far, the challenge to take it easy.
As long as my knee is no worse tomorrow I will plan to run. However, I will force myself to slow my pace. Tomorrow I do my first 3 mile run. It may take a while, but I want to get this done. I want to keep training. I want to run 13.1 miles. I want to cross the finish line.
*The picture is of me stretching at a college fitness center. See all of those young and fit college students? They make me feel old, but they also push me to prove that I can run just like they can.