1) Injure yourself enough to limp around in a cantankerous state of hatred for everything.  (Taper madness ain't got nothin' on this.)

2) Turn in a week of 12.7 miles run while riding the recumbent bike to escape the Blerch.  Inexplicably feel a major reduction in pain after hitting the bike.  Clearly, keep biking.

3) Go run a 5K in a time you'd be OK with while fully well and trained, and finish 3rd?!?

West Seneca Community Days 5K, tagline "together WE can make a difference", the W and E standing for West and East, the rival town high schools.  RD'd by a guy who grew up 2 houses down from me.  His son finished 2nd.  The green and gold '94 XC tye-dye I changed into after the race to rep for East?  Older than that kid, lol.  AG medal was a spinner with the rival logos on opposing sides.

Being able to race is not something I'll take for granted any time soon.  Bonus for being able to run on a beautiful summer evening in the town I grew up in.   And then the drive home, with the shadowy hills looming up out of the quarter-to-ten residual light that was reluctant to leave the sky.  To be able to do something you love, surrounded by good people, on a day like this - is truly priceless.

Great stuff, Jay. I assume you are on the mend?

You're not injured, you're simply on your way to 40. Welcome to my world of pain.  Seriously, I hope it was nothing and that it's gone for good.

I love that you mention that your tye-dye was older than the 2nd place kid. :-) And I love your conclusion. As always, your reflections on your races help me in my own process of reflection. Thanks for sharing this and congratulations!

 

Ain't it the truth.  I finally told my personal trainer to stop asking me if I have any pain expecting me to say no because something is always hurting.  lol

+1

Great job.  Hope the pain goes away.  And keep biking in the meantime.

You're not injured, you're simply on your way to 40. Welcome to my world of pain.  Seriously, I hope it was nothing and that it's gone for good.

 

I love that you mention that your tye-dye was older than the 2nd place kid. :-) And I love your conclusion. As always, your reflections on your races help me in my own process of reflection. Thanks for sharing this and congratulations!

Hah!

Yup.  Congrats Jay, the body is a strange beast and sometimes race day magic really does force everything to get with the program.

There is a reason elites will take a month or so of extremely reduced training load.  They know that they need to let their bodies heal from all the stress they've been placing on them.  We hobby joggers tend to be afraid to do that as we think we'll lose fitness.  Then, when we are forced to do so, we are surprised that we feel better.  Hmmmmm.

Ya, when they say "pain cave" after 40, it's usually related to rolling out of bed in the morning.