Small Blessings

Well friends, I apologize for leaving you waiting for so long between blogs. I did write one yesterday, but the ancient computer (circa 2006) that I was using somehow deleted it as I was just finishing up. Muchos frustration!
The blog-that-was went something like this:
Well, it has been over a week now since I returned from out West, and it has been a bit of a mixed bag. On my last Sunday in Vancouver, I climbed the Chief (a mountain north of the city) with some friends and on our descent we decided to run down. While exhilarating, it took a heavy toll on my legs as absorbing the shock of impact required my quadriceps to do a lot of work. Even a refreshing swim in a waterfall pool on the way down couldn’t assuage the agony that my quads felt the next few days! Thus, my first few days back home were spent wondering if I would ever be able run again. Fortunately, by Wednesday I was able to do a workout: ripping off some fast 400s, 300s and 200s. Unfortunately, those fast intervals caused a reoccurrence of the hamstring issue that was bothering me before Vancouver. And so began the start of the old injury fandango – trying to train, but doing so in a way that would not strain the injury any more. It’s a very difficult tightrope to walk at the best of times. These last few days have consisted of modifying workouts – tweaking them in time, distance, intensity or mode. The hamstring has been fine while running, but will be achy afterwards or intermittently throughout the day. Thus it is very hard to discern if there is a problem and thus to know what to do: train or not to train? That is the question. I have a tune-up 1000m race in Ottawa on Wednesday, which I would really like to get in, so I really hope it clears up! At the time of writing, it feels pretty good, even though I did do a light workout last night. As the wisemen say: the hay is in the barn now – ie there is not much fitness I can lose or gain in these next weeks before Nationals…I just have to stay healthy. Fingers crossed please!

However, at times when my running is driving me crazy like this, I seek solace in the fact that my vegetable garden is growing well. It really took off in the week I was away in Vancouver. My squash are spreading, my tomatoes are taking over, and my potatoes are primed to pop out of the ground. Unfortunately, my parsnips are puny, but I don’t like them anyway. Hopefully, the squirrels and my resident groundhog allow them time to bear fruit but I have faith. Small blessings friends. Small blessings!
Be Easy.