I like this, because the day after Christmas, I thought I'd do some core work, and in the process strained my (chronically injured) back. It's been over a month now, and I've only been able to run one time, and that was too soon. My back feels better now, but I have pain and inflammation in the sciatic nerve, a new problem for me. (Also over at the Runner's World website, Amby Burfoot talks about his recent trouble with back spasms.)I am a runner.
This has nothing whatsoever to do with race results, placings, PR's, split times, training programs, gender, age, racing schedule, weekly mileage or pace bands. This has to do with something deep, something tender, something profound, something powerful and something untouchable about who we are in our hearts.
(To her friend): You are simply pacing yourself. What I want to tell Katie, and anyone else out there struggling with injury, illness, delay, or disappointment of any kind is that even if you are healing or taking time off... you are still, and always, a runner.
When injured, I, like many runners, entertain irrational fears -- "I'll never be able to run more than 10 miles a week" "I'll never be able to run again" "If I never run again what could I possibly replace running with to maintain my physical and mental health?!?" "I don't want to spend hours in the pool every week"... and so on. I've had these inner dialogues during bouts with runner's knee, hip pain, and now, back problems. Fortunately, and mysteriously in most cases, the body simply recovers. Until that time, I (and all others temporarily sidelined by injury) remain a runner.
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