To run? Or not to run?

Navigational Art by Colleen Yorke, 2005.

If we have run for awhile, we probably have been injured before. Maybe our shoes had more wear and tear than they should have had when we went out for that determined gazelle morning run. Maybe we just got new shoes and did not break them in when we went for that two digits training run with friends. Or we were sure the shoes "fitted perfectly", they were practically made for us that we did not need to break them in. Maybe we had not run for awhile and decided to come back with vengeance and style. Maybe we did not warm up first. Or maybe, maybe we looked at our phone to track our awesomeness and failed to see where the curb ended. Yes, most likely we have been there and done that.

We likely have also learned that when we experience discomfort to not run. Yes, being injured can be terribly frustrating and taking time off is likely not the back-up advice we hoped to hear from experts and friends. But, "getting that run in," and run 17 or 18 miles, when we are hurting does no good. First, any adequate pacing is compromised. Secondly, we may run differently to avoid running on sore areas (don't do that!). Third, running on inflamed muscles or sore joints can quickly aggravate to ligament tears or stress fractures. 

Taking off a couple days is always the better choice to visiting the doctor several times, or even have to undergo surgery and not being able to run for months . . . or in the case of a dear friend of mine, not at all.

Today will be my first comeback run from a knee injury. I am excited. And very, very nervous.