I'm Back.

Don't look now but guess whose back in town?

I got nine lives cat's eyes
Using every one of them and runnin' wild
Cause I'm back
Yes I'm back well I'm back
Yes I'm back
Well I'm back back
Well I'm back in black

Well, I really wasn't "gone" per se. It was more of an extended hiatus of sorts. Time to get some well needed things taken care of like my surgery to correct my voice and getting caught-up on all the everyday life things that I couldn't get to during training that were piled up higher than that nasty snow farm they created in the Seaport District this past winter.  By the way, I ran over there yesterday and there is still a pile!  It's the end of June for Sally's sake (I was going to say "Pete's sake" but he is always getting s bum rap). 

I learned some things during my time away. Oh, that makes it sound like I was in jail or in a rehab clinic for some addiction.  I can unequivocally say that it was neither of them. I did learn though that I was letting running be all consuming. 24 X 7. Running, run, run, run. Run this. Run that. I was missing out on the important things in front of me like spending time with my family.  Rearranging my schedule so that I could have every opportunity to run.  Every free moment.  When exactly was the moment that I made the realization though?  When did the light bulb (LED of course) flick on?  When I was in the pre-op area just after the nurse went through everything that was going to happen during my voice correction surgery.  She asked if I had any questions and I stupidly blurted out "So, when can I run again?"  Seriously?  Did I just ask that?  I sit here now thinking of the scene from "A Christmas Story" when Santa asks Ralphie what he wants for Christmas:  "I want an official Red Ryder Carbine-Action two-hundred-shot range model air rifle!".  "You'll shoot your eye out kid", Santa retorted.  In my case though, the nurse was probably saying something like "What a jerk.  That's his question?  Nothing about what is going to happen in a couple of minutes.  Geez, what a real a-hole?" (I cleaned it up a bit from what she was probably really saying).   How would the nurse know when I could run again?  She wouldn't.  More importantly, why would she even care when her priority was to make sure that everything was ready?  She didn't and at that moment I realized that my priorities were a bit out of whack. 

I found myself back in the hospital 2 weeks later due to some complications.  An opportunity to reinforce the priorities in my life.  Reinforce that running should not be consuming every aspect of my life outside of work. It was hard though as the family area on the floor of the hospital overlooked the Charles River.  All the runners basking in the sun, wind in their hair as they pounded out the miles. Jealous?  Absolutely.  But I was OK with it as I needed to focus on getting better and being with my family. There would be time to run again later on.  Balanced with life though.

I'm on the mend and have been getting back to running.  Training for a race at the end of this month and another in the middle of next month. It has been a lot more difficult and challenging than I thought it would have been after only taking a little more than a month off.  Maybe frustrating is more the feeling. I was in such top condition from training for the marathon.  Surely I should be able to get right back into it.  Pick back up right where I left off.  Not so much. Slow and easy is the course I've had to take.  That is OK with me though.  I'm taking what I learned from my coaches during marathon training to safely get back into the swing of things.

It's definitely good to be back.  Juggling running and life in a positive way.  Thankful for being able to talk and have people hear me again. 

Until next time, keep on runnin'!