The Last Three

I've been out of commission on my normal running for the last five weeks due to an injury. I've written a few times about how disappointed I have been in the length of recovery time. It's also been frustrating to have a good rhythm of running knocked off course. I have been tracking my miles with an app for my iPhone and when I hurt my knee I was at 197 miles for the year. While that may not seem like a lot to some people, I felt it was a big deal.

I had actually been looking forward to hitting the 200 mile mark especially since it had taken me far less time than it did to reach the first 100. I was in a groove as an "actual runner" and was planning ahead for faster pace and farther distances. It was not until this past week that I felt comfortable enough to hit the treadmill and get those last three miles. I don't discount the distance just because it took longer to achieve. In fact, I appreciate those last three miles even more. It's making me reevaluate my approach and to think more carefully about how I treat my aging body.

I will still celebrate this mileage, but will also gain greater respect for the endurance and perseverance it will take to hit the next 100. I still hope it won't take as long to move forward as these last three did. I suppose that's a decent lesson for a lot of goals in life. Sometimes it will come easily and other times we'll have to be more patient to see the results we're looking for.