I'm in the process of training for another race, and it's slow going. My run-swim-run is coming up, and a long winter with a husband who was working out of state during the week has taken it's toll. I am officially out of shape again, which is frustrating. 2 weeks ago, I ran the Race for the Cure 5K, and managed one of my slowest times ever. Not that it's all about the time, but, well, okay, yeah, it's all about the time. Why ELSE does anybody run a race? But not only was I not well conditioned for a 5K, but it was a hot and humid day, and the last quarter mile of the race was uphill. I mean, really, uphill?
It totally sucked, and kicked my butt. For the first time since I started running seriously, about 4 years ago, I found myself walking in a race. I just couldn't get up that hill with any kind of speed. And then, as my husband constantly tells me, once you stop running, it's hard to start again. He's right, of course. I just had to tell myself over and over, "Slow and steady, slow and steady, slow and steady gets it done." I managed to run the last part of the hill, and was rewarded with a down hill slope to the finish line. I tried to compensate for my walking by sprinting as fast as I could the last hundred yards or so of the race, and was rewarded with an overwhelming wave of nausea and the need to sit down and put my head between my knees.
Not exactly my best race ever.
And so I start the process over again. Slow and steady build up as I train for another race and go through the motions that I've gone through before. The cycle begins again, but I know as frustrating as it is to start over, it's still better than giving up completely. And life just seems to go in cycles, right? Or maybe cycles isn't the right imagery. That suggests that things are always the same, or they revert back to the way they were. I guess a better way to think of it is going through ups and downs. Because when it comes to my body, I'm pretty sure I'm never going to be the way I was.
Still, I'd like to think that there are some things I'm doing that make my body better than it has ever been. I mean, I fully expect to have Evageline Lilly arms after my 1K open ocean swim in 2 months:
TOTALLY doable, right?
Slow and steady, people. Slow and steady.
3 comments:
No change is a great update! My nephrologist wants to start weaning my meds, but we're moving halfway across the country and he does not want something to go awry while we are gone. Argh!
Hope that your return to training goes smoothly!
LOVING that there has been no change. Tell you kidneys to keep it up. :) Good luck in your upcoming race. I know the feeling of losing what you've gained - so frustrating. That's my life it seems, with all my health problems I've had. Just when I feel like I'm getting back in shape I fall apart. You can do it! I'm cheering for you!!! xoxo
Just wondering/ where do you live. Actually I live in NC. I found out I had PKD when I was 18 but my kidneys are really starting to fail now and it starting to get depressing. You seem like you are coping very well. Running those races in all that sounds great. At times I wish I had the energy and the can do attituede. I wish I could run those races near you. You should be my coach and teach me how to survive living with PKD.
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