Apr 3, 2008

you are here

lim·bo
–noun,

an intermediate, transitional, or midway state or place.

my itb and knee are getting along fine now. everyone is happy. for over two weeks now i can finally make it past four miles without pain. its all i’ve wanted since birmingham. i’m running, the miles are slowly increasing but i want more. specifically, i want my pace back. i feel like every last bit of fitness has oozed out and i'm not sure how to get it back. do i just keep running and my pace will find me? or do i have to go out and chase it down? is it in hill repeats? intervals? me and my pace reunited on a three miler this week. she was tough as hell to chase down, but i got her. it was so good to get together again, but she didn’t really want to hang around - right now, i think we can only get along for three miles. as happy as i was to have her back, i was fine to see her go - she can be so exhausting.

i’m on the fence about everything.

part of me is fine with the fact that pace has apparently taken a vacation. and part of me really misses it. part of me wants to start officially training for something and start jacking up the miles - i want to cross some squares off of a schedule. and then again i don’t. part of me wants to click the registration button for the half marathon but not really. i’ve got a growing list of races i’d like to do. the list just grows. i haven’t committed to anything. i keep thinking ‘we’ll wait & see’. i don’t know what i am waiting to see. but there it is. maybe i’m just waiting for pace to come back & stay for a while.

i'm in limbo. i think i need to hang out here for a little bit longer. i sort of like it here. but not really. maybe i’ll mull it all over on my slow run tomorrow. or maybe i'll try and chase down pace again - see if i can catch her.

12 comments:

house on hill road said...

you'll figure it out - you always do.

Unknown said...

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that you'll get your mojo back!

Stuart said...

Pace, she is a wily mistress indeed. I had her for a while, but like you the ITB took her away but she's there lurking just over the horizon...

Anonymous said...

Try running without the watch for 4 weeks. Just run for the fun of it and let your breathing determine your pace and the duration of speed bursts. Notice, I did not say just "run slow" for 4 weeks. Run fast when you feel fast, run slow when not. The key is to leave the watch at home and to make running fun, not a chore with a timex taskmaster.

Holden said...

I agree with anonymous. These transitional times are what I call going back to the woodshed. Theses are times to work on other things that will lead to great gains when it's time to bear down. Trail running, plyometrics, biking. These will clear the mind and strengthen the body.

Vickie said...

Don't get too content or you will never get out of limbo! I did that. I will never get out!

Anonymous said...

Zanne, I was going to say, "What does your Coach say?" but I see he's weighed in. I say, trust your Coach. :)

Gotta Run..... said...

Be smarter than me... I have now seen $65 go down the drain due to missed events. SUPER SUCKS!!!!

Running begins for me on Monday. I am a few weeks behind where you are at now.

You sure we are not twins or something??

Nancy said...

I think I'd give the knee a bit longer before chasing her down. She'll be there.

Nibbles said...

Maybe try picking something out that's quite a ways down the road--16 weeks perhaps, enough to follow a training program from beginning to end--and that's local. That's worked to get me out of previous limbos.

Bob - BlogMYruns.com said...

You will Figure it Out.... Any plans to do a 50k or 50 miler?? ya u will have to slow it down but I think You would be an awesome Ultra Runner!

zanne said...

bob ... there is a 50k somewhere in here - not sure when or where, but its in there!