You're More Than 'Just A Runner'

There seems to be one major difference between people who work out, and people who don't.  People who workout as part of their lifestyle often seem to struggle with resting, whereas people who don't work out seem to savor it.  This past week, I have been resting. 

Just over a week ago my head coach came down with a nasty illness that kept him from coming to our big meet that weekend.  Then last Monday I came down with the same thing - high fever, a carnival took residence in my stomach, and the sinus pressure was so bad it felt like I got kicked in the mouth by a horse.  I can say with certainty that five years ago, well, even one year ago, I would have tried to run through that.  The fever would have kept me inside, but I would have considered the other things minor in comparison for my need to get out the door and log some miles. 

I didn't realize the importance of rest and honestly listening to what my body was telling me until last winter.  I had developed some issues in my left calf and ankle in getting ready for Ragnar in 2012, and those injuries lead to an overuse injury in my right hamstring.  By the time I finished coaching cross country last fall I knew I had really messed things up - the pain in my hamstring was sharp and deep. Now I had to address it. After two trips to the sport med doctors at UW Health, I received the unpleasant news that I had to take time off.  And not just a couple weeks, we're talking months.  I was devastated.  Pair that with the nasty breakup that happened right around the same time and there I was - a hot mess without access to my #1 coping mechanism.  Now what?  I was allowed to do some strength work, and eventually do some agility work, but that was it.  It wasn't until that point that I realized I had all my theoretical eggs in one basket - fitness.  I had lots of other interests, but I had put all of them aside to focus on my performance, and I felt stuck. 

Last winter was by far the longest on record for me.  Fast forward to this past week - I was bummed to have to take some time off and miss practice with my girls, but I had other things on deck that I liked to do.  My unpleasant winter last year forced me to explore parts of me I had long forgotten - my love of reading, writing, time with non-runner friends, artwork, photography, diving into special projects at work, helping other runners and volunteering at events.  All those things were necessary to get me to not go crazy during this last week of rest.  I did miss running in the fall colors with my cross country team, and I longed for that exhilaration of finishing a workout with that burn in your lungs and breathless 'good job's being shared between teammates. 

So as a word of advice, don't forget that we are more than just runners. And as much as we love to run through cities, forests, canyons, mountains and deserts, we're capable of being effective individuals in more ways than our weekly mileage logs suggest.  Most people are winding down their training cycles (congratulations Chicago marathoners!), and it's a wonderful time to scale back the workouts and figure out what else makes us tick.  If you're anything like me, you often feel like you are defined by your running.  I was at a seminar for work the other day and the speaker said that your profession (our in our case, running) doesn't define you, your values do. I urge you to figure out what that means for you.  Winter, or a rest cycle you know you should take, doesn't need to be a stir crazy time of year.  Treat it as an exploration to make yourself a bit more well rounded, and you might just surprise yourself, and others, that you're more than 'just a runner'.