Moving forward again

Last time I wrote about heading back to the basics of ChiRunning to break a couple of bad habits. Well, it's been worth it. After spending almost a week's worth of runs at the track do drills and a few laps, I headed back to the street on Sunday and had good results.

Well, Tuesday's and Thursday's runs were even better. My times are getting better, but more importantly, I'm not working nearly has hard. In fact, the last two runs I haven't had to take any walk breaks. I don't know if that's from the improved technique or my inappropriate sinus tachycardia has calmed down. Who know? Who cares?

I did have one odd thing happen on Thursday. I was planning a 4-miler and was running comfortably when at 1.5 miles, it felt like a knife stabbed me in the right hip/butt cheek. I tried to make a microchange or two, but nothing helped. It didn't happen with each step, but that was part of the problem. It was intermittent so I couldn't figure out what was causing it.

Even though I was about as far from home as I could get, I knew I had a choice -- I could stop and walk or I could keep pressing it and probably hurt myself and not run for a week or two (something I know all too well from experience with other pains.)

As much as I hate the idea of walking home, I decided to to exactly that. Actually, I tried to stretch out first to see if I could get rid of the stabbing pain. No luck.

So I started walking. I gave it a half-mile and decided to try running slowly again. I shortened my stride more than usual and gave it a little test. Hmm...no pain. So I kept going -- gently at first and then a little faster. I even managed a big hill (big for me) and now problems.

Got my 4 miles in and never felt the stabbing pain again. Still don't know what it was. I only know it's gone except for a little stab earlier today when I was teaching. I'll see how it goes tomorrow. I'd like to get 4 in again tomorrow, but we'll see.

Maybe finally, I am working with my body. Instead of mind over body, it's mind with body. I have the rest of my life to increase my mileage. And I'm now realizing it will all come a lot faster if I pay attention to what feels right.