I didn’t.

It started with a shin splint on the left, which is one of the oldest running injuries I confront. I blamed it on our move to a hilly neighborhood and stepping out my door to run downhill on concrete every day. I powered through the Snowman Stampede Half with this hiccup because honestly, it got better after I warmed up and after 6 miles or so it didn’t nag at me anymore. Finally, I started driving to a gravel trail every day and the shin splint started getting better without the downhill-on-concrete-everyday issue.

Then, Bam. Pain in my right ankle that was new and did not get better as I warmed up. So I decided to just tough it out for day 500 and quit. Nice round number, good day to quit. Then day 498 didn’t feel that bad, and on day 501 I didn’t want to quit. So I went to see a sports chiropractor who did some soft tissue work and said he didn’t think it was injured, just inflamed and it was okay if I ran on it. (my new favorite chiropractor) I saw him regularly after that and in April I ran a total of 46 miles. A total of 46 miles, in 30 days. Do that math, it’s sad. But every day it was a little bit better, and then I was running 3 miles at a time and then 5. And now it doesn’t hurt at all.

Some days I wake up and think I do NOT want to run today. But day 612 is a stupid day to quit and feeling lazy is a really lame excuse after I ran through that ankle thing, so I run. It’s become a metaphor for life for me. I do NOT want to write that ridiculous paper today. But I only have 3 terms left after this and today would be a stupid day to quit.

So, I put one foot in front of the other. I type one word and then the next. I drive another 103 miles to Pueblo. Then, I sit on the couch under a blanket with my youngest snuggled against me and I want all those minutes to last forever. Then it’s 5pm and I have to get ready for work. And tomorrow I will run again.