When I got to Woodstock this weekend Ian had a surprise for me: the Summer Challenge students and faculty were going to run a 5K on Saturday! I was both excited and disappointed: excited because I could get a point of reference regarding where I am currently and how much training I should plan; disappointed because my left knee had been bothering me and I wasn't sure I should push it. (I've been doing physical therapy off and on (okay, more off than on) for about a year and go through phases were the knees are still pretty painful.)
Saturday morning dawned bright and beautiful, a welcome break from the rain and storms we've been having all week. My knee was stiff when I woke, but I hoped it would loosen up as I started moving. When race time came I decided to give it a go, but planned on walking the whole way (running + sore knee = bad idea). So I power-walked the whole way and finished at 42 minutes and 38 seconds. Figuring I usually manage a 15 minute-mile, I was pretty happy with myself. There were a few students who finished just ahead of me and they were motivated to pick up the pace when they realized that I walked the whole way but was still right behind them (and actually passed them at a few points).
Slow and steady may not have won the race, but it helped me finish without hurting myself...too badly. I iced my knee Saturday night but could hardly put any weight on it the next morning. I was so incredibly sore on Sunday it was ridiculous! It's now Monday morning and I can pretty much walk and move around without much discomfort. I'm glad I did the race because now I realize better what it is going to take to get ready for the Penguin Race in October. This has also motivated me to stick to my physical therapy exercises as directed and not slack off anymore!
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