Runners who can’t run aren’t happy campers!

I first started running in March 1980 and have run continuously since then.  Over this almost 32 year period I estimate that I have run over 41,000 miles.  The chart below shows the Annual Miles Run each year. I actually have diaries with entries for almost all of these runs.

To put the total miles in perspective, my favourite race over the last 32 years has been the Honolulu Marathon which is run on the second Sunday in December.  The distance from Vancouver to Honolulu is approximately 2,705 miles so … assuming I could run on water … I could have run to and from Honolulu 7.5 times!

Even with all of this running history, and knowing that I want to keep running over the long term, I still get frustrated whenever I can’t run … whether due to sickness, injury or accident.  Like all runners I want to get back NOW rather than wait and let my body heal but waiting for your body becomes even more important as you age.  The older body may be able to “do the work” but does take longer to recover.  And your mind always thinks you are the same person you were 10 or 20 or 30 years ago.  The trick is to find that point where recovery is “enough”, even if not complete, and you can start running again without further harming your long term running health.  I find that my mind almost always says I am ready to run before my body agrees.  I am going through this process, or should I say agony, this week after being knocked down by an off leash dog last weekend.  As of tonight I am not sure how much longer my patience to let my body heal will be able to keep at bay my almost overwhelming desire to start running again (pain free or not)!  Six days with no running seems like an eternity.