Day 3 of Training

OUCH!

OK.. so the pain finally hit at about 5:00pm last night. I was doing dishes when it suddenly occurred to me that I couldn't lift my legs properly without pain. I'm not invincible after all! I was starting to think this would be a piece of cake. I took 2 Epsom salt baths & kept rubbing down my legs trying to make it feel better. I could just imagine if I felt like this today... what would I feel like in the morning?

I was venting my frustration to my Husband. The dilemma was that I knew that I should take a day of rest but.. I know from past experience that if I take one day it could very likely turn into 2 days or 3 and then I just stop. I didn't think I could just run through with the pain and stiffness in my legs though. He finally came up with the alternative of walking the whole thing today. I'm still doing the miles but still taking a rest. That seemed like a good compromise to me.

I have a few friends on Facebook that are planning on running the Wasatch Back Relay Race with me and everyone is being so supportive with comments and encouragement. I feel like I have my own little cheer squad off to the side trying to push me along.

Day 3:
I stretch out and start walking. I feel my muscles aching with each step I take. This will be good, right!? Maybe it will stretch them out and relieve some of the stiffness. I turn my 2nd corner and decide to start walking faster. I get about half way through with my "course" and run into one of my neighbors and Facebook friends that's running the whole time and asks if she can walk with me for her cool down. She calls this a cool down? I thought I was walking fast! She offers great support and encouragement. She's talking, I'm breathing. She asks a question and I'm trying really hard not to sound winded when I answer. How can she do this and talk at the same time? Amazing! It's taking almost all of my brain power to 1. Breathe, 2. Lift my painful legs with each step & 3. Not trip and fall which is the most likely to happen out of all three. She's very cheerful & practically skips away to her house when we come up to it. Impressive.

I pass another runner with headphones on. She's very fit, skinny, toned & running like this is as easy as a casual walk through the park. I can't help but stare in disbelief and make a little pledge to myself that I will be her in one year. That makes me smile a little bit as I come up to the corner where my house is. I walk slower, cool down and stretch out. My legs still feel just as sore and stiff as when I started. I really want to go back to running every 3 houses tomorrow so hopefully I helped and didn't make things worse for myself. I hate the days where I feel like I moved backwards instead of forward.