The Gift of Downtime

I’ve been on the couch nursing my right knee for a month now (stress fracture and tendonitis was the diagnosis, but neither are severe), and I must say, it has been surprisingly refreshing to take a break from training. I sure was a mess the first week – depressed, longing for the trails, wondering if I was ever going to run again – but once I broke from the pattern, I was able to fill my running time with a bunch of things that could help maintain my balance and sense of adventure. Who knew it could be so much fun to NOT run?

I didn’t realize how addicting running can be until I was forced to take a break. It really is like trying to quit smoking or crack! Well, maybe not crack, but it's up there. My legs didn’t get the memo from the doc about a “mandatory month of rest”, and they would start shaking and twitching around 6am every morning, ready for that daily run. When they didn’t get their fix, they sent a message right to my brain – get depressed, angry, or something, but get back in the running groove! Finally Christi set me straight, and said I had to change my daily routine so I wasn’t “missing” my workouts. Much to my surprise, I found great satisfaction in doing housework, spending long chunks of time with Sophie, slow swimming, and reconnecting with Debby Weil who is recovering from her cycling accident.

One of the first things I wanted to do was give Christi, my wife, a break every day that I could. She has been great about giving me the time to train in the mornings and weekends, and I wanted to return the favor even if she doesn’t obsess about exercising like me. I made sure I was the first up in the mornings, feeding Sophie breakfast (or “breckee” as we call it), washing dishes, cleaning up, etc. Christi spent the time sleeping in, working out, or reading a magazine that had been gathering dust for months. On the occasional weeknight, I took Sophie out on “dinner dates with Daddy” to give Christi some time to catch up with friends. Turns out it is quite a work out! I certainly have a new appreciation for the sacrifice Christi and Sophie make just so I can get my daily run fix.

(Sophie and Daddy at a wedding in Colorado)

I have spent a lot more time with Sophie in the last month, and it has been wonderful to experience our bond grow. She’s almost one year old, and changing every week (not walking yet, but darn close). It was nice to have her for big blocks of time, and be able to hit the zoo, walks in the park, going to weddings, try out new words, etc., instead of constantly wondering how I could fit her in or around my workout schedule. No surprise, I have more photos on HER blog these days. ;-) If you’re a running blogger with an entry in the last month, Sophie has probably heard your adventure read out loud (that means you, Vermont 100 winner AJW, Olga the 12-hour dominator, Peter Lubbers the Ultrarunner.net leader, Jean Pommier touring France, Mark Tanaka chasing ghosts, Rick Gaston mastering the Headlands Hundred, and many more!). It’s been great to live vicariously through you all, and Sophie hangs on your every word.

Christi was quick to point out that I might enjoy some light swimming, if anything just to get my heart rate up for a few minutes. I joined the gang at Ladera Oaks during the noon hour, plodding along in the slow lane and doing lots of pool running. Turns out that pool running can be quite a workout for the heart and muscles, without the strain on your bones and joints. Water aerobics is not for wimps! Christi was right – my mood improved, even with 1-2 pool sessions per week.

I also made a pact with myself to make time to meet Debby Weil, the cyclist who had been in an accident on Memorial Day weekend (read blog post here). We had exchanged voice mails since she got out of ICU in late June, but I never seemed to have the time to stop by and see her. Perhaps part of this was due to the fact that I knew she was still in bad shape – how could she not be? But wouldn’t I want visitors if I was strapped to the couch? Absolutely, so I called her up and scheduled some time. When she opened her door to welcome me into her home, I simply couldn’t believe it – she looked great! I had to apologize for staring, because I was having a hard time seeing “Debby from the accident” somewhere behind her glowing smile. Over the next few hours, she told me about the insane recovery (four weeks in ICU, more surgeries than I could count, 19 plates in her head and arms, taking 5 days to learn to swallow again, a new nose and chin, learning to grasp a cup all over again, etc.) and how she still has a ways to go. But to me, the fact that she could be alive with her sense of humor intact was nothing short of a miracle. I gave her some ultrarunner tips on how to stomach Ensure (blended with fruit and almond butter is best), and shared tidbits of the accident that she was curious about but thankfully doesn’t remember. She wanted me to pass on a thank you to all of you who wished her well and kept her in your thoughts and prayers. I was simply aglow when I returned to work. She is the closest thing to an angel I have ever experienced, and I’m hoping we can stay in touch.

The x-rays and bone scans are good and the docs have cleared me to run again (right after the mandatory speech about how people shouldn’t run that far, yada, yada). So I’m ramping up slowly, being careful to step cautiously and not hit the hills too hard. So far no pain but my stride is as awkward as a newborn giraffe. It’s good to connect with the trails again, but I’m setting my clock extra early so I can get back in time for breckee with Sophie and hopefully the snoring sound of my wife. This last Sunday, I took them both out on a date instead of worrying about the long run. I’m going to stick with the pool sessions to do my “speed work” – there is definitely a link to running stronger in there, but I need more experimentation. Looking forward to seeing you all again soon, refreshed and ready to run!

SD