Today's Inspiration

kanazawa running, originally uploaded by Eryn Vorn.

Post-Mortem

After my knee dislocation and being sidelined, I discovered how much running serves a central role in providing much needed balance to my life. When I wasn't able to run, I noticed...

• I was moody
  
• I felt like tired most of the time and couldn't find any energy
  
• I started drinking coffee again
• I started eating fatty food again
• I started drinking soda again
• I had my first craving for chocolate in more than 5 years
• I was always hungry
• I couldn't think as clearly

Basically, I had symptoms of depression. This coincided with a sharp uptake in work, just when I needed to be running most. I'm surprised how much of an effect running has on me. When I run, I feel composed and confident. When I don't, everything seems to fall apart.

Back on Track

Little by little, I'm inching my way back into the game. Over the last few weeks, I've been testing my knee out. This week is the first solid week of running I've put in since the injury. My knee is feeling pretty good, in part because of the leg exercises I did to strengthen the muscles around my knee. I really wish I could start back where I left off making steady progress toward a 10k PR, but I'm going to have to be patient. The table below starts where my last training log post left off. The injury is marked in red, followed by a lot of zero days in gray.