Once again I'm reminded, it's not the things you expect deserving worry; it's the things you don't.
If you've been following me on Facebook this month you've read my posts about Project183 and some have asked what it means. "Is Project183 a new triathlon team?," one reader wrote and others asked if it was a goal to run 183 miles, and one person guessed I was advertising a new product. Neither of these are correct. Project183, and some of you guessed correctly, was my personal goal of running at least 5 kilometers every day from July 1 to December 31, for a total of 183 days.
The idea came to me - fittingly - during a run. While running my head floods with great ideas, solutions to problems, and flowing prose. But when I stop they are gone, leaving only faint memories of some great experiences and disappointment of their loss. However, after the cerebral waters receded from that run, what remained on the sandy shores of my mind was Project183. Without a purpose but steeped in personal meaning, running every day for the second half of the year would test my will, stamina, and resilience. The only thing between me and my goal would be an injury, like tendinitis, or an illness, like the flu. There was also a chance of mental fatigue but of all the things that could get in my way, burn-out would have been the easiest to overcome. As long as I careful to rest well between runs, keep the intensity low on most days, and eat well, everything that could stop me running was already known. Or so I thought.
Robert Burns wrote in 1785 ...
"But little Mouse, you are not alone,
In proving foresight may be vain:
The best laid schemes of mice and men
Go often askew,
And leave us nothing but grief and pain,
For promised joy!"
... and he may as well have written it today.
Injury from running is what I expected and I had a plan to avoid it but what I wasn't expecting - something that's never happened to me before - is something I didn't think about. Little did I know luggage falling from a top shelf in my closet onto my back would be the hazard that puts an end to Project183. My doctor's diagnosis is bruising to the longissimus thoracis, (a deep muscle of the back, attaching to the rib cage) between ribs number eleven and twelve,
... or ...
... or ...
... wait for it...
... a fractured rib. Ugh!
So, there you have it. I'm benched, off the roster, not even in the injured reserves for the remainder of the week, at a minimum.
I'd be lying to say I'm not disappointed but I it's not a total bust. After all, I did run 28 days in a row totaling 123 miles. And that in itself is an accomplishment.
My back will heal, my legs will again become strong, and there's no doubt a grand thought will bubble to the surface during a run, inspiring a new goal.
Never do I not have a plan.
Stay tuned...
1 comment:
Sorry your project was derailed or at least deferred. I'm a self described endurance enthusiast and also think of ways to test myself and stay motivated and off the couch, so I can appreciate your Project 183! I look forward to following your new adventure...whatever you decide it will be. Dave (aka Ironbirdlegs)
P.S. - I got into IM Lake Placid 2012, so keep an eye on www.ironbirdlegs.com for more on my first iron adventure.
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