The Hard Knocks of a New Year

After each race I pray for wisdom, hoping to have learned something that I can apply to my life in the year to come. Well, I did learn a few things after my last race, but not exactly what I had expected.

1.  Don’t think you can host your entire family for Christmas, after being away from home for four months (and only home for four days) after running 130.92 miles.  Cooking, cleaning, and being utterly charming for sixteen people, for four days straight, while completely exhausted, and unable to walk normally down a flight of stairs, will lead to a nervous breakdown.  And it won’t be pretty. Especially when Hubs catches you at one o’clock in the morning biting the heads off all the chocolate Santas you bought for the guests.

2.  Don’t delay all Christmas shopping (and I do mean all) until the three days before above-mentioned family arrives just because you were busy getting ready for the race.  Remember, it is not nice to clothesline an 82 year-old woman in the Tommy Hilfiger outlet store just because she beat you to the very last size small button-down shirt in the entire state of Texas three days before Christmas! Face it, you look bad and she won’t let go.  Nobody wins.

3.  Don’t think that just because you had a PR in the race you are not still a complete klutz. Remember, the race was on a TRACK.  A very flat, no-traffic, no-potholes, no-rocks, no-branches, TRACK.  Take a hint.  Any deviation in terrain is still a hazard for you, and you will fall and strain your adductor.  Again.  For the sixth time.  Sheesh.

4.  Don’t believe that ten glasses of orange juice per day will make you invincible to the common cold.  If both your teen sons get sick, so will you.  Especially if one of them drinks from your Coke and doesn’t tell you.

5.  Don’t keep thinking you can eat four cupcakes in one sitting when you aren’t running (because of above-mentioned reasons) even if you just ran a big race.  Your butt does not give you credit for miles to be run in the future.  In fact, at 44 years of age, your butt often doesn’t give you credit for miles you actually run.

As I write these lessons to myself, I am reminded once again that I run 24 Hour races for a reason (beyond the fact that I’m a klutz):  I have a very short term memory, so running round and round in a circle never gets old!  Every loop, and lesson learned, is new again.

Happy Running!

Tagged as: Cupcakes, falling, injury, Lessons, Life, Racing, Running