I grew up as a book-lover in an athletic family. I always trailed behind the rest of the family during family bike rides. On ski trips, I asked if I could bring a book along and just ride the ski lift around and around. I was the kid who never scored in soccer games.
Then, this summer I started running with my coworkers in Mexico, and I was shocked at how much I enjoyed it. So I continued. I planned on running a half marathon in November and trained by running the 15K trail around White Rock Lake as often as I could. Things were progressing according to plan when, a week before the race, my knee suddenly gave out. I spent three days on the couch with frozen berries on my knee (I was too cheap to buy ice trays.) and decided that the race was doomed.
Instead, I set my sights on the eight-mile Turkey Trot race in Dallas on Thanksgiving. My family runs the race every year, but I always stick to the three-mile version. Sister #3 said that she would run with me, so I began retraining.
As the days of training dwindled, I kept an eye on the weather. I can't stand the cold. I'd rather run in the gnat-infested humidity of a Texas summer than the drizzle of cold any day. Thursday's temperature was forecasted at freezing, with rain. The Turkey Trot must be run, though. I decided that if I could run a 15K in sunny weather, I'd be able to run the race in the cold.
I grew up with athletes. I know what tapering is supposed to look like. I know that it doesn't mean running a hard run three days before a race, especially a hard run that likes to destroy knees. I just assumed it wouldn't happen again.
It did. I ran around the lake on Monday afternoon. By the next day, my knee wouldn't bend. #3 called to tell me that she was tapering for a swim meet and couldn't run the race with me, and I told her it was fine, that I wouldn't be running the eight-mile anyway. I tried explaining to her what had happened. "I just thought bad knees were like chicken pox," I said. "Once you catch it once, it won't happen again." She laughed.
So I'm back to short runs. I miss the lake, though, and I'm beginning to wonder: Can you catch a bad knee three times?
3 comments:
good job courtney! after all that work sorry you didnt get to run...
i was just thinking though, maybe the knee thing has a link to CAP. Kristi had to go home for 2 weeks cuase her knee was unwalkable. and sarah's knee last year, there is a PE teacher who has been out for a while cause of his knee... you just are missing it here so much your body wanted to be a part of it.
yes. you can catch a bad knee 85 times.
I'm proud of your running skills miss athlete!!
I'm with Kristen on this one!!! Swimming is a Good option
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