Running?

It was just too nice out today for me to not run. I went out for a really easy jog around town, no watch, probably about 2.5 miles. I'm glad I did. I have played it conservatively over the last couple weeks and barely run at all. All told its been at least 10 or 11 days since I took a running step. 

I felt good out there, desperately out of shape, but good. My surgical side felt great actually. I was feeling a little more tightness in my opposite side today, so I'll have to work on that. Let me just put it out there on paper (well, digital copy) that my greatest fear at this point is that my right side has required surgery all along, and that its just flown under the radar. Truthfully when this issue first popped up for me I felt similar pain on both sides. As time went by, it was much more obviously on my left, and that became the focus. I know it doesn't do me any good to think about this possibility, but I can't help but let it creep into my mind sometimes. It's very unlikely that it would have been missed. Bi lateral sports hernias in runners must be so rare I shouldn't even consider it. 

Overall it was a positive run, and I'm happy I did it to test the waters a little bit. It'll give me a baseline when I get on the Alter-G. If I can run on that less painfully than I can on the road, then sign me up! I still don't think there will be a noticeable difference though, and it's not like the road felt painful at all. Sometimes it's hard for me to distinguish between discomfort, a lack of fitness, hip weakness, and how all those things work together-- because they must in some way. Fitness wise I feel 100% back to the beginning, so it's not like I'm very strong right now to begin with. That must play a little role in how wobbly and weak my hips feel at times. Not painful, just weak. There's only so much you can do exercise wise to build up that strength. Some of it must be achieved by actually running, right? The little running endurance I had built up before is feeling pretty much gone after that week and a half off. That's ok though. I'm feeling surprisingly upbeat about it. 

I'll see how the rest of the day goes and if it flares up on me at all. If not, then I'll be feeling even better. I'm going on an overnight hike with my friend Jennings and a bunch of other mustachioed dudes for his bachelor party this weekend so hopefully things will hold up and I can try running again early next week. Not kidding about the mustache part.

AH