We have about 3 months to cover. Sigh. I’ve had a bit of a writer’s block lately though and just really didn’t have too much to say. It has been a challenging few months on the motivational side of training and racing but looking back, it has provided me with some other great opportunities. It’s all about how you look at it – attitude is everything.
In early August, I raced what turned out to be my last race for several months; that wasn’t really the plan but my foot just hadn’t gotten much better by that point. The good news is that the race did go well – it was the Bridgeland Sprint which is always very well run thanks to the folks at Onurmark Productions. ORR managed to sweep the women’s podium. It certainly wasn’t an easy win (that’s what happens when your coach is a rock star athlete and makes you work up until the final mile!) and left me feeling a little more confident in my running abilities. Since my foot had been bothering me all Summer, we scaled back my mileage quite a bit. I really wasn’t too sure what sort of pace I could pull off so I was quite pleased with the results.
Trying to chase down the speedy Liz Baugher!
Post race, with a few of my TriElite Racing athletes
After that race, the very same day actually, we left for our annual family vacation in New Braunfels, TX. Lots of good times were had by all! It’s always nice to get away to train and play in new scenery and of course, spend time with those I hold so dear.
I came back refreshed and ready to tackle the last month of the TriElite Racing Summer Program, the directing of my first race, and my own training with the hopes of preparing for another IM in the Fall. By this point though, my foot was letting me know that we were nowhere near being past the plantar fasciitis. Rather than going away after a few miles, the pain stuck through each and every mile of each and every run, ugh. I’m so glad I had all of those other opportunities to distract me from the frustration!
Our first annual Splash ‘n Dash Through the Woods went off without a hitch the following week and it was truly an awesome experience to be able to witness months of planning come to fruition. The best part of the day was seeing the kids’ smiles on their faces as they swam and ran through the course. Their joy was contagious! It made all of the anxiety, hard work, and the extra early morning more than worth it. I was also extremely touched by all of the volunteers who showed up to help me out with the set up and working the race; just wow!
The rest of August brought with it more change. We were blessed with a new job offer for Clint and a brand new hair do for me: those are equally important, right?! I literally chopped it all off. It’s SO much easier now – I love it. By the end of the month, my foot was still not better and I had to decide whether or not to race Towne Lake Triathlon. After much debate and internal struggle, Michelle and I decided it wasn’t worth the risk. Furthermore, we also made a plan to completely take off from running for the next month or so. With that came a new healing plan of twice per week visits to the Chiro to do a combination of electric stimulation, Erchonia laser therapy, and ultrasound along with regular stretching and frozen water bottle rolling.
September brought with it the start of college football and my first ever road race! That was quite an experience. From the outside looking in, I knew it was way different from triathlons but actually doing it helped me understand that even more. I had tons of fun pulling the gals around that hot and hilly course for the day! Needless to say, I finished nowhere near the top. A 40K time trial does not equate to a sprint finish 🙂
In the feed zone! Photo courtesy of Shama Cycles.
Now that we’re at the start of October and Fall is officially upon us, I can’t believe how fast the past few months have flown by. I’m happy (and very nervous) to say that I think my foot is getting better! I never knew how victorious and satisfying a painless 2 mile easy run could feel. Although my race plans for the rest of the season are not for sure and likely slim to none, I’m just happy to see progress. I’m constantly reminding myself to keep the big picture in mind. It’s so easy to get down and feel sorry for yourself when you’re injured or something isn’t going as you had hoped but it’s also easy to see how blessed you are as well. You choose (or not) to be happy: attitude is everything.
Sarah Gray Hankla 