Setbacks

I guess I went too hard in my speed workout, because my calf is really giving me problems. I went for a 4 mile run, and on the way out I felt great. But as soon as I turned around, I felt a twinge in my calf and it really tightened up. So I had to slow way down and walk and jog back. I ended up doing 4 miles in 39 minutes, but the frustrating part was the calf muscle. I've had problems with it before, but I thought I had let it heal completely. Now I will have to stay off it for a few days and break back into the running slowly.

I don't take setbacks well. I tend to want to run through them or give up. So yet again, only a few weeks into my marathon preparation I am learning a valuable lesson from my addiction recovery. Setbacks are a part of life. Learning how to handle those setbacks is essential to the emotional maturity required for living a healthy, addiction free life. Unfortunately, addiction is all about covering up frustrations. I've spent 20 years making myself numb through my addiction, and I have never learned how to handle obstacles in a proactive, productive way.

So I will recognize that this injury is frustrating. I will understand that recovery from the injury will take patience. I will realize it's ok for me to feel a little frustrated about it, and I will choose to move on and handle the situation with patience and maturity.

To a non-addict this may sound like common sense. To an addict, any small setback can lead to a spiral which leads back into a familiar pit.

I am grateful for lessons learned.

Miles Run: 17
Days to Qualifying Marathon: 367

Days of Sobriety: 33
Days to One Year of Sobriety: 332