Returning to Form

The Stats 7/16/12 - 7/21/12
7/17/12: 5.0 mi.; 45'00"; 9'00" avg. pace
7/21/12: 3.17 mi; 22'55"; 7'13" avg. pace

I made it out the door twice last week as the healing period continues. A reversion to the padded Nike Triax Structure shoes made it easier to trust my form. I kept my strides short and avoided pounding the pavement to keep the stress off of the knee joints. It paid off in the form of little to no pain following each run. Tuesday I managed to wake up early and run the boulevard with help from a friend who agreed to brave the early morning hour. Some talking and striding can help the miles go by without constant contemplation on form, breathing, etc. It's a reminder that if you're not having fun running, you're doing something wrong. Also, if you're willing to sacrifice an hour or so of sleep, the morning temperatures will reward you during the summer. Were it not for a bum knee, my summer might have been filled with morning runs. Beating the sun kept me relatively cool and it's always a great way to wake up. You get the feeling that if you can drag yourself out of bed and sweat out some miles, there is no challenge that can get you down the rest of the day. So that's my endorsement for morning running.
Saturday, which is usually a longer running day, I took it easy with a 5k around the neighborhood. I hadn't ran my full "go-to" route in a while without stopping due to pain. Thus, this standard run felt empowering. Wounds do heal if you stick around, have patience, and use good sense.