A Good Day To Run

Yesterday - Saturday - I walked 3 miles on the treadmill, the furthest I have gone since my surgery and probably further than I have gone in close to 2 years. This is the tipping point that I wanted to reach before I start running again, to get my residual limb use to the pressures of walking some distance before adding more stress from running. Well, running is too strong a word to use; it will truly be jogging for a while.

It is my plan to walk a couple more days then start adding a few intervals of 30s to a minute of easy jogging to the end of my walk. Since this is unchartered waters for me, I will lengthen the jog portions and increase the repetitions using my best judgment. I am use to goal setting as a runner, but as an amputee I have to understand that goals are somewhat 'good suggestions' at this point, that a skin irritation can quickly stop me in my tracks.

My goal, which I think is reasonable, is to run the Turkey Day 5k in Charleston this November. If I feel up to it before then, I may look for a smaller nearby race. There is a good chance I will do some run/walks, but my first race will mean I run all of it except if I need to remove the prosthetic because it is full of sweat.

I wonder how I will feel that day; will I be overwhelmed with emotion or made numb by it? A little of both? I do know no matter what, it will be a good day to run.

A very good day indeed.