Nothing is given as a masters runner, especially one about to enter a third year at the senior level. Not to mention that it will be difficult to match the level of performance that I experienced in 2018 and 2019. Nevertheless, I hope to give it a try. Or rather just do the best I can.
I entered the decade with a major injury and lot of uncertainty and it took a year and a half to more or less completely overcome that setback. But come back I did, and for most of the rest of the decade had quite a run.
This injury does not seem as acutely severe as the knee fracture of 2009, 2010. But as an apparent soft tissue injury, you never quite know when things will clear up. I rested and cross trained for six weeks following the Tulsa 15K, and in early December took some light steps, and increased the load gradually for about three weeks, up to 20+ miles in the third week of the month. However, on Christmas day I attempted a 55-60 minute run (ended up at 58 minutes), and felt pretty good for 50 of that before my glute and hip started getting tight. And the next day, I did 3 miles on the treadmill and walked away from that definitely tight. So I just XC skied or rested for a another week.
I’ve taken two little test runs of 5 and 8 minutes with mixed results (the 5 minute run on New Years Day didn’t work out so I stopped). Yesterday’s 8 minute (actually a whole mile in 8:40) was a little better and I walked away with no ill effects, and later did a moderate level session on the elliptical for another 35 minutes.
This weekend I ski and I’ll start a gradual build up of running again next week. But this time a little more gradually through the month of January. So it might be mid to late spring before I’m really ready to go again. I’ll be looking into PT to help things along and to prevent recurrence of this injury.
So my 2020 goals are sharply modified, and the primary goal is to get to a couple consecutive months of running an hour a day, get back to some workouts, and hopefully resume racing in the spring. Not sure what level I’ll be at, but would just be happy with training and racing again.
My work is another point of uncertainty. After nearly 40 years as a natural resources specialist, and more than 15 with my organization the playing field has changed. Very much in the past two years. The work is not fulfilling and although I like the pay check, I dislike going in every day and I want out. What I really want to do is coach full time.
rrunnin234 