On Sunday, within a couple of hours of returning from Vancouver after seeing the specialist, I ran the track for about half an hour (one and two minutes of running followed by a similar time walking) and I went to the gym for about an hour on Monday. Needless to say, I am not where I was when I last ran on Nov 30. However, I am well ahead of where I was last spring when I first started to run so I have to keep things in perspective.
I am impatient when it comes to my own shortcomings. Too often when I want to learn or do something new, I expect to be good well before I have given myself much of a chance. Expecting early success and failing leads to frustration and ultimately to giving up. When I started to run last spring, my biggest problem was trying to run too far too fast. Learning to pace myself and run more slowly actually allowed me to run for longer periods without having to quit. I also learned my limits so I took breaks when I needed and stopped earlier than I was hoping without feeling that I had failed.
The Learn to Run group is perfect for anybody beginning to run, but I am really glad that I joined even though I had been running before my eye injury. By starting at their pacing, I can gradually work my way back to where I was. If I was doing this on my own, I might have expected more from myself resulting in further injury or quitting in frustration. With Learn to Run, there are not only trainers that are keeping us at a reasonable pace (not to mention their invaluable advice) but there is the positive energy and enthusiasm of the entire group.
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