All Stop

Stop.

It's a pretty obvious sign.  As a driver, I see it every day countless times.  It always means the same thing:

Stop.

Sometimes it's painful.  Sometimes it's tough.  Most of the time it keeps me from getting where I want to go as quickly as I want to.

While sometimes its painful.
It's necessary.

As a runner, it's both painful and necessary for me right now.  Six weeks ago I killed an awesome 18-mile run.  I ran 18 miles in a few minutes faster than I ran 17 the weekend before.  I felt amazing.  I felt on top of the world.  In preparing for my upcoming marathon (Indy Monumental), I was beginning to think that I could do it.

Near the end (sometime... I'm not really sure), I strained a tendon in my ankle.  At the time, I thought it was just the aches and pains that come with being a long distance runner (after 18 miles, things hurt).  But in the next few days, I realized that it was more.  But I tried to continue...

For the past six weeks, I've been nursing it along... trying to hold on to this marathon cycle.  I've been icing it, elevating it, resting it, wearing a brace for it, everything you can imagine.  Saturday it came to a breaking point: If I couldn't do the 15 miles that I had planned (so I could still get a couple 20's in), it wasn't going to happen.

After a few miles it became apparent: stop.

So I am.

I'm going to stop.  I'm going to rest.  I'm going to allow my ankle to heal the way I should have 6 weeks ago.




I'm hoping to get back out there in time to do a turkey trot (on Thanksgiving) but for now, I'm not thinking about that.

Keep running friends!

JC


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One Day Getaway

Last month, my wife and I celebrated out 10th wedding anniversary.  In the months leading up to the big day, several folks had asked us, "What are you doing for the big day?"  In the midst of graduation parties, weigh-ins and keeping up with Myles and mowing grass, we really hadn't had time to think or plan anything specific.

A couple of weeks before our anniversary, we scheduled a 1-day getaway... our first since Myles arrived in late January.  Jackie had picked up, some time ago, a flier for a small bed & breakfast in a town that I had to use Google maps to find.  But they gave pastors a discount... sounded good to us (It's an awesome little bed & breakfast called the Mill House if you are interested... I would totally recommend.  Ron and Kathy are amazing and we hope to go back in the future.).  

It was a great 30 hours... we talked... went out for dinner... went for a run together (something we haven't done in almost a year)... walked... explored little antique shops.  It was great.  Relationally, we got a chance to reconnect.  But also going into a busy season of CIY trips, a Senior Trip, another CIY (Mix this time) trip and other trips, it felt good to rest and relax.

JC


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