All Systems "Eh," Let's Go

I read a poster the other day that said, "You don't get what you wish for, you get what you work for."

I loved it.

This morning I woke at 4:15, hit the snooze and did a systems check.  Patellar tendon felt good enough to give it a go, hamstrings good, right piriformis almost fine, and back felt ... still kind of crampy.  The back and patella are issues from not having my new bike dialed in correctly (though I may finally have that), the rest just from running.  Good enough to get up and see how things feel for about an hour of running.

Which brings me to this:  I've been learning that having some training program is important.  It provides structure, restrained increases in distance and intensity as well as rest.  However, it's more important to adjust based on how your body feels (not really your motivation for that day). 

My last hamstring issue was really caused by trying to stick to a program more than listening to my body.  And I should've known better.  I was afraid that on yesterday's ride and this morning's run I might have been making the same mistakes.  I'm a bit dinged up, far from 100%...save my hands and elbows, they don't hurt.

And there's the rub.  If you wait to work out when you're feeling 100%, you'll practically be a couch potato.  However, if you give a 100% effort (physically) when you're nursing an injury, you'll practically be a couch potato, for different reason. 

While I want to be a lot faster and I want to do things A, B, and C, I can only get as much training in as my body will allow. 

And that's okay because the real reason I exercise isn't to be faster or for things A, B and C.  Those are just carrots.  The real reason I exercise is because to be a slothful chunky butt is a waste of the gift of good health.  That's a thing that a lot of people I know and love do not have.

Those are the things I thought of while limping through my run this morning.  It was very slow, about 6.5 miles in an hour and a minute.  I did make my last mile the best, but did also slow down whenever my left patellar tendon started to gripe, or my piriformis started to grouch in a bad way. 

With that said, Happy Friday!