Another day of no running, though I couldn't resist jogging a few metres on the grass while the Thursday morning track group went through their paces at The Haven. I couldn't feel any pain, but it was only a few metres.
 |
Some of the Thursday morning track group go through their
paces in the pre-dawn gloom. |
I'm not an essential part of either of the track sessions I supervise each week, but I enjoy encouraging the athletes' efforts and am inspired by their commitment and effort. I get great satisfaction from playing a small role in their development and watching "ordinary people do extraordinary things". Within Terrigal Trotters and elsewhere, I have seen new runners discover that with regular and sensible training they can accomplish feats they never dreamed possible. Their self esteem gets a boost, as does their quality of life. It's easy to see some wish they had discovered the sport earlier while others recapture the joy of running they had experienced earlier in their life, but which had been lost to the pressures of family and work commitments.
Of course, no runner escapes injury if their career lasts long enough, and there's always someone struggling with a new injury or coming back from an injury. I try to offer relevant advice and some encouragement, but everybody is different and nobody, including doctors, is infallible in diagnosing injuries or prescribing the correct treatment. Runners have to learn to deal with uncertainty, and often disappointment.
If my planned 5km jog tomorrow morning is pain-free, or near enough, then I hope to return to my marathon training program. Of course, it may not be that straight forward, but I am an optimist.
