12/10/2014
I previously thought I could run in any kind of shoe. With that superman mentality, I bought several pair of shoes on clearance when I was back in Houston. A couple days ago, I put on a new pair that looked like it had a soft midsole. The thirty mile run seemed to pass without a hitch and my joints weren’t screaming at me. All seemed fine until I woke up for day 100. From the moment I got out of bed I knew something was wrong. My shins felt like needles were poking into them. Having overworked my shins in the past I knew a thing or two about shin splints and I knew that if I tried to run I would set myself back more than if I just took the day off. So day 100 was spent parked on a person’s property watching videos from our laptops. He gave us permission to park on his abandoned lot of course.
I took my own advice for recovery which was rest, ice, compress, and elevate. I learned in the past that maintenance is everything on a long journey that requires enormous endurance. To cheer me up, Crystal bought me a pint of oreo ice cream and rented me Guardians of the Galaxy. I made myself comfortable, medicated my legs, and wrapped them. When we played the movie, I savored the ice cream and I snacked on peanut butter and cheese its. It was a day of reading, loafing around, and keeping my legs motionless. I would will myself better.
My legs swelled during my slumber from being wrapped. When I woke up and released them form the bandages, I couldn’t tell if my legs were actually better. Crystal and I agreed that I should test them out by walking forward a few miles. I slipped on a pair of ragged shoes to replace the clearance pair. When I hit the road, I found that my clothes stayed dry. I was glad the humidity had lightened.
I teetered between road and grass while cars came towards me at high speeds. After the first three miles of walking, I had enough. It was time to let my feet do their thing. My calves felt tight as I jogged but eventually that tightness broke. Perhaps my apprehension faded. I don’t know what happened but the legs felt strong and I was ready to continue. I guess I learned something from my bout with shin splints on my first run across America. I always tell kids we must experience failure to succeed. The catch is we must learn something from our failures.
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