I am training, but in a dif...

I am still getting requests to see "what's under my bandage, now."  I don't know why y'all like this gross stuff, but here's the new photo.  And, no, you can't see it in person...I don't need it to play "show and tell" outside.  I was hoping that I would be able to run right now, but sadly, I'm just up to walking without a limp. 

Last week, the surgeon cut out all the dead tissue and I've learned a new term, "debridement."  According to medicinenet.com, the definition of debridement is

"Debridement: The act of debriding (removing dead, contaminated

or adherent tissue or foreign material). Debridement encompasses

enzymatic debridement (as with proteolytic enzymes), mechanical

nonselective debridement (as in a whirlpool), and sharp debridement (by surgery). "

No, it is not a pleasant experience, but I'm determined to heal quickly.  Fortunately, "wound care" is something that is very foreign to me and this is why I'm following the advice of a specialist.  In my case, I get to rip out my gauze/stuck tissue every day.  The photo doesn't do it justice, but I am healing and the crater is becoming more shallow.

A new approach to training...   

I showed up for our regular long run with my running group this morning since I just needed to get back into the habit of training.  I'm finding that a large part of long-term training is just resilience.  Really, the ability to adjust to life events, illness and injuries is the mental part of training.  When I trained for my first marathon, I followed the training plan exactly.  I was completely paranoid that I wouldn't survive or I'd lose my overall fitness if I didn't follow everything the coach told me.  Over the years, I've finally learned that training isn't all or nothing.  Training has to be part of my overall lifestyle if I want to be healthy and run for several years.  Right now, I can't run, but I can show up to workouts, rest and have a healthy diet.  It's amazing how my whole outlook changed when I realized this.  There are times when it's good to push, and there are times when I have to admit that my strategy needs to change.  In this case, my short-term plan has been modified, so I can still accomplish my long-term goals.  It's amazing how much easier things are when I use my own planning practices on myself instead of just using it with my clients!

So, this morning I showed up at my running club and found another injured friend.  We were a great sight...my bandaged leg and her missing toenails poking out of her sandals.  Of course, we still managed to pass some of the other walkers around Greenlake.  Our competitive spirit is still in us!  We even met some of the other runners for our routine post-run treat...going to the local coffee shop.  We all did the training that was appropriate for us that day, so we all earned a treat.  It felt so good to be training again, especially now that I figured out that training is really just a mindset and commitment.  Plus, it sure beats the alternative of wallowing in my own pity party.