Friday, April 24, 2009

Fear

I've decided that I've going to be doing the Portland Marathon this year and because of that I'm started running on a more frequent basis, but the last couple of runs I have noticed a little pain in my left ankle. I really don't think this is anything to be too worried about as the pain comes and goes and in never that intense, just to be safe though I took the day off and have only stretched the ankle and haven't really put any stress on it, tomorrow I'll try it out for 6 miles and see how it goes. Like I said I'm not really that concerned about it but it makes me think and leads me to my biggest athletic fear, what if I actually get injured while working out and it sets me back weeks? I really don't have that kind of time to recover and rebuild. I guess there really isn't anything I can do if it happens but it's definitely one of my fears. Another fear is that I will come down with some kind of sickness at some point with only weeks or worse days before an event. That would basically have the same effect as an injury.
Then there is the ever present "super-virus" fear. First let me explain what the super-virus is. Genetically Doug (my brother) seems to be plagued and I managed to catch it in a foreign country. Basically its when you get diarrhea for no apparent reason at all. Laugh or gag all you want but this is a legitimate fear. If this were to happen in the middle of a race what do I do? Odds are it won't happen but odds are that planes won't crash either but it happens. One such experience happened to me yesterday in fact (not a plane crash). I had about half a mile left on a 6 mile run and was feeling pretty good when all of the sudden my stomach starting turning for no apparent reason. With 50 yards to go it was as if someone hit the emergency release button and I was serious trouble and now pain. It took all I had left in me to luckily make it to the restrooms that were located at the park I had ran from, but what if this would have happened about a mile earlier....not pretty. So you can see why this is an actual fear for me.
Well I guess if something happens whether torn something or something less sanitary I'll just have to deal with it when it happens....life's kind of that way.

1 comment:

Dick said...

In reference to your "super virus" f you're running Portland you can always duck into a store along the way. If you're crossing one of their bridges you'll just have to hang your backside over the side and hope that there's not an updraft. As far as injuries go, there's not much you can do about it. Sooner or later you'll get one...when you do, just be careful that you don't try to do too much too soon.