Boston came and went and the knee was just fine. Now surgery time for the torn meniscus... or maybe not. What an elite running doctor would say? After evaluating my MRI he said that he would not recommend surgery and that nobody in his group would do it either. He prefers to monitor it, go back to running smart, and if, only if, the knee hurts, then an arthroscopic clean up could be done.
Off I went to run my first half marathon as part of my come back. It was hard, it was difficult. It took me longer than my first marathon ever in 2009, but I was there pushing myself and doing what I like best, running in a race. The night before I was like a little kid going to school for first time. Yes, the Seattleite runner that has run 132 half marathons in 5 years; the citizen of The Sun with 52 half marathons in 52 weeks was nervous. Ran it, clocked it, got it. 2:29:08 for 11:23 min/mile, and third place for the lack of competition. Three minute per mile slower than my average Half Marathon, and 45 minutes slower than my best, not too long ago. It made me think.
The weekend after, this week, I hesitated to run Inspiring Hope 10K. Why the hesitation? My 10Ks are in the 7:40ish what is beyond impossible at this very moment... nor an 8, or a 9 min/mile for that matter. I needed humbleness. Why the competition? It is a "Inspiring Hope" race, you know? It's Penny Kellam's race; it is Penny, who inspires constantly with her graciousness. It is about the people that are gone but inspire others, you know? Thought of my friend Marisela Hobaica who didn't make it as I did. I jumped out of bed and went to my pink drawer, got my pink wig, and left.
When I got to the race I saw the sign START, and it dawned on me. The sign talked to me. START. The 7:40s, or the 8s, or the 9s will not be possible if I don't start AGAIN. 1:01:56 for a 9:58 min/mile. Then, the following week I went for a Half Marathon on Mother's Day in Kirkland. 10:34. And the week after, I ran the Snohomish Women's Run: 10:12. It's A Start.
