My running program is going along fantastically! I reached a milestone a couple of weeks ago. I finally completed a 5 mile run. This is huge for me and has been a goal for as long as I’ve been running. For some reason five miles always seemed so far away but I finally did it! yay! I am working my way through a 10k program which will end this week. Technically, my longer run from this past weekend should have been 10k but I decided to run along the Salmon River Trail. I love trail running very much so I had fun and it was beautiful but trail running really slows you down because you have to watch where you step at all times. A mile into my run I wasn’t paying attention and I tripped on the roots of a tree and I fell hard. I bloodied up both knees and bruised my shin when I skidded on the ground. I am ever so grateful I didn’t land on any sharp river rocks. I got up and finished running my five miles on the trail and felt good. Unfortunately, I think I wrenched my back because it is really hurting today. I felt a twinge of pain on Monday and ignored it while I went to work and lifted books and moved tables heavy furniture. Then I ran yesterday even though it hurt. By this morning it was screaming at me. Seriously. I could cry I am in so much pain today. I am literally getting by on an overdose of ibuprofen. The lesson, then, is to listen to my body. Don’t overdo it. I am not one that can overdo. I have never been this kind of person. I have a pretty weak constitution and when I overdo things I either get sick or hurt. I know this. I should know better.

So I will take a few days off and let things heal. Then I am back to my training. Hopefully on Monday I will get that 10k in on a less challenging trail. Then I will enroll in a 10K race. Probably the one in Estacada in September. Then, after a few months of running 6 miles for my long run on the weekend, I will start training for a half marathon. The August issue of Runner’s World has a really great article and half marathon training program that I’ll use.

So there is where I am at with the whole running thing. I’m pretty stoked right now, injuries, hurts, and all.