So it goes...

"God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to always tell the difference."

-Kurt Vonnegut, Slaughterhouse-Five

It seems as though the time has come to make some serious adjustment to my goals for the remainder of the year. A month into this "injury" with no end in sight has left me incredibly frustrated and sad. Usually the injury bug at least has the decency to kick me during the winter. Being unable to train during this glorious summer is leaving me a little rough around the edges.

As far as treatment and training news there are a few new details from the previous weeks. I am still icing and taking prescription anti-inflammatory medication. I have constructed a massive heel lift to try and completely limit my range of motion on the left side. And I have gotten a referral to see Dr. Heather Schafer at the sports medicine office here in Keene. I have also decided to start running again, although what I am doing right now hardly resembles running. I have run two miles two days in a row with limited success, lets just leave it at that. I have also done a few 1000 plus meter swims that are telling me that my fitness is still hiding just below the surface. I am going to try my best to make this a daily routine until I know what direction Dr. Schafer will point me in.

As far as the major adjustment to goals is concerned I have been forced to make some major changes. (grant me serenity to accept the things I cannot change) At this point in time I have decided that a fall marathon is completely out of the question. I don't see the point in trying to force the issue at this point in time. This decision makes me very sad but it feels like the right thing to do. I have decided to readjust my focus to the New England fall cross-county season. I would like to make a few strong showings and place in the top ten at Mayors Cup again. I am going to wait and see how things play out over the next few weeks before closing the door on my other goals for the summer.

Hopefully things will turn around soon and I will be able to get back after it with the Keene training crew. There is a big portion of my current anguish that has arisen from the gap I am feeling from the group. Within that group I felt like something special could happen during any given moment. Whether it was an inspiring interval or an unbelievable joke on the cool down the recipe was always spot on for running at its best. As we all get older and more detached from our days on a real team this togetherness seems critical to our mental health. Hopefully there is a distant ship bringing relief that is just over the next horizon.

Cheers,

Mark