Never Once Surrendered to its Inevitability

On December 10, 2016 my running streak of 19 years, 10 months, and 1 day came to an abrupt end. Sure, I knew this day would eventually come but I never once surrendered to its inevitability.

It was a sloppy, snowy Sunday morning, and like every other day for the past 20 or so years I set out for a run only to have it and my streak halted just a few feet from where it all began, at the bottom of my driveway. I was done in by a muscle pull, a muscle I apparently pulled a few days prior that now felt like a ripping & stabbing pain just below the calf muscle in my right leg. It hurt so bad that I let out a fairly loud yelp as I hopped on my good leg for a few feet before ultimately caving to the pain and the hopelessness of my aging running streak. It was finally over, or so I imagined. ...

I think it was the Thursday morning prior when during the home stretch of my 4 mile run, I felt a twinge just below the calf muscle in my right leg. Having run through countless other aches and pains over the years, I thought nothing of it and finished my run without giving it a second thought. It felt stiff through a shower and work day prep, but I reckoned it would ease as the day wore on.
It felt more like a Charlie horse, if that makes any sense.

Friday's run was a 3 miler and somewhere near the half way point that pull began to compromise by gate, and it only got stiffer, more painful as I proceeded to the finish. I even stopped for a few brief seconds to massage it away with the finish in sight. I was a tad worried. Worried because with every other pull or strange ache felt on the running trail over the last 20 years, the symptoms would ease as run went along. This time it intensified. Yikes!

This time the knot or Charlie horse was perhaps a bit deeper to the point that it caused a casual, noticeable limp in my regular walking gate all day long. I remember thinking, worrying even, that my streak might truly be compromised. To help heal, I iced my calf and massaged it several times that evening. I had been double dosing naproxen for the past two days too. I was hopeful that Saturday would bring relief.

Before setting out on Saturday's run, I shared my concern with Mindy. However, as hoped, the limp was gone and what remained was only a little pain deep below my calf.  I couldn't be certain until formally setting out on my run. I must have gotten about a mile before it stiffened to the point where I had to stop and massage it. I guessed that whatever was amiss was requiring compensation by surrounding muscles which were by then tight as 2x4's. I continued on only to have it stiffen to the point of no return, now about 2 miles into the run. I had no choice but to hobble home with my head hung low.

As you might guess, lots of thoughts were going through my head, most notably the potential end of my streak, but then also worry of a more serious injury that might even jeopardize my snow ski season. The last thing I wanted to do was tear my Achilles, which by all accounts seemed to be the actual thing that was pulled.

Finally back home I told Mindy of my dilemma and immediately went into home doctoring mode, again dosing naproxen, icing, massaging, resting and elevating my right leg - all things I learned via the internet that can help with a pulled Achilles. However, in almost every case, they stated that more than anything, rest was the best medicine, and not just a few hours or one day, but more like 10 days. Ugh!

Trying to be smart but at the same time not willing to quit so easily, I decided that, Universe willing,  I would still try to run come Sunday morning.

After my failed Sunday morning attempt, I retreated to the house with my head held high. I knew in my heart of hearts that I had given it everything I had to keep the streak alive. Mindy looked at me with concern and perhaps even a little fear, worried I guess, that I might slide into some deep, dark funk, or even full-on depression. But that wasn't going to be the case. Perhaps had I just somehow slept through a running opportunity, or let it slip without a valid reason then yeah, I would've been horribly remorseful. As it was, I was proud of what I'd accomplished.

But even then as the morning gave way to afternoon, I figured hope wasn't completely gone. Perhaps I could miraculously heal and get my run in late afternoon or evening. Bottom line, I tried two more times, once around 230pm, while Mindy was grocery shopping, and then again just before dinner time, near 6pm. I think hope masked reality because I really believed that the 6pm run would be OK. But that wasn't it be. I got maybe about 1/8th of a mile before the crippling pain and severe stiffness set in again. Nope, it was over, officially in the books.

Began: Sunday, February 9, 1997
Ended: Sunday, Dec 10, 2016