Work has been crazy busy. I have been working on an excel file to the point I could barely hold my eyes open. Yesterday was beautiful so I thought I needed to separate and step out.

I pulled my exhausted brain away from work and jumped outside. WOW. My smile was shining as bright as the sun. I did not realize how amazing it was outside. (I even love my shirt but didn’t capture all in picture…”I’m a Kentucky Girl, living in an Indiana world.”)

I have written multiple blogs about my hip issues. Haven’t run since October when I had to break down and get an injection, and thinking my running days were over. But today, I was going to try to run. Wog – as I like to call it. Faster than a walk, but slower than a jog. Throughout the winter, it seemed the elliptical was the only thing that didn’t cause hip pain. However, any runner knows it is really hard to not run even with an injury. There’s a forever calling in running.

The day was perfect. Blue sky. 60 degrees. I planned to walk three miles to see how my hip could handle it. As soon as I started out, the runner in me took over. I told myself I would just wog a little ways. As soon as I felt the slightest pain in my hip, I told myself I would walk.

I kept a slow pace. I couldn’t believe when my watch said I reached a mile. I was not prepared for running (or wogging). I had on the wrong socks. My right sock was all the way to my toes, but I couldn’t stop now. I would lose my momentum. I’ll just deal now, and whine later.

The air was too amazing to stop. At one turn of my path, I hit a major headwind. I felt like I was barely moving, but at the same time it made me push to keep chugging along. You can see the windblown look on my face.

I was starting to slow my pace a bit. Thankfully it was not from any hip pain at all, it was from lack of conditioning. I pushed to make it two miles. At this time it provided the opportunity to fix my dang sock. Right sock is all the way to my toes. I could feel a blister forming on my little toe. Runner’s nightmare!

I walked the final mile and truly enjoyed the moment. I was trying to solve the problems of the day and year thus far. I felt like today was a redid of my mind. I’m so glad after all the damn ice/snow/rain we have had recently, I was able get outside and absorb the energy.

Injuries are only setbacks for runners. I don’t believe I can ever truly give up running. Do runners ever truly stop, or do they just take breaks? I hope this was the start of a great summer ahead of running. My mental instability needs these breaks from reality. This is the only thing I have found to escape for a few minutes to focus on me. Those few moments when I turn on my true crime podcast where I’m not answer emails, or IMs, or texts, or anything but focusing on me. I think I can do this. I know how to ease back into it as I have run for 24 years. If it doesn’t hurt, then it’s okay to run, right??!! (Just don’t tell my doctor)

I was excited to complete a total of three miles, even if one mile was spent walking. Happy day for me.

Peace out, Trout!