back in the (treadmill) saddle

i'm sure the number 3.2 has no real significance to anyone, at least right off the bat. it's a few decimals off pi, a tenth of a mile farther than a 5k, perhaps the average number of spouses people have these days, i don't know. for me, though, 3.2 has a new meaning. and after four months of restrictions and rules and crutches and casts, it's a fabulous meaning.

i ran 3.2 miles for my first post-surgery run on tuesday night.

and it felt glorious. seriously, glorious. i started with a great, upbeat song by barlowgirl, 'hello sunshine' and i almost could not resist belting out the lyrics as i started my first run on the treadmill.... i started slowly, a good 9:13 pace, or a 6.5 level on the treadmill, with the intention of running just one mile to see how it felt. i felt so good, and so free, and so freakin' HAPPY it was like i was flying! (never mind that treadmill 1 was so bouncy and had no fans, I moved to treadmill 2; treadmill 2 was even more bouncy than treadmill 1, so i finally moved to treadmill 3, where i settled in for the last two miles).

as mile 1 turned into mile 2, i still felt great... overthinking any pain or feeling in my right foot, i still felt like it was smart to move ahead- so away i ran. mile 2 was great, as i started to feel muscles in my legs moving in ways they haven't in literally months. mile 3 was fabulous- i upped the speed to my regular 7:30 mile, feeling great, and i wanted to stop and tell the runner next to me, "hey! this is so great, don't you LOVE running?!" (great news, i didn't do that. it would have been probably creepy).

i ran two tenths longer after the mile 3 marker hit, only because a) i know i stopped in and out between to get water (that was on the floor, because it was too bouncy in the treadmill cupholder) and b) i wanted to be able to say (to myself) that i ran a 5k on my first run back. i was hesitant, at least a little, to run that long, anticipating a sore, stiff, swollen foot the next day, making me regret an impromptu 5k.

two days later, my foot is slightly stiff, slightly swollen, but in good shape. my quads and hip flexors are feeling weird aches that they haven't felt in a while, but it's a good pain- the kind that says my body is working, and alive, and can do this. the soreness i l.o.v.e. from workouts. i haven't run since then- seriously going to try to build up slow- but feel like today i could pound out another few miles on my ol' friend Treadmill.

oh it feels good to be back!