Happy Father's Day

Happy Father’s Day!

Before the sun was up this morning I was supposed to be out running 13 miles, but instead I decided to take a day of rest. Not because it was Sunday or Father’s Day. If anything, I really wanted to get out and experience the beauty of an early Sunday morning when there are few people out an about and I get to see some of the wildlife. When I see rabbits on the side of the road foraging, I consider asking them in a Dr. Dolittle way, if they are up to a running challenge like...

 


in Aesop’s Fable “The Tortoise and the Hare" we read to our children.

A 19th century illustration of La Fontaine's Fables by Jean Grandville

The reason I took a rest day is because after running 8 miles yesterday my hip was a bit sore. To my reluctance, I was popping Ibuprofen yesterday hoping that the hip would feel better by this morning. I frown on taking any medications. I’ve been fortunate enough to avert injuries and I rarely miss a run due to one; taking a rest day irritates me. Like a neurotic person, I was looking up the possible reasons for hip pain. Having rapid access to information through the internet can be dangerous. When I’m training and I feel and ache here or there, I have a tendency to fixate on it. Oh no, was this hip bursitis or my iliotibial band? How many running days will I miss? Instead of just accepting the possibility that I was running too hard during the week and I just needed to take it easy, I ruminate over the worst case scenarios.

Today, as a family, we headed out to the West Hartford Reservoirs for a Father’s Day walk. The Reservoirs are one of my favorite places to run. There are several reservoirs. One loop around is about 4 miles. Evan rode his bike while Jenn and I walked. We had a great picnic lunch by the water on a spectacular day for an outing. It was a great Father’s day!

Maybe I’ll give running a try tomorrow on a soft surface such as a grassy area or the rubberized track or take another day of rest and try again on Tuesday.