Goodbye and good riddance, 2017!
2017 wasn’t the best year on the running front, but 2018 brings new hope and possibilities. That’s the beauty of this sport- it’s a journey and not training cycle or “goal race”. You always have second chances.
I’ll reflect more on this past year in a future post, but for now, I’ll talk about my week of cross training.
| Monday | PT exercises |
| Tuesday | 60 min. arc trainer |
| Wednesday | 60 min. elliptical + PT exercises |
| Thursday | 4 miles + 30 min. arc trainer |
| Friday | 60 min. elliptical + PT exercises |
| Saturday | 6 miles |
| Sunday | 60 min. elliptical |
Ten miles isn’t much, but it beats a zero week or last week’s test run gone wrong. I did PT exercises and a decent amount of cross training. Clay and I also joined a new gym with Les Mills group fitness classes, and I’m excited to get back into BodyPump and BodyFlow.
Of course, I joined the gym so late in the week that I haven’t attended any classes, but I’ve committed for 12 months so there’s no rush, right?
The best part of my week was volunteering at the inaugural Betty Carlton Beer Mile. Adam from I GOT LEGS hosted the race, which benefited his charity efforts to help re-enabled athletes.
You can’t hang around with Adam and not be inspired. Adam lost the use of his legs in a car accident, and while most people in that situation would’ve given up, he used it as a new opportunity. Adam travels to races to spread awareness and bridge the gap between physically challenged and able bodied athletes. He’s a fixture in the local running scene, often completing races in his exoskeleton or on a hand cycle, as well as participating in Charleston Beer Runners on Thursday nights.
Adam completed the Betty Carlton Beer Mile in his exoskeleton, at around 58 minutes and with a standing ovation. When Adam began his last lap of the beer mile, many of the other runners and walkers went back on the course to walk with him and cheer him on as he finished. Even the mayor of Charleston came out to cheer Adam on (Thanks Charleston Beer Runners for the picture!).
This race had a spirit of support for I GOT LEGS rather than a competitive spirit. Most runners finished smiling. Others went behind a nearby bush to puke, had a beer and a chocolate chip cookie, and were smiling soon after.
Adam, Kryssy, and the crew did a wonderful job organizing the event. As a race volunteer, I logged runners’ times as they crossed the finish. A few others from Charleston Beer Runners (Eryn, Kevin, Brian, Paul, and Aaron) also helped. It was a fun way to end the week and 2017- and I was in my element at the finish line with the clipboard.
This week, I’m volunteering at the Race the Landing 5K on New Year’s Day, doing PT exercises, cross training, and hope to get a few runs in, assuming I’m relatively pain-free and my sports med/ART therapist says it’s cool.
2018 may not bring PRs or injury-free finishes, but here’s to owning whatever life brings us and moving forward no matter what. I know that’s what Adam would do.
I’m linking up with Holly at Hohoruns and Tricia at MississippiPiddlin‘ for their weekly wrap link. Come join the fun!
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