Running has never felt so good.  After over five weeks convalescing and walking, I ran three miles today.  My expectations were set for July, but my Urologist did tell me I might be back within a month.  I ran the same trail along Left Hand Creek that I’ve been walking everyday.  I don’t know if I can express how much reaching this milestone means to me emotionally.  I had a silly grin on my face the entire run.  Running means more to me for my mental health than physical.  I feel like this could be the end of the health-related distractions and lack of focus.  I’m back.

My groin began to hurt half way through the run.  That was less than ideal, and a bit of a surprise.  I was monitoring my abdominal pain, breathing and dizziness.  My stomach didn’t hurt until after I stopped running.  While walking a quarter mile cool down, my scars tightened.  My PT yesterday taught me how to massage my incisions in a circular fashion to break up the scar tissue.  I’ll put some emphasis on doing that.  I was mostly nervous over my breathing and dizziness because I’m still somewhat freaked out by the impact from four hours of anaesthesia.  Thankfully I was fine.

My groin pain wasn’t extreme by any means but it did help me confirm my commitment to not exceed three miles.  Pushing myself to the point of injury doesn’t buy me anything.  A one or two mile run would have provided me the same level of satisfaction and confidence that I am progressing.  I’m not in a race, I just need to demonstrate forward progress.  There are times when you need to run through some discomfort.  There are times when you need to train through injury.  This is not one of those times.  I emailed my PT to ask about what I should think about the groin pain.  She responded within a few hours, on a Saturday, with advice.  She’s a keeper.  I describe Jenn in more detail on my prostate blog.

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Feeling totally stoked, I wasn’t done for the day.  Ellie and I went for a two mile hike on Mesa Trail in Chautauqua Park.  Such perfect weather to be outside.  Hard to imagine the forecast for snow and sub-freezing conditions the next two days.  We followed up the hike with lunch at Sushi Hapa, a browse through the Boulder Bookstore, and some light shopping at the Farmer’s Market.  Ellie bought the next three books in The Maze Runner series at the bookstore.  I bought some bread and two tomato plants at the farmer’s market.  Wow, today is only half over.  What’s next?