Others came, in ages past, to sit.
One thousand years, still others will come.
Who is the singer, and who the listener?"
Nguyen Cong Tru
Saturday evening I went to Brookens and did 12 sets of strength exercises, 5 sets of skipping rope, and 20 minutes of IT band stretches. My knee was feeling good enough that I ran 3 laps around the gym barefoot.
The next day my knee felt fine, but I decided to relax in the house - built a fire, meditated, read.
Today I took Maggie to the arboretum and ran 1.5 miles in the grass. Knee started to get a little tight at the end when I stopped. I then did 3 sets of strength exercises and walked 2 miles.
Knee feels fine now, so I probably did not overdo it. Tomorrow no running, but will plan to run a small amount on Wednesday. I feel now is the time to begin giving the knee small doses of stress, followed by rest. Hopefully each time out I will feel a little stronger. I am guessing I need 3 more weeks of rest/stress until I am back to normal.
I may have to skip one of the spring ultras, but if I can get back to full strength by early March, maybe I can run one. Probably not, but at least a glimmer of hope remains because my knee seems to be gaining small increments of strength every 1 or 2 days.
Meditation is going well.
Today I bought groceries at Meijer and was able to maintain focus on my breath while walking the aisles, which allowed me to remain aware of my movements and thoughts.
Another shift in consciousness is that I am no longer moving too quickly, or, trying to get from one place to another, only to find that upon arriving where I was going, I am off to another place, hence, I am never really in any place at all.
By remaining aware of my breathing, I feel fully grounded wherever I happen to be. My breathing is deeper, with a more fluid rhythm. The aroma and taste of food is more intense, visuals are more jarring, and my interactions with people more peaceful and good natured.
I am far from where I need to be, but as the Zen Master once told me, I shouldn't strive to get to that place, rather, just be in the place where I am already present.
Did not make a painting yesterday, but made 2 today :
Meditation V
Meditation VI
2 comments:
Good to hear the knee is coming along. Love those paintings, it's like you've created a whole new art form.
Thanks, JD.
Today I did absolutely nothing other than walk to work and walk the dog.
My knee felt stronger today than it has in a while, no discomfort. Tomorrow I plan to run a bit, hope it goes well.
I am excited about discovering this method of picture making. It fits my style, and I like how they look. I listed a couple on ebay and have had some people inquire about them, so I may have some luck selling.
Hope your training is going well. I have not been keeping up to date on many training blogs, I fear it would make me miss running too much. Once I am back at it I will look forward to seeing how the FRB community is doing.
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