Balance

    I am having a tough time finding the balance between how much I need to be able to run, with how much I should run, with how much my joints can handle. It is a fine balance. Too much and I am liable to injure myself. As it is I have chronic pain, though I think I would hurt even more if I were inactive. But, not enough and I will not reach my goals. Monday I swam 70 minutes, cycled 45 minutes, and then ran sprints for 25 minutes: 1 minute sprint, 30 minutes fast walk. Tonight I swam for 60 minutes, came home and got distracted for a bit, then got on the treadmill. I intended to run sprints again, but as they say, "the best laid plans..." Instead, since my knees were aching, I ran four quarter miles at race tempo, pausing after each to stretch. Then decided that stretching was going to be more important tonight than adding a few more miles. I will be running a 10K on sunday, which will be my long run for the week and I am very confident that I can run it at a decent pace with very little fatigue. I have found my easy pace, it is not fast, but it is steady. I know I need to be increasing my distance but I know I have to find the balance between enough and injury. For now, I will continue to work hard on swimming and cycling so that when the day comes I will not gas out in the first two legs of the race. Instead, I want to come in from the bike leg feeling strong and ready to run. That is the goal. I need to find the balance.