Along My Run |16 - Not Much Going On

Sadly, I spent most of my May in the pool or at the gym. I decided to give my calf a break from running, as recommended by the sports medicine doctor I saw mid-month. I miss the running, the scenery, the chirping of birds and all the stuff along the road that changes each day, but I know that the bigger picture is more important than the present.

The Sole Photo I Took While Running in May

I’m swimming at least twice a week and have tacked on pool running after my normal routine of swimming a mile. I continue yoga, strength training and an occasional spin class. But I prefer to be outdoors, so I take walks, enjoy the slower pace of things and still enjoy the beauty around me.

Sunset Dance

Half Time

Raiment

I also made a day trip to Chicago to drop my parents off for a weeklong Road Scholar program focused on the Windy City. I entered the city along Columbus Drive, through the heart of Grant Park. I realized the last time I visited Chicago was during the Chicago Marathon. We drove past the starting line, then into the bowels of the Randolph Street underpass. I recognized the intersection where I had chucked my long sleeve starting line shirt. Later, as I walked across the Michigan Avenue bridge (in the cold, 45 degF, windy, spitting rain weather), it felt so familiar, and immediately, I knew I had to run it again. I just don’t know if it will be this year. After three consecutive marathons, all spaced out in six month intervals, I’m kind of worn out. I guess if the calf is healed up by mid-July, I’ll give it a go as I have until September to defer my 2015 entry to next year.

Crossing the Michigan Avenue Bridge on a Cold, Misty Day

May’s Stats:
13.1 miles running
6.7 miles swimming
Several hours of yoga

Impromptu

Finally, this month's running quotes - because even if you can't run, you can still be inspired.
Running removes us briefly from the fragmentation and depersonalization of the digital world.
– Amby Burfoot
[The main reason why I run outside]

It's all those little battles with yourself that are the most satisfying to win.
– Mirinda Carfrae

Running is a kind of truth serum. It brutally strips away everything you put on and leaves you with only yourself.
– Marc Parent

When I run, I'm just a person among people. A runner among runners. And we all experience the same challenge of get up and go - regardless of ability.
– Sally Bergesen

To go the distance and keep going after that, the only sustainable place to start is from a place of gratitude and love.
– Kristin Armstrong