After a two-week-long visit from an old enemy named illiotibial (IT) band pain, I am thrilled to be running again. The past few weeks have been particularly exciting, because I trained with new running partners on routes that were also new to me.
Among my running location firsts was the National Mall in Washington, D.C. For years, I had jealously listened to runner friends rave about their past trots through this urban national park. When my work sent me to D.C. this month, I had to see what all the buzz was about. During the 4-mile, flat loop, I zipped past the World War II Memorial, the Washington Monument, the Smithsonian Museums, the Lincoln Memorial and the White House. I felt energized by the combination of my iconic surroundings and the dozens of other runners I encountered during this route. What made this run even more special was that I did it with Lauren, a super-athlete who has been one my best friends since seventh grade. Although Lauren and I have been friends for nearly two decades, our recent workout marked the first time we had ever run together. (She is a former professional ballerina who "jeted" into competitive running a few years ago. In fact, last year, she qualified for the sprint triathlon national championship.)
My next new running destination was Rock Creek Park, another D.C. national park that covers a less developed part of the city. This park featured miles of trails carved though steep tree-covered terrain. It reminded me of New York City's most challenging cross country courses, such as the ones in the Bronx's Van Cortlandt Park and Staten Island's Clover Lake Park.
When I returned home, I continued to explore new running locales, only this time with new friends, who are members of the Life Time Run Club in Florham Park, NJ. I was only able to keep up with these speed-demons for the first couple of miles. Fortunately, I stayed close enough to catch all of their turns and avoid getting lost during the 6-mile route.
In an effort to try to continue my pain-free running streak and because I was exhausted, I took the next day off from running and cross-training. The following two days I swam and strength-trained. Then on Saturday, my new running club mates led me through the winding, paved trails of Loantaka Brook Reservation in Morristown, NJ. I enjoyed this run so much that I returned to the park on Sunday for a slow 6.5 miles.
I am happy to have logged a bunch of outdoor miles alongside some dedicated runners. When I run with a partner or group, my desires to be as fit as my peers and not hold anyone back drive me to run harder than I do alone.
My recent runs also provided me with a feeling of relief regarding the status of foot and ankle pain that had been plaguing me since 2013. During and after each of the aforementioned runs, I felt little, if any, pain in my ankles or IT bands.
After a few more weeks of training, I hope to finally compete in my first race since November 2013.
