Day 4,517—Progress and Gymnastics—

 

Start time: 4:31 a.m.

Weather: Mid 70s wind 1.3  mi/h, Humidity 78%

        My leg could be worse. It could be a lot worse, but it is making it hard for me to bend at the knee like I usually do. This doesn’t matter as much on pavement because there aren’t all the rocks and roots to dodge, but on a trail it can make a huge difference. I keep going back and forth on whether it is better to train with active recovery or do less and let myself repair. I have decided for now I will continue to run like normal but be extra careful and go slow until I feel better. I felt better than yesterday, and if I had to put a number on it, I would say I am around 60-70 percent recovered. It doesn’t hurt to go down the stairs like it used to. The main part of this run that slowed me down was running on the trails. I ran around three miles on trails this morning, and I could tell immediately how much more difficult it was compared to the pavement, and more than once I saw a deer’s green eyes glowing in the dark by the trail. The first time, I was surprised by how close he was to the path, and then I noticed the outline of his antlers. He looked menacing but also tranquil.

        I took my daughter to her first-ever gymnastics class yesterday, and I couldn’t help but remember my gymnastics classes back in the day. My mom always said I was good at making L seats on the rings, but I don’t remember much about it. I thought about my desire to walk across logs as I watched my daughter walk on the high beam, and I wondered if gymnastics gave me the confidence not to fall. I remember doing stuff like that in scouts, but it never focused on how to balance. When I talked to my daughter afterward, she said, “I don’t like gymnastics: I love gymnastics!”