Running again....slowly.

So I have slowly began running again...slowly. Literally I have been slowly easing into running again and I am literally slow. At this point I am just so happy that I am healthy enough to be running again that I know I can't complain, but it feels like all my hard work has been pointless. My injury has set me back and I feel like I am starting at the beginning again as I did in January.  With less than 2 weeks to go for the big race. 

Truthfully I know that is not the case, because my stamina is much greater and I can still handle the long runs (well, 5 miles is the farthest I have run post-injury) without becoming out of breath and it feels good. Maybe that is because I am not pushing myself to my pre-injury speed. I think that with the injury I have learned that it matters more to finish the race instead of racing the race. I kept putting these expectations on myself that may or may not have been achievable but the truth is is that this is my first half marathon. I haven't run a lot of races. I think I just jumped in and set these high standards for myself which was never really fair for a first time half-marathoner.

Though the injury sucked I think it was a great lesson for me. I should be proud of how far I have come and that I am still able to run (or walk) the race. I should feel blessed that I am physically healthy enough to be able to participate in a half marathon. I have great family and friends who have supported me through this journey, some of which are going through the same thing as me by running the CMM--and for their love and support I am so thankful for. And worse case scenario, if I couldn't run the race, it is not the end of the world. There are much bigger and greater things in life. There will always be other races I can run. Just as in life, the race itself is not the important part, it is the journey that matters most.