Expression

This year has seen two extremes for me in the running scene. I trained the hardest and longest I have ever trained in order to run my longest race to date, a 26.2 mile race in Kenosha, WI. Then I jogged some miles here and there to get back into running after the race and discovered that my left knee was not able to handle running anymore. I don't really know what happened. I don't really think of it as an injury because the word "injury" implies to me that something happened at some point in time. This thing in my knee so far seems to be just overuse, maybe too much mileage added in too short of a time, and poor form mixed to create an injury.

I took off 4 weeks in June, then when my knee was still bad, took off another 2, now another 2. Still not better. I was just in to see the doctor again, and he said another 6 weeks of rest and then "we'll see...". It's disappointing for me on so many levels.

Running is a form of expression for me. I'm not expressing anything to anybody except myself, but it is a way for my spirit to be refreshed. I love to drink in nature's beauty. I love to push myself physically, releasing endorphins. I love the way I feel as I lace up my shoes and reset my watch. I love the grind of step after step that on some runs I notice and other runs my mind just internalizes a floating or flying feeling. Some runs are about the run itself, but many are not. Many runs are initiated by a need to get in the miles or a desire to work off those extra cookies I ate or to meet a certain goal I have set. However, after I take that first step out the door, the reason for the run no longer matters. I am simply running because that is what I do. I run for me. I run for my health. I run because I need to relax my soul. I run to breathe in spring's smells. I run to defy winter's cold days. I run to revel in summer's beauty. I run to appreciate every last ounce of autumn's gold. I run to focus on God and remind myself of who I am and why I do what I do.

For two months now, I haven't been able to run, bike, or do many exercises. I have 6 weeks or more of the same limits ahead. For all I know, it could be a year. It could be forever. Or it could just be 6 weeks. So I have had to find other ways to fill the void of not running.

Music and dance do help with some of the longing for expression. My soul needs to speak, and it does not use words. It works out perfectly for me that So You Think You Can Dance is on in the summertime. Here is this week's most expression-filled dance, by Melanie Moore and all-star Neil.