Vol State: You may feel a little pressure

Only :27 long so just watch it

This video clip was actually part of my parenting skills, right Zane?  I am using these parenting skillz on myself. 

In the post below, I talk about Vol State suffering.  Everything will hurt.  Everything.  To divert myself from the pain of everything hurting, I ended up hurting my shoulder two weeks prior to the race.  In reality, I didn't do it on purpose but I hurt it and the pain of the shoulder will make me think much less about the pain in my feet and legs during Vol State.

I've trained hard for Vol State. It all started in October of 2013.  I finished my second 100 miler in December, did a 100k in February, finished 116 miles across the state of Florida in March and as what turned out to be my last long run, completed a really difficult 100k trail run in June.  While compared to many who run ultras, what I have recently done is NOTHING.  For me, accomplishing all of this is a real improvement in my performance.  I'm running more and walking less than in the past.  Recovery has been better since I just started taking enough HC to keep me moving and keep recovery going.  I used to say I did a lot of walking and crying.  I'm doing much more running and power walking now and less walking and crying.  I've been sober for nearly a year which has helped my training in many ways.

So here I am with a hurt shoulder.  Do I run on my shoulder?  No.  Can I swing my arm normally while I run?  No.  Do I do Vol State or not?  After talking to three orthopedic doctors, the resounding answer about whether I would worsen my injury was, "No but you won't be comfortable!"  Hence the video!  

As I see it, I can waste nine months of good training, sit home and cry OR I can hit the roads of Tennessee as planned and cry.  My choice is to have one hell of an adventure and cry when needed.  I have been more or less home and running for two weeks with five more on the horizon before surgery.  I'm not cool with that.  I'm tired of crying and feeling useless (I can't do many of the things I want to do/used to be able to do).  I CAN run.  I CAN move forward with the arm strapped down securely.  I have a feeling the arm will be more comfortable not moving all day than attempting to maintain my usual daily activities.

Yes, the shoulder will hurt.  Yes, I will fall on my face.  Yes, I will cry.  It will all be fine because between and during all of those moments there will be adventure, beauty and laughter (even if it's just me laughing at myself).

Many thanks to LB for advice and laughing.  Holli for running with me.  Paul for not stopping me from doing this even though he thinks it's a terrible idea.  Thanks to all of my running friends who think I'm bonkers BUT are not telling me to stay home because they all know how much this race means to my heart and soul and sense of adventure.  I am so looking forward to stepping off the ferry in a sling and eating bacon every chance I get for 300 miles.