Why things don't turn out as you plan

After getting home at 2:30 a.m. I had a feeling that today was not going to be the day I managed to get any training. Despite that attitude I had my bagged packed and ready for a workout just the same.

As has been the case of late I let things get in the way that a more inspired individual would not. I still lack the razor sharp dedication required to reach the goals I set for myself. Hopefully, it was best to regroup from my trip and get some of the work that stayed behind taken care of today.

I did make one step towards future improvement by scheduling another massage to get my leg sorted out. I think my hamstring bicep has generally healed but I have scar tissue that needs to be kneaded out. I believe the soreness will be there for awhile unless I let my massage girl, Katie, beat it out. I was lucky to get in so quick as I called in right after someone had cancelled.

One who thinks I'm spoiled and pampered by getting regular massage has never been subjected to one of Katie's sessions. The words relaxing and soothing have never been used to describe one of her sessions. I think about the lyrics from John Legend's "Save Room" as I'm trying to stay relaxed in the midst of pain.

"Don't be afraid of a little bit of pain, pleasure is on the other side."

It usually takes about a day and a half to feel recovered from one of Katie's beatings, er massages. I can't believe I actually pay to be abused but it sure beats whining about being injured, which I've done far too much of lately. It would be nice to put together a stretch of sustained training. Fortunately, I've been through this before and sooner or later I've always gotten better.

This comes back to my lack of patience. Things just don't happen as fast as we'd like but once you accept its part of the process then you can relax a bit. I recently found this statement that helps bring into focus what us runners deal with and how it strengthens us at the same time. Patience, said Ambrose Bierce, is "a minor form of despair, disguised as a virtue". Do it well and it's "stoic endurance". We can never have enough endurance for running marathons, can we?