Cold

Today I was back out there after a minor setback. Thursday was rainy and snowy, which worked out perfectly for my planned day off. On Friday I did an easy 3 miles with the dog, and I was planning on going out and meeting with a local running club, the Highland City Striders, for the first time Saturday morning.

Unfortunatley by the end of Friday I was not feeling well at all, with what looks like something related to my UC acting up. I have been back on my meds for that for a week because I have felt "off" for a while. Saturday things improved, and by today I seemed to be pretty close to normal. So I went out for 4 miles, which, though a long way from where I once was, was the farthest I have run in a while. 3 of those miles were in my VFFs. Those shoes do a number on my calves, but I can go longer and longer in them every time I run. I am becoming more and more hopeful that those shoes could help me a lot. My thermometer registered about 10 degrees F for todays run, but with the appropriate clothing I did not have a problem with it.

But back to the UC for a minute. One of my big running related fears is that I will have a major flare as I did 9 months ago and it will shut down my running completely. Also on my mind is the possibility that as my distance increases, long runs could actually cause the illness to act up. My hope is that it won't ... in some ways I plan on using it as in somewhat of a motivator. First off, there are people with this disease who suffer much much more than I do. Secondly, there are worse illnesses that one could be afflicted with. I am aware that as things stand now, I've been pretty lucky, and it wouldn't make sense for me to let it stand in my way.

I'll have more to say with regards to my running ambitions later on.