breakthrough

noun-a sudden, dramatic, and important discovery or development

Sometimes in life you have a breakthrough when you least expect it. The other day, I had one.

I have had many obstacles in the past year (injuries, shoulder surgery, new asthma diagnosis, divorce, selling my home, foot surgery) that have altered my goals. I’ve had to adjust, to change my thinking or my training. These struggles of adversity made me stronger in the long run…though I probably couldn’t see it at the time. I just kept plugging along. Pushing past pain (emotional and physical) to reach a new height, to see where I could go….to see if I could achieve a higher level of what I was seeking.

Running is my favorite thing to do. It gives me a freedom that nothing else does. It’s my thinking time, my reflection time as well. I have a busy mind and running has helped to quiet the noise, dull the craziness. Running has weaved in and out of my life for a long time. I am so grateful I am able to enjoy it again. Last winter, my foot hurt from plantar factitious and a broken bone spur (so much that I had to give up running as it was just painful to walk). I had surgery in March….with the hopes of being able to run by the summer. But, there is never any guarantee that you will have a positive outcome. 

Well, I defied the odds and was running at 4 weeks. Six weeks after surgery , I ran a 5k. I pushed and dug deep to get there. Most of the summer, my foot would hurt occasionally while running and I felt frustrated at times. I wanted to run faster, to run longer…but didn’t want to push it and risk injury. It’s a slippery line to cross. 

The other day while running, I tried to relax more yet concentrate. It was a unique blend. I felt the more I focused on my breathing and my form, the less I noticed my feet, my pace. I reminded myself several times throughout the run to relax my shoulders, to breathe. I noticed I was gently pushing myself to see if I could run farther. In training, this can be hard. To go farther or faster, you risk injury. But, I found myself running 6 miles. The longest run this year! Such a lesson to learn. To push past what you didn’t think was possible. To give a little more than you thought you could…..to have a breakthrough.