the Way of the Turtle

Tough Decision...
Thursday, January 27, 2011

I've really been looking forward to running the Curly's Record Run 4 mile snowshoe race on Sunday. Saturday's races are too far away (3-4 hours, depending on which one) for the distances they offer (3-4 miles) so I had planned to spend Saturday in Rochester with Ann and then come back for Sunday's run in Pittsfield. I feel like I've been running fairly well for the last few races, plus it's a good chance to spend some time in the woods with my friends.

Unfortunately... whatever I did to my right knee Tuesday night is definitely still there. It's nothing major - an occasional twinge when I move certain ways - but I suspect the long climbs and the insane descent at Curly's could easily aggravate it into a more significant injury. And having already dropped quite a bit of money registering for some long races in the 1st half of 2011... I really don't want to end up where I was back in June 2009, when I tore up my left knee two weeks before the Finger Lakes Fifties and attempting my first 50k.

So as much as it's driving me absolutely nuts to do so... I'm going to stay away from Curly's this weekend. Ordinarily I'd go and offer to help on the course somewhere... but if I do that Sunday morning, I have no doubt I'll talk myself into running. And then all my friends will have to holler at me for doing such a stupid thing. And I may find myself limping around for the near and not-so-near future, wondering if my knee will bounce back enough for me to complete a trail marathon at the end of May in under 8 hours (as well as making a bunch of time cutoffs along the way.)

On the plus side - I'll get to spend more time with Ann this weekend, which doesn't happen often during snowshoe season.

But man is it going to drive me nuts Sunday morning...

JMH