"Epic Fail"

I've probably told you before that I learned that expression from my grandson.  Although it sounds like a pretty significant screwup--- this epic fail---it really depends on the context you use it in, or the setting where you're applying it.  When you're playing a video game and your guy explodes it's very much a laughing matter (especially if it's the other guy's guy),  as opposed to hitting a tree with your toboggan in real life, which is a pretty serious 'epic fail'.

So where does today's long run fit into this continuum of epic fails?  I suppose, much like the video game, or the tobogganing for that matter, it kinda depends on your perspective.  Even a toboggan hitting a tree can be pretty funny if you're watching it on TV, where as if you're the guy on the toboggan it just plain sucks!  Perspective tends to change over time as well, which explains how we can look back to the past and laugh at the day we near killed ourself doing something dumb.  Of course the bigger the failure, the longer it takes before we can put it in perspective.

So back to my long run, or should I say the lack of one?  I managed 6 kms before I was walking, and at that point I turned around and walked all the way back.  The wind had really freshened by then and I had to walk directly into it on the way home, and as such, damn near froze, especially my fingers.   The frustrating thing is that I actually felt fine except for my right hamstring which completely and totally shut down.  I don't really understand why, other than my usual tight muscle condition.  Even then, why it chose today to become a problem I will probably never understand. I can't recall the last time I had any kind of an upper leg cramp.

As much as I tried to walk it off, or stretch it out, it just wasn't gonna happen.  I knew from experience that continuing to run was going to cost me big time in terms of injury, so I settled in for the 45 min walk back home in the cold.  I was pretty damn discouraged, and especially annoyed by the walk itself.  Epic fail!!

But by the tine I got home, while I sure wasn't laughing, I felt quite a bit better.  Certainly the time passing helped in and of itself, but I think passing the time walking was also a factor.  I have always believed that walking is about the healthiest forum there is for positive thoughts, and while I may not have gotten completely to positive, I did manage to dispel most of the negative.  At the very least I stopped being annoyed by the long walk home, as I began to realize that at that point it was the best medicine.

So here I sit, with the heating pad and the massager, trying to get rid of this lump in my leg. It's still pretty tender but I will continue to work on it and then sit in the hot tub at the gym tonite while I wait for Colby.  Hopefully I'll get it back in shape quickly and take Roo's advice to try again in 2 days.  Currently the weatherman is predicting some sun for Friday.  Probably I will have a glorious run, and be able to look back at today as barely a speed bump.  Either way, I know that the choice of which end of the fail continuum I put today's effort is entirely up to me.  How does it go? We can't always control what happens to us, but we can control our attitude in response to what happens.

Run 6 kms, walk 6 kms

"A man can fail many times, but he doesn't become a failure until he begins to blame somebody else."---John Burroughs

Love
Peter