I came up with the idea for the Keep it Moving solo expedition run only a few weeks ago – and already it has changed my life. I feel the spark of new motivation!
I’ll talk about my set-backs in a future blog post (a knee injury which has turned into chronic arthritis, and then an umbilical hernia – for which I have had two surgeries which were, honestly, brutal).
I was an ultrarunner – but for the last few years I have not been sure whether I can legitimately call myself that any more. I did manage to stay active through the knee injury (and deterioration), but more through hiking than actual running. And then the recovery from the hernia surgeries was really tough (an incision down the middle of your abs limits a lot of movements, for a long time). And then there is just the issue of getting older…
All this means that I my weight has changed (I am not really much heavier than I was – but the balance has definitely shifted: less muscle and more fat). And I definitely have felt my strength and endurance go down, as I could noto push myself physically like I used to.
But it’s amazing how quickly you can turn that around! I have to be very careful with my “training” – I will probably never be much of a runner any more or I will risk doing my knees in for good. I need to get stronger, but I cannot risk further injury.
So I have been doing squats and box-step-ups and HIIT training on my stationary bike – and I got out on this wonderful jog/run (aka fastpacking) with my little trails buddy, Ferg, on one of our rare December sunny days here in Port Alberni.
(Days are so short – so I cannot move too slowly! It was actually dark when we made it back to the car.)
I can already feel my strength returning. I go up hills better. When I do my squats and place my hands on my thighs or my butt, I can literally feel that my muscles are already bigger!
And that feels great!
My Keep it Moving solo expedition run is a totally new project, and this is my first blog post about it. In future posts I will talk about my organization of the expedition, as well as how I plan to balance my training so that I can keep progressing while doing my best to avoid any further injury. One thing I have learned over the years is that you don’t have to run huge mileage to train for an ultramarathon: cross-training (especially over long days) counts for a lot!
My Keep it Moving solo expedition run is set to take place in late May, and the short film will be released towards the end of 2021. Find out more by exploring this site, or by signing up for updates here – I will never spam you or share your info!
Keep It Moving 2021 