Fighting the battle, winning the round

Monday was a turning point for my running.
I started doing it again.
I was sick, again, and as a result could not run for a week. I’ve done a decent job of keeping in shape this winter, although I haven’t run as much as I would have liked, nor as far nor as fast.
Plus my heel hurts, and it’s starting to turn into a nagging injury.
This is the downward spiral. You start to take a few days here and there off. Then you get a painful injury that takes some of the fun away (or a lot of the fun away). Then you take a week off, and boom, you’re on the couch and starting to embrace the sedentary lifestyle.
Or you do what I did. Monday, I ran five miles at an easy pace. I’m not going to lie to you. It sucked. It was harder than it should have been, and I was tired during the whole run. I looked at my GPS constantly to see where I was, as if I were on the treadmill and not out enjoying a wonderful spring day.
But I did it. And I felt good afterward. I felt better than I thought I would, actually. I’m not sore today. I feel good. I have some energy.
I’m back.
Keeping yourself in shape is much harder, in my opinion, than getting in shape. When you’re getting in shape, the pounds are coming off, people are commenting on your new, Tab-like
shape (check out Gracie's hilarious YouTube "Be A Mindsticker" find), you’re feeling wonderful about yourself, you’re reaching your goals of, say, running a 5K and then...two years later, you’re still running.
Now what?
That doesn't make us weak, although sometimes I tell myself that. Think about how many other things take maintenance, and maintenance isn't exciting. No one ever talks about an oil change or laundry or re-reading Harrington or Phil Gordon for the fifth time. But you've gotta do it. Look at relationships. Without maintenance, they crumble.
I’m setting new goals for myself starting today to help alleviate that. I’ve also started stretching out my heel every night. It seems to help. But for the most part, I’m running again.
It’s the small victories like Monday that help you win the battle.