by Represent Running Ambassador Erin

The past five months have really made me realize just how much I enjoy running as a part of my life – the balance it brings me, the self confidence it builds as the miles get longer and the pace gets faster. In March of this year, I had decided on a marathon race I wanted to train for this year, was making forward progress towards my pace and distance goals, and was really excited to have a couple of friends/colleagues joining me in my training.

However, just one week after completing the San Jose 408k race with colleagues, my marathon training journey landed me in Urgent Care with a fractured foot. I had been on a lovely trail run in south San Jose, hitting a solid pace, enjoying the sunshine, and them BAM! Face first into the dirt path, with a crunch sound coming from my left foot – I knew almost immediately that it was not just a minor injury.

Two months in a walking boot followed, along with countless hours of rehabilitative exercises – trying to get back to “normal” as soon as possible, even though I knew I was not going to be able to run my scheduled marathon in May. 10 weeks after the injury, I ran my first mile – it wasn’t fast, it wasn’t pretty, and it was tough! Breaking past that first mile was invigorating – and has driven me to keep at it. The sense of accomplishment with every run and every workout completed since has brought even more meaning to running as a part of my life. I ran the 5k at Across the Bay as my first 5k race back, and am now focusing towards The East Bay 510k and the San Jose Rock n Roll half as the next races on my road back, and I can’t wait to see where else it takes me!