Six months post knee surgery, I ran my first half marathon. Here what I learned (or re-learned, really):

The body is all connected. What happens in your knee affects your ankle. What happens in your back affects your hips. What happens in your…mind…affects your…everything.

This takes listening to your body to a whole new level, right? The pain in your knee, when pushed for 13 miles, will spread to your ankle. Sure, you know your knee hurts, but do you really know what that means?

The answer is one that really hard to hear:

REST!

It’s true. Rest days are just as important as high mileage days. I run a few more races since the half, including my first trail 10k. (See below for a dirty picture. Bet you never thought you’d read THAT on this blog, eh?)

But, I did so after plenty of rest. And what happened, surprised me: I ran faster than I ever expected! Granted, I didn’t win anything (hey- I was literally competing against former Olympians; at elevation).

Next up- my first trail half marathon. Can I do it? (Yes, I’m still hurting.)

Stay tuned….