The hiatus is over

19 days.

That's how long it's been since I laced up my sneakers and headed out for a run. Granted it was a little difficult since I was doing that whole painful recovery thing from The Great Neck Slicing of 2007. So it's not like I voluntarily chose to take a 19 day hiatus from running.

But it's over now.

My doctor had told me I could start running again 2 weeks after my surgery. Friday was the 2 week mark. Mom, well, she would have liked to see me wait another week, but I was getting antsy. And besides, I had signed up to do a 5K on June 2 and I didn't want my first run post Neck Slicing to be something where I absolutely had to run 3 miles.

So I decided on the happy medium, about 2 1/2 weeks. I was going to try running yesterday, but my neck felt kind of achy, so I decided against it. Today, I didn't feel too bad when I got up. So I threw on some shorts and an T-shirt, laced up my sneakers and headed out.

I ended up going 2.1 miles. And surprisingly, it didn't hurt too much while I was running. I was just completely out of gas by the time I got home though. And showering? That sucked the last remaining energy I had. It was one of those days where I took a shower and then sat and rested for a few minutes after I finished drying off. It's like I had to get ready in stages, just like I did the first week after my surgery.

Now, a few hours after the run, my neck feels a bit achy, but I've regained some energy. I feel kind of good knowing that it wasn't necessarily the distance I had problems with. I wasn't getting those nasty cramps and my legs didn't feel like large blocks of lead. It was the stamina that I had problems with. And I knew that was going to be my problem before I even took my first step. Hopefully within the next week or two, I'll get all of my energy back and I'll be able to run farther without being completely wiped out afterwards.

I don't have big plans for the rest of the day, just sitting around and reading while I do a few loads laundry. Then I'm heading up to my parents' house for the annual Memorial Day cookout. Mmmmmm, burgers and dogs on the grill.