Blog: Keep calm and run on

Ollie, so easy to love

2016 -  A year that Chernobyl generation turned thirty. When you're a teenager, it seems such a long way ahead, and how old you will feel, but once you get there, you don't know what all that fuss is about. Few days ago I saw a quote on Facebook, that goes something like this "When you take up running you say 'I run'. After a while you say 'I'm a runner'". It feels like I reached that part. Beginnings are hard, but our bodies are well adapted to running or to say it better "we are born to run". 

This year I ran about 790 km, biked 130 km and hiked 160 km. I participated 2 organized runs of 10 km. I got 3 minor injuries, but one of them was caused by a dog, so it's not all because of my clumsiness. Besides, if the owner would have pulled the leash, it wouldn't have happened. The one injury that worries me the most is patellar tendonitis, since it can take up a lot of time before it gets healed. Here's a link, if anyone else is having trouble with it. And of course it's on the knee that was already operated. I wasn't thinking about it before, but when I look back, that arthroscopy might have been a quick fix, but it may not have been the best option.

Many people still comment, that running might not be good for me, since I have knee problems, but they seem not to know, that running on unpaved roads and forest's path can heal the knees. Since regular exercise actually stimulates repairing of the knee cartilage, for example. I feel the knees start to ache if I take a few weeks off, not that I do, but some injuries demand rest. Knees are such a fascinating joint. Did you know that "The load distributed over the kneecap can be up to 5 times the body weight, particularly on going down stairs."? Mind and body function much better with regular doses of running ;)

Otherwise, this year was very interesting, taught me a lot. I participated in a sport massage course, got myself a massage table, got a new job (the pay is better, but it seems impossible to find a well-organized joby in healthcare system), moved, took up gardening and building. Started a big project and have a few more ideas up my sleeves :) But about time, Enya says it best.

For the end I'll share another video - Ode to joy; for some reason it has a deep impact on me, and I bite my lips not to cry every time I hear it.

A new year, a new day, holds a lot of possibilities, and it's up to us to see them and make them a reality. I wish things to move forward and start changing... and I'm wishing you a happy new year ;)