“I don’t think you should ever run again,” said my orthopedic spine surgeon. Those words cut so deep the pain was visceral. My eyes blurred with tears and I took a few deep breaths to compose myself. Why? How? Why me?
Read MoreA new training cycle can create feelings of unchecked stress, life sacrifices in scheduling runs, and anxieties about the training load to come. And, interestingly, I feel the most susceptible to burnout here. Just as my body has to incrementally adjust to the higher mileage, my lifestyle requires a parallel shifting.
Read MoreSince driving down the winding road of Blackberry with all my stuff loaded into my car 4+ years ago, I’ve called ZAP and the Yadkin Valley my home. The ancient mountain ridges that loom over ZAP felt like they watched over me as I grew into my professional running career.