I have not been ill, for a long period of time. It has been one of the ancillary benefits of endurance sport. Despite my submersion in the metaphorical sea of cough and cold, my immune system stays strong, and rarely deviates. In short, I cannot recall the last time I was ill, in the en masse sense of the word.
Antithetically speaking, that my body is refusing to become bullet proof. The armor that seemed once to clad my body, has degenerated into a conondum . I could climb, tempo, hill, and kick my legs into submission, and every morning I would wake up free of noticeable pain. This year, it has been a boiling stream of hot, molten lava, which seems to flood my arteries and veins, after each workout.
I ran Disney after 5 consecutive days off. The race was hard, but entirely pain free. Those who understand the essence of 26.2 miles, a distance which the human body is neither designed to complete nor structured to endure, can appreciate the conditions therein.
I neglected, rather – I failed, to rest adequately after it. My left anterior calf began to seize, which in turn made my illiotibial band flare. So I took 4 days of active rest. The pain went away, and I’ve balanced using my new orthotics for a few days. After 3 days in the newly refurbished, hard orthotics, my right adductor began to ache, and twitch, and made me walk with a limp…again. Thus I removed the orthotics, to find great relief in less that 24 hours. Bonus.
So I am running about 4 days a week now. On the off days, I am executing cross training. In sum, I am impeded by the following issues:

i. Left ITB aggravated. Remedial Action: Foam rolling, ibuprofen, compressing when possible .

ii. Right anterior ankle, presuming minor tendonitis of the tibialis anterior. This occurred yesterday after a 19 miler on very soft, mushy, hard to climb snow. Icing this and compressing for first 48 hours.

iii. A nagging left calf cramp that seizes when I run uphill, particularly in soft conditions. Considering a deep tissue massage, as I have not had one since post-Disney.

iv. A right adductor, that does not hurt when running, but certainly gnaws at my collective courage everyday. Letting this govern my mind over my body. Arguably the most tedious of issues.

Most recently, I have switched shoe allegiances: Mizuno Wave Elixirs to Asics Gel Nimbus, a worthy and strong shoe. I have given up many things this year in regard to training. Two a day runs, running spontaneously at a friends bequest, and running to free my mind.

For whatver it is worth, for whichever reason I continue to endure, I am certain of the following: I withold a tempered will. And I must have, as the ancients said, an appetite for desire over the love of ease.
I know that I cannot be moved by clinging to a present that is already dying.
I will take sober satisfaction in my acknolwedgement that despite the set backs, the maladies, and the ill fated decisions we make, I will arrive at a single, humble conclusion.

I have given up many things for my running. None of which, was a sacrifice.