Yo Run Gang,

My friend Karen trained diligently all winter to run a 50K mountain race. A week out from the event a rock shot out from her lawnmower, shattering her tibia.

Life is not fair and as athletes we are reminded of this often. There are no givens, in training, racing or life. When aiming at a long term goal we put a lot of life's eggs in one basket, a risk-reward scenario. The risks are high, a lot can happen during several months of training, especially as race week draws near when  our bodies are on the edge, ready for injury or sickness.

We can hope for the best, but need to have a plan for the worst. By reminding ourselves that there is perhaps an 80% chance of making it to the starting line we might train a bit smarter, taking days off when a pain comes up or we are feeling run down. We might be more flexible with our plans, keeping family and friends intact. The worst case scenario plan? Be ready to switch gears 180 degrees when tragedy hits, putting all our effort in a new direction, making a plan for recovery and getting just as focused on the next big comeback as we did for original plan.

Dang, why is it that the hardest things in life to do are the right things?

Run smart,

Randy Step, an obsessed runner, inching my way back from injury ... while wanting to run back!