Half-Ironman training has come to a standstill. My knees are wrecked. They ache and hurt, yet still the stubborn pollock in me still decides to push myself too much sometimes. And like a bad one-night stand, I always regret it the day after.

I’ve had to ask myself lately if the payoff is worth the reward when it comes to training.

At what point do I throw in the towel and say this isn’t worth it? Why must I put myself through all of this useless pain?

The Ironman Dropout

Unfortunately, I feel that time has come. I’ve decided to stop running, and therefore will be unable to participate in the half-ironman at National Harbor this summer.  While I may be giving up running, I know I can still continue pushing myself in other disciplines. Fortunately, biking and running are still pretty easy on the joints.

While it really sucks to realize I won’t be accomplishing this goal anytime soon, I’m comforted by the fact that my knees will be thanking me ten years from now. I’ve seen people with knee pain due to their activities over the years and figure that while being able to do something I enjoy now would be wonderful, it is better off for my body in forty years from now to abstain from it.

Staying Positive

The only way not to get bummed out about being unable to do this race is to stay positive. I may not get that medal and be able to say I’m a half-ironman, but I will be able to bike, spend more time doing yoga and climbing, and still maintain my fitness without wrecking my knees.

It’s not like because of my inability to do this race that I’m going to label myself a quitter, I just have to realize sometimes things don’t work out. Like my sister said when she was only 4 years old, “life ain’t fair”. So true.