Hello! I am a person who loves reading books and watching movies, and my favorite aspect of any book or movie is when the main character makes a comeback. It’s that moment after perhaps a major failure or disappointment that the main character decides to get back on the proverbial horse and make another go of it. At this very moment in time I am at that point of your favorite dramatic movie or book where the character has decided to get back on that horse, or in my case lace those running shoes back up and get after it once again.
I guess you could say that my current journey down comeback road is two parter…a comeback to running after six months battling achilles tendonitis and a comeback to blogging after a very long time away. You could also say, I suppose, that this this comeback has third part–helping me continue to define who I am personally and professionally after leaving my career in college housing a year ago to focus on our family and providing support and care for them in a more focused, purposeful way. I plan to focus on all those aspects of my life on this blog while at the same time sharing a solution based perspective on the national stories and politics of the moment here in America and perhaps beyond.
This particular running comeback started a couple weeks ago with a two mile walk-jog at a pace that did not cause me any pain in my right achilles for the first time since October 16, 2021. This is not my first comeback after a running injury and the best advice anyone has ever given me is that in order to start running again you need to return at a pace that is pain free. After that first walk-run attempt three weeks ago, I held my breath for the next 24 hours hoping that my achilles did not start to hurt while walking, walking up and down stairs, and just in general. I took the next day off, my achilles felt great, and then I completed another 3 mile walk-jog at a pain-free pace–or as I call it running under the pain. It worked, and now three weeks later I have been able to complete eleven walk-jog sessions pain free after not being able to run for six months. I’m excited, nervous, and cautiously optimistic that the momentum has shifted to being able to train again. And…I am not running at my typical pace and I have had to humble myself, but doggone it I love being out there running at ANY pace rather than sitting on the sidelines riding bike while other people run.
Running comebacks are a lot like life comebacks. Seriously. When we screw up in life–tank a relationship we did not want to tank, make a mistake at work we could not afford to make, become unnecessarily upset with our kids when they did not deserve it, etc.–it is frustrating, humbling, and the road to righting that wrong or getting back what you want always looks tough when you focus on the end and where you hope to be again. That long view can sometimes be so daunting that it causes a person to doubt they can ever recover or get back what they believe they have lost. Over the years running has taught me that any comeback begins with the first step and that first step (and the next few after) will be difficult and not free from setbacks. However, if you keep putting one foot in front of the other and you build that positive momentum, eventually you’ll get where you want to go (or at the very least away from where you do not want to be) and you’ll be better for it. I’ve never wanted to have a running setback or a life setback, but goodness has every comeback been sweet and helped me become even stronger than I was prior to whatever caused the need to travel down comeback road in the first place. Comeback road has made me stronger mentally, tougher physically, and helped me become a better person to those around me. It’s never easy and that journey can be difficult, but it’s always worth it.
Thank you for reading or listening to my first blog post on this site and I hope that you’ll continue on this journey with me–wherever it may take us. Feel free to engage with me either in the comments section or privately at joshuadavidskillman@gmail.com or @JoshSkillman on Twitter. Have a great day!
Running. Dad Life. Solutions.
What I Learned While Running 