A Surprise, New Accessory, and a Change of Plans

Posted by Kara Goucher on April 7, 2014

So if you’ve seen a girl hobbling around Boulder with a crutch and think she looks a lot like me, she is. After a great track session and a swassy weekend in Palm Springs, I found out that the butt spasm that I had been complaining about was actually a sacral stress fracture. For the first time in my career this news was not met with tears. Instead, I asked the bearer of bad news, “What the F*&%?!”

I cannot believe that this has happened, this injury came out of nowhere. Gone is the track season and the sub 31 minute 10,000 meters I’ve been dreaming of. Gone is the trip to Europe to try to scare the 15 minute barrier in the 5,000 meters. All gone. But what isn’t gone is the feeling of limitless possibility I’ve been feeling since I moved to Boulder. The last three months of my life have been wonderful. I have loved my running and training in a way I haven’t in years. The hard work, the progress, the routine with my new coaches Mark Wetmore and Heather Burroughs. I have truly enjoyed it all. And I have been inspired in a way I never knew possible with Oiselle and my new relationship with them. I have been on a high for a while, and I refuse to come down.

Yes, I am disappointed and want to punch something. I am annoyed and frustrated and sad to let go of the goals I had for the summer. But, I will heal, I will come back stronger than ever, and I will still have an amazing fall marathon. I believe 100% in the people I have surrounded myself with and I know it will all work out in the end.

In the meantime, while I crutch around and ride the bike until there is a puddle of sweat on the floor, I am going to take advantage of the opportunity I have been presented. Now that I’m not training at a super high intensity, I can take in some racing experiences as a spectator, get to know my teammates at Oiselle, and support the sport I love.