Runner still???

7/9 - Morning friends! First of all I just want to say that this blog isn't meant to be a pity party or a search for sympathy. It is simply a way for me to share my state of being and be open and honest about where Im at. Lets see how this pans out!I am currently in a very interesting place as far as my identity goes. For the last 10years, I believe I have been sighted as a number of things, but a constant analysis of who I am has always been centred around being a runner. I have always trained, raced and established myself as the ultra guy. Whilst I feel my personality, spirit and identity run deeper than this surface level enigma, it has been nice to have a constant run through my life for the last decade. However...the last nine months....Last week I wrote about the struggles I have had over the last 'almost year'. It seems as though I have faced one hurdle after another, bashing my head against a wall, trying to get my body back to what I love most....training every day and racing regularly. I have put on weight, had injuries, been hit by a car and mentally just struggled through this season. This has led me to ask a few questions of myself. At what point, where you can't do what you've been identified as, does it stop being who you are? Can I even call myself a runner? If not, what is my new identity? What does one even have to do to be able to be able to assimilate themselves with the term 'runner'?To some, heck, probably most, this all probably seems like a ridiculous discussion or even something worth pondering upon. To me however, it is incredibly important and deep to my soul and being. I LOVE running and if I can't do it....what then? Is this last year a sign that I should be doing something else with my time? If so, why do I still have a deep desire to get out and do the simple act of putting one foot in front of the other? Why do I still have so many goals in running?To be honest, I don't really feel comfortable calling myself a runner at the moment, yet every part of my being screams 'YOU STILL POSSESS EVERY ASPECT OF WHAT A RUNNER IS AND DOES'. Does this make it so? So many unanswered questions....This Monday is six weeks out from Blackall 100k. I deeply want to do it however the running I have done this week hasn't been amazing and I am STILL struggling with my groin issue, and that little issue I had with a car only two weeks ago! In saying that, I plan on taking some big action I haven't embarked upon before to try and return to the runner I once was.....actually, I believe my best running is ahead of me but lets cross one bridge at a time!Running is life, breath, movement, meditation and soul. Its incredibly simple yet brings me so much satisfaction any time I can do it. Running offers so much and I believe I still have so much to give back to it. Am I still a runner.....I pray so.....time will tell. Stay tuned. Much love friends.