For the first time in more than a month yesterday I ran fast. Well, fast for me. Did my first tempo run since going down with ITBS for a few weeks. I’m all better now, but had yet to really push myself until yesterday. Last week I ran close to 36 recovery miles with some speedier paces sprinkled in, as well as some trail running while crewing/pacing friends at the Burning River 100 Mile Endurance Race (but nothing that would qualify as fast or tempo), so in running those miles I overcame several mental hurdles that I had placed for myself regarding my recovery from this injury.
But this short little tempo session (5 miles in 43 minutes) did wonders for me. I felt alive again, I felt recovered. I felt BACK. But more important, I felt thankful. I looked back at my injury as a dose of medicine needed to renew my gratitude for this sport; to renew my thankfulness for being able to run and to train and push myself to new levels of achievement and fitness.
I have never been one to take my running for granted, but being injured and watching others improve while I rehabilitated myself made me so thankful for my health, and for the opportunity to get hurt while running, oddly enough. For the chance to step outside and go for a run. I’m happy I can call myself a runner. I am happy that I am once again back in the full swing of training. And I do not, nor will I ever, take running for granted. Each run, like each day of my life, is a gift. I plan to see it that way as hard as those runs may be, as difficult as it may be to deal with heat, and as much as I may struggle. I will open that gift each day and be thankful and happy.
This Running Life 
Glad to hear that the ITBS is doing better and you feel like you're back and better than ever!
I am grateful as well. I've been dealing with an undiagnoseable knee injury since last February and I am really frustrated. I really feel like I took a healthy body for granted as I am now unable to run hardly at all. I hope to be back by the winter.
That's the fighting spirit!