This past weekend I ran 14 miles. That's more than I have ever run before. A few weeks previous I had run 12 miles and it wasn't easy. I knew that as I got closer to the 13.1-mile mark there would most likely be a mental block that I would bump up against. The longest distance I had ever run was a half-marathon (13.1 miles) and just knowing that made the longer runs seem even more daunting. However, I was pleasantly surprised when I was out running my 14-miler that it didn't seem all that difficult. I certainly wouldn't say it was easy but it seemed easier than the 12 miles I did a few weeks back. Now I'm filled with a bit more confidence about the rest of this training which is a nice feeling to have with 8 1/2 weeks left to go.
Perhaps even more surprising than my better-than-expected 14 mile run is that fact that it went so well despite the fact that I'm still dealing with a stress fracture. It would appear that my foot has healed somewhat even though I haven't rested it one bit since the diagnosis. I believe this is due to my slightly altered gait/footstrike which keeps some of the impact off the sensitive part of my foot. So far this adjustment hasn't lead to any negative effects elsewhere (knees, hips, etc.). However, I think that the foot has healed as much as it can without rest at this point so my prediction is that the small amount of residual discomfort (I'm not sure it would qualify as pain) is going to be with me for the rest of my training. That's OK. It's tolerable. My goal now is to keep it from getting worse as I continue to add mileage. My long run this weekend is only 8 miles. The weekend after that is 16. Keep your fingers crossed.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Sunday, September 14, 2008
The good, the bad and the ugly
The Good:
Over the past week or so I have managed to alter my foot strike and gait just slightly in order to minimize the pain in my foot. I was worried this might just transfer the pain elsewhere (to my knee or hip) but, so far, all is well. My foot still hurts but it is much less than before and certainly not enough to quit running.
The Bad:
This past Wednesday my training called for a tempo run. This requires me to run harder than normal for short intervals. As soon as I started the first speed interval my foot hurt. A lot. Being the smart person that I am, I ignored the voice in my head that said "You should probably stop" and I pushed through the rest of the run. My foot was very sore for the next day. Lucky for me, the next day was a rest day and after that I had a day of cross training before I had to run again, so there was time to recover. However, it seemed clear that tempo runs aren't going to be happening while my foot is still hurting. This is unfortunate because these runs are what help you increase your endurance.
The Ugly:
Wednesday was also the day I went to see the sports medicine doc. He took X-rays and ordered an MRI. On Friday we got the results. The verdict? I have a stress fracture in the second metatarsal bone of my left foot. For lack of a better word, this sucks. The doctor was sympathetic to my situation and told me it was up to me as to how much I run on it but he would advise lots of cross training and no running until it heals (i.e. stops hurting). There's no way to know exactly how long that would be but probably many weeks. As dedicated as I am, there's no way I'm good enough to do only cross training for the next 10 weeks and then go and run 26.2 miles. So, given that my foot isn't hurting that much now that I've learned how to run on it, I'm going to continue with my training as is, probably ditching the tempo runs, and just see how it goes. I ran 6 miles yesterday with no problem. If, as I continue to increase my mileage, the pain gets worse then I'll reasses the situation at that time. I've just come too far (and I'm too damn stubborn) to throw in the towel at this point.
Over the past week or so I have managed to alter my foot strike and gait just slightly in order to minimize the pain in my foot. I was worried this might just transfer the pain elsewhere (to my knee or hip) but, so far, all is well. My foot still hurts but it is much less than before and certainly not enough to quit running.
The Bad:
This past Wednesday my training called for a tempo run. This requires me to run harder than normal for short intervals. As soon as I started the first speed interval my foot hurt. A lot. Being the smart person that I am, I ignored the voice in my head that said "You should probably stop" and I pushed through the rest of the run. My foot was very sore for the next day. Lucky for me, the next day was a rest day and after that I had a day of cross training before I had to run again, so there was time to recover. However, it seemed clear that tempo runs aren't going to be happening while my foot is still hurting. This is unfortunate because these runs are what help you increase your endurance.
The Ugly:
Wednesday was also the day I went to see the sports medicine doc. He took X-rays and ordered an MRI. On Friday we got the results. The verdict? I have a stress fracture in the second metatarsal bone of my left foot. For lack of a better word, this sucks. The doctor was sympathetic to my situation and told me it was up to me as to how much I run on it but he would advise lots of cross training and no running until it heals (i.e. stops hurting). There's no way to know exactly how long that would be but probably many weeks. As dedicated as I am, there's no way I'm good enough to do only cross training for the next 10 weeks and then go and run 26.2 miles. So, given that my foot isn't hurting that much now that I've learned how to run on it, I'm going to continue with my training as is, probably ditching the tempo runs, and just see how it goes. I ran 6 miles yesterday with no problem. If, as I continue to increase my mileage, the pain gets worse then I'll reasses the situation at that time. I've just come too far (and I'm too damn stubborn) to throw in the towel at this point.
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Running or swimming?
I got up at 6am today to do my long run. The predicted rain hadn't arrived yet but it was 75 degrees and 99% humidity. The air was so soupy that it was more like swimming than running. My foot appears to be getting better. It was sore for the first few miles, and there were a few stabs of pain here and there, but after that it actually felt pretty good. Of course, when I'm running 12 miles towards the end of the run other parts of my body start to hurt so then I tend to not notice my foot anymore. I've determined that I really need to take water with me from now on. Today there was so much moisture in the air that I probably could have just run with my mouth open but anything longer than 10 miles requires refueling. The best part of the run was the fact that the rain came about 30 minutes after I finished my run.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Opposite world
My foot is still hurting. However, my last two runs have been better than any since this whole thing started. I ran yesterday morning and was pleasantly surprised to find that my foot didn't hurt as much as it had been. Then I ran this afternoon and the pain was even less than yesterday. What's my secret? To do the exact opposite of what common sense would say to do. I haven't taken any more days off to rest my foot. I stopped icing it. I stopped taking Ibuprofen. Maybe I should also take up smoking? Well, maybe not but I have no idea why my stubborn, and possibly stupid, approach to dealing with my injury is working. I do, however, know enough to not mess with it if it appears to be working. I'll attempt my long run on Saturday (12 miles) and see how it goes. Let's hope I'm still living in opposite world then.
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