Uncharted territory

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.