If you have ever been injured in this sport or another you always have that injury in the back of your head. Before running I wasn't active and a sports related injury was when my remote control finger fell asleep on me and I had to switch to an alternate finger. So when I started running I got an overuse injury on my right calf that kept me off the road for 8 weeks then a stress fracture in my left foot while running the Portland Half Marathon took me out for 4 weeks. Since those two injuries if I get swelling on my calf due to a bug bite I start thinking it is a calf issue and I am out for another 6 weeks....
So after my 21 mile run in the monsoon this past Sunday my right foot started to bother me when I walked similar to the stress fracture I had, so the PARANOIA was really bad. I was smart though, I decided that I had more to gain from rest then 3-4 short runs through the week and thus rested on Monday as I normally due and swapped my Tuesday and Wednesday 4-5 mile runs with some time on the elliptical machine (thanks for the advice Mr. Ellis).
I was not feeling any pain today or yesterday so I went out today for a 3 mile run around my office and felt great with NO discomfort. My goal is to get in 5-8 miles tomorrow and then my scheduled 16 mile long run on Sunday. I am going to try and run the first 4 miles @ MP+30 then the middle 8 at MP or faster and then the last 4 @ MP+30.
So the morale of the story is that I am getting old and sometimes my body needs to remind me that for 38 of my 40 years it was use to riding the couch and that I have asked it to do a lot in the last 2 years. I don't have the heart to tell my body about my plans for my50th birthday, I am thinking 50 miler is a good goal or to qualify for Boston....
Cheers,
Tim
About Me
- Tim Doiron a.k.a "Derv"
- A 40 year old, Type 2 Diabetic, with ADD, with a great family and a demanding bulldog name "Gracie". I am a "marathoner" and I continue to learn, make mistakes and move forward while enjoying the journey.
4 comments:
I RAN MY FIRST MARATHON FOR MY 50TH AND I DIDN'T LET MY BODY KNOW UNTIL THE END.....OF COURSE BY THEN I REALIZED MY BODY HAD PASSED OUT BACK AT MILE 15..........WAIT TIL IT FINDS OUT ABOUT THE 50K IN MAY!!!!
The main lesson I learned from my stress fracture last Fall was to listen to my body. Taking off a little bit of time now will save me from being forced to take a lot of time off down the road.
I recently rested my legs for two weeks to allow shin splints to heal. It worked, the aches are gone and the cross-training I did during that time helped me keep my fitness level up where I wanted it. It really does pay to listen to your wise brain.
And 50 at 50 sounds like a perfect goal! You should do it.
good advice, I have two runs in with no discomfort. I think the foot pain was from 21 miles in shoes that were close to being retired. I didn't want to take the new pair of NB769's out for the soaking so I wore my other shoes and that didn't help. So I will do my 16 on on Sunday and if at any point it hurts I will stop. Thanks for the advice.
Shhh don't tell our bodies what we are doing until we cross the finish line on 4/20th. During my training, I found it imperative that I cross trained when the weather was foul or if my body was telling me to utilize other muscles rather than the constant pounding they were taking from the training. It's a delicate balance and tell me about the fear of injuries (or post polio in my case) coming back -- I found once I released the fear and focused on positive affirmations, it made a world of difference plus exercising common sense with balancing out the training program. Tim - it's only two weeks away until we pick up our numbers. Are you excited or what? Hugs to you and the family, Mary
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