Awful News

Well, not awful, awful, but not good either. I’m off running for a few days. Possibly a week. I couldn’t be more down and out about it either.

This all started on Monday when I finished running a relatively easy 5 miler. I noticed a slight pain in my left foot. I rubbed it when I went got home and didn’t think about it again. I didn’t run on Tuesday, so Wednesday morning came and I was ready for the speed work. We were running a total of 7 miles with 4-1 mile repeats. What a killer workout! So killer, that it may have been the reason I am not running for a while. I could feel the pain returning in my foot at the end and took note.

Cut to this morning. I went out for an easy, and I mean easy, 4 mile run. As I started, I noticed my foot a bit, but it wasn’t “hurting.” In fact, I went a few miles without noticing it at all. However, we did take a walk break and I definitely noticed it there. I then mentioned something to the other runners about having some foot trouble and that I was going to the running store today. I didn’t know if I was getting new shoes or if I was going to pick up some inserts for my shoes. All I did know was that my foot was hurting and it was time to do something about it before I ended up at the doctor.

Before I go further, it is important to know I am severely flat footed. My pain is in my arch (or lack there of) and it’s tender to any pressure put on it.

So I stopped by Swags to ask about my foot and look at shoes. When I got there, I started talking to one of the employees that I trust (Steve). He was asking about what I was doing, how much I’d run and how often. He told me right off that I didn’t need new shoes. If I wasn’t having trouble before with my foot, then it’s not the shoes. He did say that it sounded like I stressed the ligament in my foot. He suggested that I ice it and take a few days off from running. Which led me to ask (in a way that I knew the answer but didn’t really want to know), “Does this mean no running this weekend?” To which he promptly replied, “Yes!” He went on to tell me that the goal of marathon training is to MAKE IT TO THE STARTING LINE. He also let me know that training for a marathon constantly toes the line with injury and that overdoing it will get you across that line.

Crap.

The logical side of my brain said - better to take a few days off than 3 or 4 weeks - while my heart says no way! Of course, this time my logical side will win. I got some good advice on my training when we talked about my schedule which I can go back to the others with. Now I just have to break the news to my training partners that I won’t be there for a few days. What is especially painful is that I was really looking forward to the 18 miler this weekend. Now that is not to be - for now. I’ll get there soon. Even sooner because I’m going to listen to my body and take a break, get better and get back out there even stronger!