Tired of injuries

  I am so tired of being injured. I looked back through my blog postings and realized that there hasn't been a single week that I've been completely injury-free. I suspect that it all spawns from my dance injury from years ago, and that each consecutive injury has been a result of one from the past. I also think that if I had a little bit more time to follow the R.I.C.E. rule. Rest.Ice.Compress.Elevate. I used to always forget the "c" but now that I am a regularly injured runner, it is just old hat.

 The reason that I am talking about injuries is because sometime between last Saturday's run and Tuesday, I pulled the arch muscle in my right foot. Last week, I was finally feeling that my left foot was completing the healing process and that all that was left was some hip pain and tightness...and now, I'm stuck with this.

 I was talking with a friend the other day about how there are some people in the world who seem to coast through. They go from day-to-day without any major drama, and they seem to understand how life works just fine, but they never have to deal with hardship or real set backs. I've met a few people like this in my life and it is frustrating. Not that I feel that I've gotten the hard end of the stick, but I definitely have faced some serious challenges in my life. We were talking about how lucky those people are, and then I realized that in some ways, yes, those people are lucky. But, they are also very unlucky, because the obstacles that many people face are truly what makes them stronger. It takes living through life without a silver platter to learn humility, and gratitude at their strongest.

 So, maybe the fact that I've been having to face injuries every week of training has made me stronger. My persistence and dedication through all of it will make the final journey that much sweeter.

 About the injury:

 On Saturday, we ran 9 miles at Loch Raven Reservoir. It is such a beautiful place to run and I truly loved it. There were several setbacks right away: it started pouring the second that we started running, and didn't stop until mile 6; I had desperate need for a bathroom and there were none there (you would think there would've been, seeing as how we're racing for Crohn's and Colitis, both gastrointestinal diseases) so I ended up going behind a tree; I had a new shirt on that I didn't have time to wash and halfway through, I felt myself itching from a breakout.

  HOWEVER, I continued on with the help of several people. For the first few miles, I was running with a new person that I've never met at training. Her name is Veronica. She was so nice and we talked about everything from bras-music-dentist-mothers. She had to miss a few weeks of training, so I felt compelled to help her keep up her pace and at least run until the top of the very first hill. I liked helping her and I could definitely see myself being a coach if I could lose a few more pounds and make some time in my schedule. When we got to the top of mile 3, a coach was there to run with us for a bit and she helped pass the time a bit more talking about dietary issues. Finally, Veronica slowed and the coach stayed back with her. I picked up the pace and caught up to Ashley and Katie. Two VERY awesome ladies (one a mentor and one a participant). Ashley came in ahead of me by a minute at the 10k, so I really wanted to work on trying to keep up with her as much as I could. We had a nice chat and kept a medium pace until we got to the really long uphill sequence, and my stomach started hurting. I tried a Gu, but it still felt uneasy, so I backed my pace up a click or two and Ashley went ahead.

 Mile 6-7 was a real winner, let me tell you! We started at the bottom on the road by Sander's old restaurant and ran all the way up to the top of the hill on Providence road. It was unforgiving to say the least. There was a moment when I thought I was going to punch a sign that said "Team Challenge" on it and it ended up not being the turnaround sign. I felt the need to be violent for a moment there, ha ha! My pace slowed all the way until the top of that and then I finally took off. From 7-8 was mostly downhill and I really kept my pace up. Then, for the last mile I pretty much sprinted. This is a new thing that I have been doing. Even when I run on the treadmill, I finish with a bang!

 When I was finished, I realized that I felt MUCH MUCH better than the first time that I ran 9 miles. In fact, I could have kept going! Maybe it was adrenaline, or maybe I have finally gotten to the point where I am ready to run this half marathon. I'm hoping it was the latter. After the race, I went home and took it easy all day. I even took a nap!! Can I get a hallelujah, amen?! I intended it to be a 1.5 hour nap and ended up sleeping 3!! Woohoo, yea, yea. When I woke up, I did start to feel the run in my muscles. I think the reason that I felt it so much more in my bum and hammer's was A. We ran uphill for 1/2 of it and, B. I decided to do weight training on Friday night at the gym. A+B=ouch. I had to sing Easter Vigil that evening and the entire thing is a long process of sit-stand-kneel-sing, and I ended up sit-stand-sit-singing instead. I even still felt sore on Sunday.

 On Monday, I ran 4 miles outside in Pikesville. I've been using Google maps to do this because I like the element of mystery in that, compared with Mapmyrun.com. It turned out to be an interesting surprise, too! I literally had to run straight uphill and then straight downhill through a neighborhood that I didn't even know existed (I thought it was just a connecting road to a main road). And then, I had to run straight uphill on Old Court and turned right through what ended up being a gated apartment complex (I got some dirty looks from old ladies). The new and exciting paths are always a good distraction for me! I am almost 100% positive that on that straight uphill is where I pulled my arch.

 When I went to teach on Monday afternoon, my foot felt a little tight. When I woke up Tuesday morning, it HURT. I kept stretching and it would feel better for a minute, but then it would go right back to the tight and aching feeling. I had a hard day because my intention was to do a fast 5 miler on Tuesday morning and after cutting the grass, I didn't have time. So then I planned on doing 6 miles Tuesday evening after a church service and cutting my Wednesday run back. When I left church, my foot felt tight still. When I got out of the car at the gym, it was a sharp pulling feeling that radiated up my whole leg.

 I got back in the car and drove home. When i got home I felt so guilty for not having done any exercise that I put my running clothes back on and got ready to go out and push through a run anyway. Then I realized that I was having a problem and I called Alec. Thank you God for Alec. My voice of sanity when I am being obsessive compulsive. And thank you God for giving me the insight to know that I am caught up in my obsession so I need to call someone.

 Today I ended up running through the foot pain. I used Rock Tape (LOVE that stuff!!!!!!!!!) to wrap around my arch and I did 6 miles in a little slower than the 6.2 that I ran for the 10K. I am OK with that because I know that it was what my body needed. Though sometimes I just want to punch my injuries. Somehow, I think that might be counterproductive. Just sayin'....

 This week we are running 10 miles at the NCR trail. I am REALLY nervous about this. I feel like I have just figured out the right amount of Gu/water and the right pace to complete 9 and now all of sudden, it is changing. Maybe my nerves will help get me through the run! Yea. I'm gonna go with that....

Until next time.......

(Isn't that what Lavar Burton used to say on "Reading Rainbow"?)


XO