Slacking Off

So that 10 mile run that was supposed to happen Saturday while we were out of town?  Got pushed to Sunday morning, and then got skipped altogether.  *sigh*  Oh well, I still have time for 10 this weekend, and it absolutely must get done, since I need to taper (from what, I don't know, since my running has been practically non-existent lately!) after that for the race on June 3.

I did finally manage to go running yesterday morning, after a 1.5 week hiatus.  I only did 2 miles, but it felt like quite the accomplishment because I actually dragged myself out of bed at 6AM to get it done.  I had been having some hip discomfort on the left side, which happens when I've been inactive for a long period of time (usually this happens on the right side, though).  That, coupled with the fact that I hadn't worn my orthotics since Friday morning made my run pretty mediocre, and my feet burned pretty badly for a while during the run.  That'll teach me to ignore my PF, huh??

I'm planning to run 2-3 miles tonight, and then I have my 10 miles to do on Saturday morning.  Luckily I'll be with my team, and the marathoners are doing 20 this weekend, so there'll be plenty of support.  I'm also getting excited about my duathlon training, which will probably start next week.  I'm planning to participate in my first duathlon on July 22, in celebration of my 26th birthday (July 21).  It is a 2 mile run, 9.5 mile bike, 2 mile run.  After that I'm also planning on a 15k in September and a half in October, so I'm really hoping to get back in the swing of regular training.  Hopefully adding in some crosstraining and cycling will keep me motivated and injury-free!

Overwhelmed.

So lately I've been feeling really stressed because of school. I have a lot of things coming due (it's about 4 weeks until finals are over), and between that and wanting to spend some time relaxing with The Husband after he gets home from work, running (and housecleaning, and lots of other things!) tend to fall by the wayside.

Anywho, on Saturday I woke up at 5AM to get ready for my long run and I just wasn't feeling it. At all. I ended up crawling back into bed (with a side of guilt for skipping out on my mentoring duties with Team in Training) and vowing to do my long run on Sunday morning. We got up yesterday morning and went out (after a long time convincing myself that it wouldn't be that bad). I was having some pretty crazy foot and calf pain/tightness during the first mile, which started to loosen up but didn't go away totally. We ended up only doing 4 miles out of the 8 I had planned, but it's better than nothing. Pace was about 15 min/mi. due to a lot of extra walking to give my feet a break.

I'm hoping to get in some more miles than I have been this week, but school is threatening to drown me in homework, so I'm not sure how that's going to go.

My 1st Podiatrist Visit

So. I had my first visit to the podiatrist yesterday afternoon. Aside from a ridiculously long wait (it was about 40 minutes past my appointment time when I was taken back, and about an hour total before the doctor saw me), the appointment was good.

The bad news: I have plantar fasciitis in my right foot. It is not presenting with the typical heel pain, but rather starting at the ball of my foot and moving back along the arch. I have decreased range of motion in my big toe (especially on the right (injured) foot, but it's starting to affect the left toe, also). This is all caused by the way my foot moves when I walk and run.

The good news: I don't have to stop running! I need to do fewer runs overall, but I don't have to stop completely, which is good.

The treatment: I am to ice, stretch, and massage my foot. I am not to walk barefoot. I am wearing non/semi-custom orthotics for now, and once my insurance approves, I will be molded for custom orthotics. Not sure how long it'll be before that happens and they are ready.

I'm breaking in my orthotics right now (2 hours yesterday, 4 today, 6 tomorrow), and I should be able to do a modified long run on Saturday. Wish me luck!

1/2 Marathon Recap + Foot Pain Woes

So, we did it! We ran the Cowtown half marathon on Feb. 26. The weather was *perfect* for a race - around 50*, partly cloudy, and breezy (transitioning into gusty winds toward the end of the race). As you can tell from my blog, our training was not up to the usual standard, so we ended up walking the second half of the race due to my foot pain and the Husband's IT band discomfort. We finished in about 3:28, so definitely not our best time, but we had fun.

After the race I took the week off from running, but I did ride my bike on Thursday afternoon and Sunday morning!

Sunday evening we headed out for my scheduled 8-mile long run. Again, we had great weather for our run. We ran a different route than normal, which was fun. But my foot started feeling "off" around 1.25 miles, and got worse from there, escalating to a 3 or 4 on the pain scale intermittently. We rounded it out at 5.5 miles, and I immediately iced my foot. Haven't been running again yet, but we'll head out for 3 miles tonight and see how it goes.

I've scheduled an appointment with the podiatrist for tomorrow afternoon. I've never been to a foot doc before, so I'm hoping for a good experience, a diagnosis, and a fast recovery! I definitely recommend seeing a doctor sooner rather than later when you think you have an injury. Best-case scenario, it's a wasted copay, and worst-case, you have to take some time off. But it will be less time than if you wait too long to see the doctor! I realized when filling out my new patient paperwork that I've been having this foot pain on and off since mid-January, so it's definitely time to get it looked at. Wish me luck!

Wednesday's Run

We got up at 5:00AM again yesterday to go for a run. We did about 3 miles (will have to add time/pace later, the watch is at home!). It was very humid and a little cool, but warm enough to wear shorts. It was pretty uneventful, although I was having some pain and tightness in my calves and right foot. I'm not sure if it's my shoes (which maybe have 25-50 miles on them) or if I just need to stretch more or what. Took a few extra walk breaks to try and avoid injury.

So far I am on track with my marathon training! It officially started Saturday and I've done 3 runs so far. I'm scheduled for 4 miles on Saturday but will probably run 6-8, since I have the Cowtown Half Marathon next Sunday and haven't had a run longer than 5 miles since my race in October. :-/