The Road to Boston is Paved with Good Advice (Part 2, Peroneal Tendon Injury)

First- Thanks to all of you who faithfully read and comment. I have been in a posting frenzy for the last 26 days and look forward to just reading other people's blogs and posting once or twice a week very soon!!

This is the second segment in a blog series about my Boston training, what went wrong and how I can use the experience to improve myself as a runner.

The following are some letters written (via email) between me and another runner about 10 years my senior:

I_____,

Thank you so much for your help and the awesome emailed comments/posts. It's very helpful.

I have only got one point under / behind my ankle that is pretty sore/tender. And sometimes it feels like it is a very low part of the achilles tendon or even on the bottom of the outside of that foot.  

So...you ran reduced mileage for 5 weeks before Boston. And did this PT after with just walking/biking (sorry..just trying to sift through the details)...and started some running in week 3? then ran /walked for 4 more weeks?

I got injured 8 weeks out from Boston ( I think i got in 2 20 milers and no 22 milers) and have no idea if I would be healed if I didn't run until the week of B (and then just see what happens)...or If I should be running through this...or what.

I haven't ran a full since Eugene last may- and that was my first. I am afraid of letting this goal slip away, but also afraid of being out most of the summer. How did you decide if you should proceed or not? I don't normally give up easily, but I am having trouble deciding if I should run through the pain and go for it at B, or just let this one go and start healing for the summer/fall.

I really appreciate whatever you can offer in regards to decision making and how to deal with this setback.

-R

***

from I____ :

Yeah, the PT was after Boston. I think I made it worse by running, but I really
wanted to run Boston. That's basically the choice you have to make.

I made a post in *the forum* with the title something like "Help me salvage Boston". Pretty much exactly a year ago. That's where I got the advice that if I could run a 16 miler 12 days out I ought to be okay.

My view was that I had already paid for hotel and airfare, and I was looking forward to meeting other *forum* runners and hanging out with the ones I'd already met, so I was going to go no matter what.


I decided that if I could not run the 16 comfortably I would either jog/walk it as a scenic tour, or just watch from the sidelines. My notes say: "Hurt a lot for first 4 miles, but eased up after and pretty painless after mile 8 or so." I don't think I actually decided to RACE until pretty much the week before. I did really want to run, though, because it's expensive and a hassle to get out there for me, and I didn't anticipate doing it again for years if ever.

I do think I made an error in that I was having so much fun and was so excited and it didn't hurt at all at the start (actually, it didn't hurt at all during the race) that I decided to just go for my original goal of 3:XX, which was a mistake. I was not in shape for that after the time off, and when I hit the hills I was hurting - not hitting the wall, but I slowed down by about 30 sec/mile and my quads were really sore. I ran a PR by over 4 minutes but I think with different pacing I could have improved that by another 2-3 minutes.

I think if you do run Boston you WILL have to adjust your goal. And yes, I was out all spring and for some of the summer. I got a lot better at mountain biking! I volunteered at two races in June I normally run. The next race I ran was a 5K in August, and I was able to race a trail race in September I always do, but yeah, it did cut into my summer. And like I said, I shelled out a lot for PT because of my high deductible health plan; I think without it it would have taken even longer to heal up.

***

from me:

Thank you so much , I___.

I have a lot of thinking to do. I mentally have already dropped my goal- like as soon as I had a week off. I am making the trip, either way, and will pick up my bib at the expo. Everything was booked long ago. Funny that this is my first travel race and I have no idea what will happen.

You give me a lot to think about and a really good first hand account. Amazing that you still were able to PR even. LOL that's awesome! I was hoping to do that too. Unless things change drastically soon I will save that for fall or winter.

Thanks again- enjoy training for something really amazing :)

***

from I_____:

Good luck, R.

I hope you can figure it out. It is a fun experience, and it surprised me how many other runners were running it injured as a "scenic tour" - one of the women from *the forum* was recovering from a pelvic sfx and walked the whole thing (within the time limit!) which really impressed me. My roommate, who is in her 60s, decided last minute not to run and cheered us on instead, and one of the *forum* BQ girls got a cold and decided not to run also. It's still a fun weekend.

***

After this email, I decided to rest longer until I didn't feel any pain to the touch. It may have cost me in fitness and speed, but I am hoping to be able to cover the course uninjured.  At minimum, I hope to have my summer to train.

Reading another person's experience has helped me to sort out what is most important to me as a runner.

What it comes down to, is this:

YES. I love to race. I will pour my heart into training for one (As I did going up to my injury).

But, (my feelings at the moment are) I would rather run THIS race slower and be able to run all summer than be fighting this injury going into fall. I need to be able to run regularly. Racing all out at Boston or training through injury for B might cancel my summer running. It's not worth the sacrifice to me. Still...If I feel great on race day, I will give it all I have.

This is a new step for me. In the past, I have been so headstrong and unwilling to take advice. An injury really should be an indicator that something didn't go right.

There are several things I did wrong in my training that may have been contributing factors to this injury- and one might be genetic.

• Too many speed sessions. I probably should have alternated between 2x a week and 1x a week, or just do one of the speed sessions a week as strides or V easy fartlek.
• Running my speed work faster than my goal training paces. For instance, I had 3x 1600 @ 6:18 for a scheduled session, but was so driven to run a sub 6  mile, that I pushed it to two sub six miles and a 6:0X, with 10 miles total. That same week I ran a hard tempo and hills.
• Consecutive hill sessions with tempo, or faster than easy paces.
• Not taking a rest day when I felt a strange feeling under the outside of my foot, and under the heel.
• Not getting enough sleep.

Anyhow....no boo-hooing about it now! Just making an observation and MOVING ON. :)

Making Vows, Other "Stuff" - and 9 weeks left!

Running stuff:
Well, I survived the week!!! Another 20 miler done I am really looking forward to a "restful" cutback before the "monster month" of training that lies ahead.

Somehow I have managed to get through 7 weeks of  this training plan without injury *insert HAPPY DANCE here*.

At this point I am higher in MPW (miles/week)  than my peak for my first marathon (last May) was.
Yet, with Eugene training, I was icing Achilles tendons and the fronts of my ankles, etc...and wondering if I should be cutting back mileage.  I am a hard-head and went on through it. I know its a big blessing  not to be injured, and I am so grateful for it.
I am really glad that I slowly starting building my mileage after Eugene last year- so I have already hit the 70 MPW mark back in October. That has to help with the injuries. We shall see how it goes as I continue to increase over the next 5 weeks.

Short race?
I'd really like to do a "formal" speed check sometime soon and might throw in to a short race, if I can find one that doesn't mess up my training too much.

Hill stuff: (addressing some comments)
First off- I love downhills, but can understand not loving downhills. I love MY downhills. I don't know that I will love steep or long downhills on a course that I have never ran.
I hope the hill running and weights will build both my strength and my confidence. I  am still new to the distance and my habits have been to err toward holding back too much. My strategies are starting to change, though.

Here are some VOWS I will make publicly (to hold my bad-self accountable).

I vow to:

• get two more hours of sleep each week
• get intimate with my foam roller at least twice a day, 4 times if I can!!
• keep up on the weights through the first week of April.
• NOT MAKE PIZZA for dinner the night before a long run. It just ain't workin'!!! I will spare you the details, but will just say that I don't want to be inventing a portable TP dispenser for running with. How do people carb load the night before a race? I'll never know!!...It must be without fiber.
• No fiber after 7 PM. I don't care how bad that banana or chocolate roll is calling my name. I am saying NO!
• Carefully consider my training plan each week and make changes as necessary. (I am already considering redesigning the monster month to have a few runs broken into doubles. I will probably do this on interval days, since I don't want to break up any long tempos or medium long/ long runs.)
• Get to my race weight- but not really sure what the bottom line is. I know I am close now and have a lot of miles to put in.  I think things will balance out, as my appetite is really picking up. I made a REAL PIG out of myself Saturday and Sunday. I was famished Saturday night and made cinnamon rolls, without cinnamon- instead I slathered chocolate inside before rolling up and cutting. I ate so much chocolate in the process that I didn't feel like eating the rolls when they were done.
• Try to be nice to those around me who are not training for a marathon and have no idea how much I want to take a nap. =D

Also, special thanks to Jenn and Meg and Jill who continue to give me VERY VALUABLE advice regarding Boston. THANKS, Ladies!!! Any other tips are greatly appreciated.
I am currently wondering about corrals, since I have never been in one.  It will be a whole new concept for me- and I am not sure if I am going to be in the right one. I have a little research to do there.

OM Goodness! 9 weeks left!!!

Other stuff:
You might have noticed a few changes on my blog, like the header.  Nathan, my oldest son (6) took it on a road a few miles from home. Thanks to Tina and Slugo for the comments last post- I have had the hardest time settling on a header I like since I want to be pictured, but not necessarily IN YOUR FACE all the time. I think I am going to stick with the new header for a while. Maybe =D...


Also- I found a new blogger, or rather she found me...Niz at Run, Niz, Run! - Go check her blog out. Great stuff there =D.

For Believers
I also added a Christian blogs section. It's my goal to use my running (and blogging) to glorify God. In time I hope to get my "steps of faith" tab going again, once I can reestablish all the links to the proper places. There is also something else faith-related that I hope I can post soon.

Recently I was listening to a podcast from http://www.marathontalk.com/ where Ryan Hall was interviewed. Listening to him really inspired me to use my gifts more. He talked about all sorts of things marathon related on that episode, but the part where he discussed how he became a runner, and what he hopes to accomplish with his Hall Steps Foundation, was really interesting. In my opinion, here is a man who is humble about his gifts and wants to serve others. He understands that life isn't about running, but about relationships. It was worth listening to during my LR, even if with the "Click and Clack" of the marathoners talking before and after =D

For the ladies: the True Woman blog just started a 30 day husband encouragement challenge. I SO need this. If you are interested in joining me in this challenge, I would be thrilled. I am sure your husband would be too. ;)

And yes...it is VALENTINE'S DAY today! So happy Valentine's Day to you.

 I bought myself chocolate =D ...

Really, I have the best hubby in the world for ME- he fixed the sink and cleaned the garage yesterday (That's way better than candy or flowers) and he gave me three of the most beautiful boys in the world...and he watches them while I spend hours of running each week. Man after my own heart!