Wrinkles

This week represented the first setback in quite some time. For once I feel confident that the reason for the setback was not overtraining, but rather my inability to recognize that a pair of shoes was causing problems soon enough to avoid injury. After I switched shoes, thinking the pair I'd been wearing was at the end of their useful running life, I thought I was being smart. I threw on a pair of Asics GT2170's, the same model I'd worn before successfully and part of the same model line I'd been using for years with good results. This pair, for some strange reason, started rubbing the outside of my left foot under the ankle bone when I ran. I thought they just needed to be broken in and attempted to soften that area of the shoe with my hands to get rid of that annoying rubbing. However, I think the fact that the shoe was bothering my ankle changed my gait just enough that another, much more serious problem, started developing. I didn't become aware of it until it was too late, but I maintain it has nothing to do with mileage per se. It's just that this is the first time I've ever experienced this specific issue with footwear and now must suffer the consequences of my inexperience. As such, I haven't been running since Thursday and have made a commitment to let this injury (which is a bit like the scary plantar fasciitis, but I think it's actually a muscle or tendon strain in my foot) heal before getting back into running. I hope it will only take a few more days, but have no idea as I am not able to simply put my feet up and let it run its course. Coaching basketball will keep me on my feet, especially as we are heading into our first tournament next weekend. Oh well... Fitness will be lost I guess, and that sucks big time!

In the end I managed to cover a paltry 40.3km (25 miles) on 3hr38m39s of running.

• Monday: rest (Left foot hurting, think new shoes are a problem. Took a rare day off to let it rest.)
• Tuesday: 12km, 1:06:01, 5:30/km, 130bpm (Early morning run, nice and easy recovery pace, testing the foot and new GT2000 shoes.)
• Wednesday: 16.2km, 1:31:30, 5:39/km, 135bpm (Tough waking up early enough to get this one done. Still bothered by left foot, so running slowly and trying to remember this is a step back week.)
• Thursday: 12.1km (treadmill), 1:01:08, 5:03/km, 143bpm (Still sore in the left foot so this was supposed to be a bit easy. As I ran the foot felt better so I increased speed gradually topping out at 7.8mph for a 10min stretch. Good run.)
• Friday: rest (Alarm went off at 5am, decided foot was hurting too much to go for a run.)
• Saturday: rest (All day coaching certification clinic including 4 hours on court and foot had a setback. Damn it!)
• Sunday: rest (No running. Left foot going to take some time to heal.)

Bummer

Things don't always go as planned, and I guess that adapting to the ups and downs of life is part of any decent training plan. It pisses me off whenever things get in the way of my schedule, but I have to do my best to let it go and find the bright side of any situation.

Well, here goes...

After the Half Marathon in Pittsburgh my left calf was quite sore as a result of the downhill running and such. I managed a couple of short, very slow runs on the Tuesday and Wednesday after the "race", but then came down with an awful cold on Wednesday evening that really took hold the following day. At first I thought it was just allergies to tree pollen hitting me hard, but when my throat started hurting I knew it was something worse. As such, I have not been able to run since as I've either been tied to my bed (missing work on Friday), or feeling very, very tired and lethargic. The upshot of all that is a few missed runs. That's the down side.

The up side, I suppose, is to take this as a sign that I really could use a break. A few months back, as I was mulling over the Marathon Training plan that I'd hoped to follow, I built in a two week break into one of the incarnations right after the Half in the Steel City. Subsequent plans no longer had that two week break because I am an idiot and can't see the benefit of such a thing when I'm actually feeling healthy, but it seems that my body really could use some time off, no? Therefore, I am trying to be positive about this and not feel like I'm losing fitness while waiting on the sidelines to try and start running again. It will now be a 22 week training plan instead of 24, and I think that's OK. Time to look at the old spreadsheet and re-jig.

The cold is still there and I feel crappy, though at least I'm back at work, and the calf is improving, but there is a hint of stiffness still in there. Also, my left heel feels bruised and it hurts a bit when I first get out of bed, which is the tell tale sign of the dreaded plantar fasciitis that I desperately wish to avoid.

So, marathon training will have to wait until at least next week. I am committing to taking this whole week off EVEN if I miraculously recover and feel 100% in the short term. Think I'll still go to the gym, but mostly to make use of the Sauna. We'll see...