On The Road Again...

The Trusty Asics Gel-Cumuli

After a week with a few easy runs followed by 5 days with nothing but rest I think I'm ready to get back to training for Disney for reals. I got out for a lunchtime run, and for the first time there was no pain at all in my calf or shins. It is such a huge relief. I was so afraid that this would be one of those injuries that would linger and hang on. I think the 5 days off did the trick and helped me kick it. It just goes to show that sometimes less is definitely more, and you should always listen to your doctor.

Now that I'm back on with training it also means I can get back to racing. Thursday is the Thanksgiving Day Race. It's a great 10k on Thanksgiving morning to help you build up that apetite so you can stuff yourself for the rest of the day with no worries. mmmmmm turkey. This year I'll be running with my cousins. This year I won't be racing for time. I won't be racing for time, I won't be racing for time. If I tell myself that enough times it might start to sink in to my corrupted, stubborn brain. I'm going to hang with my family and run just for fun. I won't be racing for time.

One final thing is my Team In Training fundraising. I've got about 3 weeks left to finish up my fundraising and reach my goal. I'm soooo close I can see the end! Only $375 to reach my goal of $3600! We did a craft show this past weekend selling handmade cards and Christmas ornaments my wife had made. Unfortunately, we didn't make much, but that's alright. It was so sweet of her to spend all the time creating the cards and making the bulbs. There were a lot of people there selling crafts, so it wasn't easy to get noticed.

It's Not So Bad

This just in.....Runner training for Walt Disney World Marathon and raising money for Team in Training has fears of injury after experiencing increasing pain in his left leg that culminates with him having to bail on a training run. Runner decides that it would be best to see a doctor. More at 11.

The worst moment I had yesterday in the doctor's office was when they told me I neede xrays. Immediately my mind flashed forward to him giving me the news that I have a stress fracture and I shouldn't run for at least a couple months. Fortunately that scenario didn't happen.
First I should say that the doctor was great. He and his wife are both runners, so he was very understanding of this crazy need to push myself. That really put my mind at ease. I was afraid that I would get a doctor that, while maybe a good doctor, just wouldn't get it. Add that to the fact that he never spoke down to me or made me feel stupid. I really couldn't have asked for a better doctor. Except for maybe one that could replace these twigs with bionic legs. That would be cool. :)

He confirmed what I had already suspected. I have some mild shin splints. That isn't really part of the problem with my calf, but a bonus diagnosis. He showed me a stretch to do for the shin splints. He said to give it a week before seeing improvement there. The calf muscle problem is just a strain. It was caused by a combination of training and poorly fitted shoes.
I suspected the shoes, but wasn't ready to fully admit it. I tried these new Asics Nimbus with a different width. They never really felt very good, and it was just a bad idea. Like he said, "if it isn't broke don't try to fix it." Luckily this news comes with two days left on my 30 day return policy. I'll be heading back to Fleet Feet today to return the Asics Nimbus and returning to the good old Asics Cumulus with a 2E width.

In addition to the shoes he said I'll need to take it easy for 2 weeks. I can still run, but only the shorter easier runs. No interval, tempo training, or long runs. I'm just glad that he thinks that I will be able to keep training at all. I had high hopes going into the training for Disney of setting a PR and getting closer to qualifying for Boston. I've come to realize that just getting to the race healthy and happy will be more than enough for me. So much work has gone into this race besides training by myself and my family that just being on the starting line marathon day will be a huge reward.

A special thanks to Bree for sending me photos and messages while I was at the doctor's office waiting. You brought a smile to my face.

Tomorrow

I was going to do a two part Halloween weekend wrap up, but the time has passed. It just doesn't interest me anymore. I'm easily distracted by shiny things, or colorful things. It's been pretty much about work the last couple of weeks. Work, work, run, work, sleep, work, run, hurt leg, work. At least there is all the work to keep me preoccupied and not thinking too much about that little thing toward the end of that list. It's kind of hard not to think about it though with the Team in Training and Disney front and center.

The last couple of weeks has seen an increasing pain in my left leg below the knee. I can't point to a specific event that has lead to the pain, just a slowly growing ache that continues to grow and bother me. It could be overtraining, since I've been training for one race or another since January, or it could be something worse. I'm going to try and put it out of my mind until tomorrow.

Tomorrow I go see the doctor. Tomorrow I find out how I spend the next couple of months. Do I finish preparing for Disney in January? Do I get to explain to all the friends and family that I won't be continuing with Team in Training? Tomorrow I'll know.