Hal suggested I go backwards rather than forward, even if it means I'll miss the 20-mile training run before the marathon. The problem is, I don't know when I'll go back to running.
Last night, I tried to run a mile. I got 15 steps. The pain kept shooting up my leg/glute/hip with every heel strike and I felt like that right leg was giving out. I ended up walking for a half hour, followed by 90 minutes of power yoga. And even yoga hurt me. I had to rest during most of the intense leg-related poses. I had to skip a few vinyasas. Soooo not me. I may rest a little, but I never miss a vinyasa.
(Side note: you know you've worked out hard when you come home and weigh less after eating and drinking all day than you weighed, empty and naked, first thing in the morning.)
PT ended today, with one of the most uncomfortable experiences you can imagine: the cold plunge. For those of you who have one of these at your gym, it's much worse than an ice bath. It's a flat, deathly still, forebodingly empty pit of 48-degree water. It even looks cold. You get numb and start to hurt within 45 seconds of climbing in. I had to go from that to the hot tob 10 times for 45-60 seconds each time. It did seem to help, but I thought my feet were going to fall off. At least in an ice bath you can wear a wetsuit, kick around and make bubbles, and you're in your own bathroom.
I am really getting mad about this fucking injury. I trained smart. I took Hal's advice, I took my tri coach's advice. I trained well, I even ate enough during the race - and I still got injured. I don't want to think about this being the second marathon this year that I may miss, but maybe it's time to face the fact that I'm a better triathlete than I am a runner. Yes, I want to do marathons, and I will eventually have to, even if it's not until I do my first Ironman. But I really wanted to run a marathon or 6 on their own before then - not to mention the fact that it would be wise to have at least one or two under my belt before attempting one after swimming 2.4 miles and biking 112.
Well, I can't do anything else today. PT sucked up my morning and I have class from 6:45 to 9:25 tonight. So I'll just have to rest, do something in the morning, and hope the massage tomorrow night helps. Otherwise, it's back to the ortho.
The eternal question is: how much training can I miss before it's unwise for me to keep the marathon on my schedule? Obviously, the sooner I know, the sooner I will replace my October and November races with triathlons. But I don't want to count myself out too soon and overfill my schedule, either.
5 tidbits of wizdom:
Sorry to hear about the injury, that sucks! Thanks for visiting my blog and I look forward to following along with your journey!
Whether you're sick or injured, not being able to work out makes for a very grumpy MEGGAN! I remember one season I was out sick almost 1.5 weeks every month for six months in a row......and my husband lives to tell the tale! Poor fella. My heart goes out to you! Be kind to yourself.
This may sound rather unconventional but if you train better as a triathlete, why not train for the marathon as a triathlete?
Run only twice a week: one mid-distance run during the week and one long run on the weekends. The rest of the days fill in with biking. Biking fitness is not exactly the same as running but it's pretty close and it's much better than no training due to injury. Maybe add one swim as an easy recovery workout between your runs.
Just an idea.
Can you do your run in the pool for a while?
I understand how you feel about triathlons vs marathons. I missed my marathon last year because of an injury. I don't know that I want to train for one again!
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