Well I haven't had the best month ever. The first weekend in August I was in Indiana for my sister's wedding. I managed to get 5 miles on some trails one morning, and then did an 18 mile run. Coordinating a long run in the country is pretty difficult. First, I couldn't just run from my mom's because I'd have to go a mile on a state highway with speeding trucks. So, instead I drove the mile and used the car as my home base. I left at 8:30 am because it was HOT there-also dry and very little shade in the cornfields!
The other complication was water. I'm so used to running in the city, where there are drinking fountains in the park and near the river, or I can run into a deli to grab a bottle. Also, it's relatively easy to use a bathroom once you know where they are (Hudson River Park, Staten Island Ferry building, coffee shops...). It was pointed out to me that I probably could have just hidden in some bushes on the side of the road since I was passed by maybe 10 cars in the nearly 3 hours that I ran, but I didn't even think of it!
So I decided to do the run in 6 mile segments, running out 3 and back, each time in a different direction. The first two went pretty well, though I was very relieved to get back to the car to have a gel pack, and drink some cold water or Gatorade. Let me tell you, it was hard to start that last leg. I really felt like I was dragging, it was so hot by that point and I started having mirages of shady spots up ahead! But I made it through and headed back to my mom's house to hang out with cousins who were in town. Unfortunately, I was so brain dead after the run that I could barely speak to them even though I hadn't seen them in years. Boo.
Then, two weekends ago I planned another long run + food with friends. Six of us met up and various points on the west side and downtown, and then we all headed up Summer Streets together. Basically, we ran up Lafayette and Park Avenue to 72nd St, and then to Central Park for various-length endings (mine was 4 more miles). THEN we finally headed to our reward: Levain Bakery. I had a chocolate chip cookie with PB chips which I could not finish-it was so dense and heavy! I also ordered a raisin sticky roll which I took home and ate later that day. YUM!
Ok, but then the bad stuff...my shin started to really hurt the following day and it just got worse over the next few days. I couldn't walk for more than a few minutes without pain, much less run! I didn't run all week and went to my sports doctor the following Monday (yesterday!). She ordered x-rays and sent me to physical therapy. So I'm back there AGAIN 2-3 days a week for now. My therapist thinks it's a tendon around my ankle (shin actually feels much better, the pain and swelling are localized around my ankle now). I'm getting the x-rays tomorrow and once we see those he'll let me know what I need to do to take care of it and when I can try to run again. So. Crossing my fingers that marathon day will not be a grieving process for me!!!
The other complication was water. I'm so used to running in the city, where there are drinking fountains in the park and near the river, or I can run into a deli to grab a bottle. Also, it's relatively easy to use a bathroom once you know where they are (Hudson River Park, Staten Island Ferry building, coffee shops...). It was pointed out to me that I probably could have just hidden in some bushes on the side of the road since I was passed by maybe 10 cars in the nearly 3 hours that I ran, but I didn't even think of it!
So I decided to do the run in 6 mile segments, running out 3 and back, each time in a different direction. The first two went pretty well, though I was very relieved to get back to the car to have a gel pack, and drink some cold water or Gatorade. Let me tell you, it was hard to start that last leg. I really felt like I was dragging, it was so hot by that point and I started having mirages of shady spots up ahead! But I made it through and headed back to my mom's house to hang out with cousins who were in town. Unfortunately, I was so brain dead after the run that I could barely speak to them even though I hadn't seen them in years. Boo.
Then, two weekends ago I planned another long run + food with friends. Six of us met up and various points on the west side and downtown, and then we all headed up Summer Streets together. Basically, we ran up Lafayette and Park Avenue to 72nd St, and then to Central Park for various-length endings (mine was 4 more miles). THEN we finally headed to our reward: Levain Bakery. I had a chocolate chip cookie with PB chips which I could not finish-it was so dense and heavy! I also ordered a raisin sticky roll which I took home and ate later that day. YUM!
Ok, but then the bad stuff...my shin started to really hurt the following day and it just got worse over the next few days. I couldn't walk for more than a few minutes without pain, much less run! I didn't run all week and went to my sports doctor the following Monday (yesterday!). She ordered x-rays and sent me to physical therapy. So I'm back there AGAIN 2-3 days a week for now. My therapist thinks it's a tendon around my ankle (shin actually feels much better, the pain and swelling are localized around my ankle now). I'm getting the x-rays tomorrow and once we see those he'll let me know what I need to do to take care of it and when I can try to run again. So. Crossing my fingers that marathon day will not be a grieving process for me!!!
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