Where's the Beach?

After 37 days of not being able to run because of my stress fracture , I finally set out for a run on Valentine's Day with Jason. Seems like the ideal gift for a runner right? The temperatures were in the low 70s, perfectly clear skies. I didn't even mind the gusting winds. I was just happy to be outside, running. It wasn't fast. It wasn't easy. But it felt amazing. We did 3 miles of walk/run intervals. Jason made sure to keep my speed and distance well in check. And the best part was that there was no pain at all. That hard part was holding myself back. Every ounce of me just wanted to take off at full speed like a child might. Sunday the temperatures were much colder, and there was actually ice in the forecast for Monday. So, I layered up and headed out for a solo walk/run. I ended up with 4 miles and didn't mind that my face was frozen. Funny how I was in shorts and a tank one day then layers and gloves the next. I will say that it was much harder th...

Injury Update I decided to go see a podiatrist. Not because I didn't fully believe or trust my doctor, but I really wanted to get a full understanding from someone who only deals with feet and ankle injuries. I'm exactly 4 weeks out on this stress fracture and was (key word) in the boot for 3 weeks. The podiatrist said that a full break takes 8-12 weeks to heal and a stress fracture about half of that time. That means at 4 weeks, I'm totally on the mends. He gave me the OK to do non-impact workouts like cycling and even said to try the elliptical. I admitted I'd been doing the bike and he said that was perfectly fine as long as there had been no pain. Phew! Oh, and the biggest news was that I could ditch the boot! That in and of itself was like angels from heaven. I'm still not cleared to run, but at least there's an end in sight to the injury. He said to wait 2 more weeks then start going out for test runs. The biggest thing is that I have to realize that...

If you had asked me what my running and racing plans were for 2015 right after my full marathon at the end of December, I would have told you about races that I had planned. Funny thing is that I really don't love to race. It makes me a nervous mess, but I keep finding myself going back for more. I tend to want to race the same ones I have done previously as well. Perhaps it's because I've been there, done that and have the t-shirt to prove it. Last year, my first 2014 race was the River Trail 15K . So, it made sense that it'd be my first race for 2015 as well. The race is this Saturday, however. And I am still in a walking boot. Last year I ended up with an age group placement and a nifty cup. This year, well, I can use the cup at least right? The 15K was used as more of a training run for me for the Little Rock Half Marathon . I thought it would help me get into the racing mindset, plus I needed the miles of course. The Little Rock Half Marathon was my very f...

When things happen to you, like an injury that is obvious, it's kind of amazing what tends to happen. Hobbling around in a walking boot is uncomfortable enough, but I have been really surprised at the responses it/I have gotten. Complete strangers have stopped to ask me what I did to cause my injury. I've had people just stare down at my boot like it was a third boob. I've had people try to joke around, real comedians I tell ya, others like to make comments about getting a matching boot, or that it matches my outfit. If I tell someone that it is an overuse running injury coupled with being vitamin D deficient as well as other workouts (like plyo) then I get that knowing smug look and nod then something about how running will kill you or some such crap. As if sitting around on your rear eating ho-hos and cheetos won't. But ... I digress and won't touch that tangent today. Along with some insanely ridiculous comments, I have gotten a fair amount of advice, sugge...

Last Tuesday I mentioned that I had a stress fracture, or a possible stress fracture pending MRI confirmation. Well, Thursday I went in for my MRI. Friday morning I got a call from my doctor's office. I was told it was a fracture in my 3rd metatarsal and that they wanted me to come in and get the dreaded boot. I only met with the nurse, and not the doctor unfortunately. So I really only know what she told me. I have no idea on the severity of the fracture. And I was simply told to come back in 3 weeks for a re-check. Of course I have questions after the fact that I didn't think about the day of. I don't know if I'm supposed to be sleeping in it, hope not because I'm not. I don't know if it's ok to go for a walk with it on. I have. Though, walking isn't easy. There is a good 2 1/2 to 3 inches discrepancy when I wear the boot and my other foot. This means walking is really cumbersome unless I have on a wedge shoe of some sort on my left foot. A...

This is certainly a post I never wanted to have to write again .  As a runner, I know I'm prone to injuries. I've had a bout with IT Band problems when I first started running. I've dealt with plantar fasciitis not once, but twice even going so far as to tear the one on my left foot during a half marathon. I've lived with piriformis pain for years now, and recently a weird pain in my heel that I thought might just be another manifestation of plantar fasciitis perhaps. Hint: it's not.  I am definitely going through the stages of mourning right now. I'm currently in the wallowing in self-pity phase. Jason has suggested, hinted that he may need to move out for 6 weeks. Joking/sort of. The one thing that I use to de-stress, to help deal with depression, to stay centered is being pulled away from me again.  Two words every runner dreads: Stress Fracture I tend to be an honest person to a fault. So here it goes ... The Truth Is ... The Truth Is I ha...