Yesterday I had my doctor appointment. I was feeling good going into this thinking I would just go in, get a shot or two in my foot to eliminate the pain, and get back on track. After sharing my pain and how things have been going she asked to take an X-Ray and scheduled a MRI for next Saturday. She wants to make sure I don’t have a stress fracture in the navicular bone. This is the one possible stress fracture that she said she does not mess around with because of the location. Blood flow is weak around this bone which means healing is not the best. If is is a stress fracture, then my goal of the QC Marathon are out the window as she told me my running days will be over to recover. If the stress fracture were to break, then she said the average recovery of a break is a year and in some cases never. This was the last thing I wanted to hear or expected to be confronted with. Last night I felt bad for myself and ate like a slob and lost a lot of mental toughness.
And then I remembered that nothing has been confirmed yet so I need to regain my composure and focus on the goal at hand. I cannot be stupid with my training, but I can’t just give up because if it is not a stress fracture, then things are possible and the shot to eliminate pain could be in order. This mental toughness has been harder to get back than expected.
I ran today and my foot had zero pain. Weird right? After having major pain nonstop for 3 days and almost in tears running Thursday to feeling good today. I ran 6 miles today in 47 minutes for a 7:54 pace running the last two miles at 7:30 pace.
This run was a challenge. My stomach was killing me. My body felt blah. As soon as I got to around the 3 mile mark it downpoured on me. Go figure. Foot problems, body feels like crap, then I get rained on while running in soaked and heavy basketball shorts and regular underwear as my running shorts and compression shorts were in the wash. I had to run with soggy shoes and 5 lb shorts. I just started laughing to myself while running thinking things cannot get much worse in the training than this. I had to view as a challenge to test my toughness. I think I passed because I finished strong.
Maybe I am in denial, but I don’t think I have a stress fracture. I am hoping I don’t have a stress fracture because I want this marathon. It is frustrating that this stupid injury has gotten so far in my head that I no longer believe I can run 26 miles. It has just wiped my memory clear of all the great things I have accomplished the last four months. I just need the MRI to come back looking good so I can get my mind right.
Tomorrow I am going to go for a semi long run if my foot feels up to it. I was to run my last 20 mile run tomorrow, but that is not going to happen. The doctor said I could go 12 miles, but would go any farther. I will try my best to listen to this advice, but if my foot feels good it will be hard not to go farther. I begin to taper Monday. This also means the Clinton Half Marathon is out as I will be at the doctor Saturday morning.
Life gives us challenges and it is all about how we respond to them. I need to be smart and tough. I need to continue to work on my mental training and stay strong in hopes that I can run this race. This means eating very clean and healthy(I have been bad this week), positive self talk, good visualizing exercises and just believing in myself again. GETTING IT DONE! is not always easy, but anything worth achieving needs to have barricades and walls to overcome to make it feel worthwhile.
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