I’m happy to report that I did get up early today. I took Bailey for a mile jog and was in pain. After dropping her off I tried to run some more but shut it down after 2 minutes and walked home. No sense slogging along on a bum wheel.
This evening I took a different approach. I warmed up on my bike for 20 minutes and then jumped on the treadmill. Same result: pain. I dusted off a knee strap but it didn’t help at all. Fuck it - back on the bike for another hour.
The nice thing about the bike is that I was able to watch the Twins (lose) and read a book by this author at the same time. You may recognize his last name. Right now I’m reading The Lazarus Vendetta and it’s really good so far. Sure he’s a good writer, but is his marathon PR?
My friend Eric is struggling with a knee injury right now too and he had some good comments lately. “I wouldn't say running is less of a priority for me, just that I need to rest the ol' bod for a while. The required rest is dictated by the fact that running IS a high priority for me.”
Right now I’m struggling with shutting things down which would basically eliminate any chance of racing Grandma’s. I may be able to get healthy enough to complete the marathon, but I definitely wouldn’t be racing. If I do shut things down, I think I’d still have time to recovery and build-up for Chicago.
The problem is that some days I feel okay and am able to run fine, like Sunday’s 20 and Tuesday’s hills. I just don’t want to make the mistake of struggling along and missing both Grandma’s and Chicago – or worse yet, running shitty at both races.
It’s a freaking rollercoaster and it sounds like I’m not alone as Eric writes this; “Although it is pretty pathetic that I'd let a minor detail like this injury have such a major impact on my life. I have good days when I think I can still go sub 3:00, then I have days when I want to pull the plug. The good thing for us is that there's ALWAYS another race, so if we have a less than optimal Grandma's, it isn't the end of the world.”
Quote of the day:
“He forgot all our strategies because he was feeling good. I think he learned a lot from that race. He learned more from that than any race he has ever won. He learned about using your head as much as your body.” - Goucher’s high school coach after he finished a disappointing 15th at Kinney (now Foot Locker) Nationals
8 comments:
I think my brother, Pat, claims he beat me in some nebulous 100-yard dash like in 1983. Hope you enjoy the book. Regards to your running, sorry to hear about your injury struggles. Eric's advice is great: races come and go. The consequences of racing on a bum knee and the risk of a career-ending injury brought on by overtraining or insufficient recovery are too dire. I know, all this is easy for me to write. You have the discipline to run hard and fast and that will never be lost with time or proper rest.
Chad,
Bummer on the injury...hopefully that turns around for good at some point!
Hey, re: Goucher, he was on site yesterday for the "elite mile" race..he went 3:58'sh I think to take second...pretty exciting watching those speeds in person...check my blog for the complete story when you get a chance.
Duncan, that sounds like the Seinfeld episode where Jerry and his high school "friend" relive their 100 yard dash. Jerry says he won back in HS, the other guys says he cheated.
Yeah, I need to get this thing figured out, even if it means missing Gma's. Going there and running 3:05 would be next to useless for me. I'd rather skip it and have a longer buildup to Chicago.
Mike, just saw your entry. That's a pretty cool fringe benefit for working at Nike.
What's frustrating is the -feel good -feel crappy phases. I can relate, b/c my PF has been flaring up, and sometimes my feet just scream at me. So inconsistent mileage and unscheduled off days have increased.
On the positive side, I get to watch the new running star in the family, my 12 year old daughter, who won the 800m at her met last night, running 2:49! She's also ran 6:25 for 1600m and got 3rd. Dad's dreaming of scholarships.....
This is tough stuff and definitely one of the most heartbreaking sides of our sport. I've run through injuries so many times and half the time it goes away on it's own and the other half of the time you're out for months. It's like gambling, except either way you're not making any money off of it!
Chad...yeah! I forgot about that episode. Now, do you remember Seinfeld's friend's name in it that he has to race? Duncan. No joke. Now that's irony.
sorry to hear about your injury Chad. most of us have been there and can sympathise completely. rest up and get better soon...
Chelle, you're right, it is like gambling. Maybe that's part of the allure.
Wow Duncan, either you have a really good memory or that just stands out to you because it's your name too.
Thanks Yvonne and Susan.
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