Derailed!

Hey guys.

So this weekend I was really looking forward to a three miler on Saturday and my eight miler on Sunday to complete week 4 (wow! that's 1/4 done before the Marathon!). Well, unfortunately, that didn't pan out. Why? I have been derailed and I can't run for a few days.

This, of course, feels like the end! of! the! world!

Last week I got a cut on the back of my ankle to which I didn't pay too much attention (naturally) and I didn't take care of it (meaning: no band-aid, etc. That's usually how I operate). Well this is no joke and after a day or two my ankle started hurting a lot and I couldn't wear my left shoe properly anymore b/c any time my ankle rubbed up against the back of the shoe I was in excruciating pain, like someone was putting little shards of glass into my achilles tendon and laughing about it. So not comfortable. Of course I kept operating as my usual self last week even though I was in a lot of pain and had a fantastic run on Thursday morning (over five miles in 48:35!! Manhattan is flat!) but Friday I felt like never walking again.

Luckily on Friday I had a dermatologist appointment for my hand and I decided to show them my foot. Pulled off my sock and BAM was immediately diagnosed with an infection because my foot was so swollen. It looked like a blob. First thoughts: Oh my gosh, an infection? What am I going to do? Am I ever going to run again!? I'm neverrrrrrrrrr going to run agaiiiiiiiiiiiiiin! (because I tend to be a black-and-white, all-or-nothing-type person).

So I had to give up running Friday/Saturday/Sunday. I RICE'ed, I've taken my antibiotic and now my foot is looking better. I'm still not *supposed* to run but this is a good excuse/reason to cross-train (which we know I'm not a huge fan of, I'd really just rather run all around Prospect Park with the wind running through my hair like a puppy) so I can lift weights/swim/do the elliptical. I am grateful that I get to keep moving.

And I"m so grateful for antibiotics! Wow! the change was immediate! The change in levels of pain was immediate, too! So guess what? You don't have to suffer! You can take actions that help support your wellness! And it's ok to want to feel better!

These are the things I have learned over this silly foot infection.

So... I was paused in the middle of week 4 with two runs to go. And now I can't run for a little bit. When I get back to running I think I will go back to the middle of week 4, do those two runs and then do the next week's four runs so maybe I'll do six runs in a week? I don't want to lie about this Marathon training and I want to do! it! right! so I hope that's the answer.

I'm excited to run back in my hometown (East Lansing, MI over Xmas break). Because then the next time after THAT that I'll be running is in April for the Marathon!

k bai!