Running progress update. Yeah, you know, I already knew training for a marathon would be hard. Like I’ve said before, I’ve completed triathlons and a half-marathon so I knew running a full marathon would be challenging and since that was what I was looking for, I was more than happy to put in the work.
As we all know, saying and doing are two different things. Like a lot of people, I have great ideas, great ambitions if only that pesky act of “doing” didn’t get in the way of that all would be well.
What I’ve learned through trial and error is that plans are great to have. An idea of how to accomplish a goal is always helpful in accomplishing it. That being said, you must be prepared for roadblocks and have the patience to navigate around them. That means being flexible, being adaptable.
So on my right foot, my middle toenail is a dark blue. I don’t think this is from running because it looks like the type of injury you’d get dropping something on your toe but since I can’t remember such an experience, logically, I’d have to say it is from running. My weekly mileage is getting higher so there will be wear and tear. It’s just expected.
For example, last Saturday I ran 16 miles. This is roughly equivalent to 25.5 kms. I felt great for most of it. Good energy, good cadence, good breathing control. And then my left foot, particularly under my big toe, began to hurt. My sock had been rubbing the skin from the long run and as such, I developed a large blister under my big toe and on the outside of my little toe. Now both feet look like someone took a hammer to them and I’m moving like a frail old man gingerly getting out of a tub.
So, do I quit? Absolutely not. I just need to adjust. On Monday, Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday I am supposed to run. 5 miles on Monday, 4 miles Tuesday and Friday and 18 miles this Saturday. I ran yesterday and am paying for it. So today and tomorrow I will get my cross training in. I’ll do some CrossFit WOD’s, picking a workout that leaves my legs alone and tomorrow, I’ll do my 100’s exercise routine. This will give my feet and legs at least two days of recovery. I should be fine. If not, I will take one more day but either way, I will get my mileage in.
If for some reason, I can’t, I will recover and be ready for next week. I just need to be patient. I just need to know it’s okay to change a schedule and that adaptability is a good thing. Put in the work and you will be rewarded. I try to remember that. Especially when the going gets mean.
Anyways, enough rambling. Have a great day.
John Hunt Fiction 