After running my first marathon injured,
I was grateful to have run my second one healthy. These first two marathons were
both Chicago Marathons. This course is full of notable buildings and historical
neighborhoods. Although I grew up outside of this beautiful city and spent many
summers visiting and doing the occasional sightseeing, running down the middle
of these streets is an entirely different experience.
Because I ran the first one with
thousands of painful steps, the second one was actually enjoyable. I was able
to see and hear everything and that
in itself made it worth it to come back and conquer Chicago properly.
On my way to my third full
marathon, the Rock ‘N’ Roll San Diego Marathon, I finally ran my first half
marathon. Yes, I did things a little backward, but for some reason this never
bothered me. Having been a lifelong runner, there were times in my life where I
have run more than 20 miles for different training purposes or charity
benefits. This time, of course, I was running a full 26.2 miles in order to master
the marathon distance.
Believe it or not, running the
shorter distance (13.1 miles) actually worried more than running my first full
marathon. I’m still not entirely sure why I was overcome by that feeling,
however, it was soon swept into my memory once I ran the inaugural Syracuse Half
Marathon this past March. My training partner and I were both running full
marathons during the first weekend of June, so running a half in March was
right on track with our goals. We were both preparing for substantially hilly
courses and unknown factors as I would be running on the West Coast for the
first time and she would be running overseas in Sweden, also for the first
time. We did hill workouts and some tempo to prepare for the Syracuse Half, but
we actually didn’t reach any pace work at that point. With that in mind, we were
somewhat apprehensive to say our goals out loud!
Turns out, we handled the hilly
spots on the Syracuse course quite well and we used the flat areas and
occasional downhill to our advantage. I ran a 1:39:30, which was well under my
goal. My training partner also ran a PR, well under 1:46. With that half in my
back pocket, I knew I was ready for San Diego.
However, the unfortunate happened,
again, less than seven weeks out from this marathon. I endured a senseless
injury while not running… I stress “again” because my first marathon’s pre-race
injury also happened while not running. (See previous blog for that fun story!)
I was heading into work on a
Wednesday morning in mid-April to find myself carrying a few too many things
while someone insisted on walking out of the door I was barely hanging on to
for support. I slammed a metal hand-truck into the top of my right. I iced the
area and figured it was only going to be a bruise, but of course that would
make for a less stressful few weeks leading into training, wouldn’t it?
That evening’s run went from OK
to terrible in just a few miles. By the time I finished, my right big toe’s
joint was swollen and hurt with every step. Plus, the outside area of my right
leg was in excruciating pain. It felt like my ligament was coming off my bone.
Sounds lovely, I know…
That weekend I had a 16-miler on the
calendar in order to prepare for my marathon. Looking ahead, I knew the rest of
my training would either be awful or I would have to throw in the towel. The
pain in my toe and my right leg (fibularis longo) was constant. As a sworn in
and certified stubborn runner, I also knew I would not go to the doctor because
she would most likely tell me to back off and think long term for this injury
and the worth of the marathon.
However, as many of you know, I
was fundraising for Hope For Heather Ovarian Cancer Awareness of CNY, as I will
do for all future marathons. There was no way I was going to “back off” or
quit. I was running for too many people beside myself. I have a great passion for
the mission and I was running for the survivors, the supports and the angels.
These injuries would not overcome any of this.
By the end of April, an option I would
have never known about became the answer to my pain and my prayers. My friend
and owner of Saunacuse, told me about infrared sauna therapy and how she had
read many articles about how it is a great option for runners, especially
marathon runners like me. I read the article she shared with me and I found
others. I was so intrigued that I interviewed her for an article that we
published in the magazine that I edit. It made for an excellent fit for our
health and wellness issue. You can read that story here.
If you’ve never heard of infrared
sauna therapy or are unsure of it, read up on it and try it. You have nothing
to lose. And like me, I only gained back my strength and sanity to be sure I
could run the marathon. Because of these results, I am there for a session at
least every other week as I am in triathlon season now before I begin training
for my next full marathon. (We’ll get into the cross-training benefits I enjoy
from triathlons for my running on another day…)
With only three weeks left until
my marathon, I did one 45-minute session each week before I left for
California. After the first session, I had my final long run, a 22-miler. I ran
the entire distance without an ounce of pain. How could this be?
It turns out the infrared sauna
therapy was working. It was clearing my body of toxins and the light therapy
also benefited my muscle tissues and my joints. (I use strong blue and strong
yellow.)
I went into my final weeks of
training pain-free and ran my best marathon yet. No matter the intense hills in
San Diego and the unknown factors that awaited me, I ran it healthy and I
enjoyed it. I led the TEAL mission for Hope For Heather with a crew cheering
for me back in Syracuse and again, I enjoyed it! I crossed the line in 3:33:33.
This time, I came to the line with the right speed training and with a healthy
body. Once again, I PR’d from marathon to marathon.
This one is now the benchmark. It’s
the benchmark for measuring my personal physical fitness and speed, and it’s
the benchmark that I will use to help raise more money per mile for the next
marathon.
Until my next post, be beautiful
and genuine ― in other words, be you!
No comments:
Post a Comment