I'm Back! Or so I hope...

Doug:

To put it lightly, it has been a rough few weeks. Sometime between my 13 mile run, and my 14 mile attempt, my knee decided it didn't like this running thing. I'm sure many of you have experienced the same problem. A few miles into the run, the lower part of your knee begins to throb in pain. Then, as quick as one leg extension, the most horrible feeling shoots up your side. The first time it happened I had just reached the top of Massachusetts Ave. The pain was so sudden that it literally brought ground. I was reduced to jog/walking the rest of the way home, cutting my 14 miles in half.

It came as a huge blow to my not only my ability to run, but my running confidence. The next morning I told Justin I didn't think I'd be able to continue, but thinking about how much effort I have already put into this race, quitting without a fight was not an option.

The first several runs after the pain began, I couldn't go 3 or 4 miles before my knee told me to stop. I tired icing, cutting back my mileage and buying a knee band. While all of that helped, I still failed to complete my long run the next week.

This week I did something a little different. Instead of cutting back on the mileage, I kept up with the program. I changed my routes to mostly track workouts. The track was soft and flat, allowing me it still run 4-7 miles with minimal pain. It felt great.

I knew, however, that 4-7 was not what I needed to fear. There was no way I could bring myself to run 14-15 miles on a track. So yesterday, with butterflies in my stomach and a black band around my knee, I set off. I modified my previous long route to avoid any major hills until the last half of the run. My theory was that half way in, I would be far enough from home that it would force me to continue. Well, I did it. I made it over up the hills, and back, passing over 14.5 miles under my Asics.

While I know I still have a long way to go, last night's run was a huge boost to my confidence. I'm back, with 53 days to go.