I have been reading a lot about over-training and injuries lately. I haven’t been seeking out these posts; they have just showed up in my regular blog reading. It saddens me to think that I *should* have “known better” than to push so hard in those last weeks before my injury occurred. I just felt so good. *Sigh* – but now, I don’t feel so good. I am frustrated and tired of the whole thing. But I have a sneaking suspicion that I have much more to endure.
I have always been a strong advocate for “listening to my body”. My body wasn’t telling me to slow down though; it was saying “this is fun – go faster” and I did. I could see this happening if I had not listened to my body’s messages and ignored the warning signs. That wasn’t the case, and yet I instinctively knew at the point when I wrote my post on control and discipline, that I should ease up.
I DID ease up. I had only run 3 miles the day prior to the injury. My schedule had called for a 6 mile run at marathon pace. My average “moving” pace for that run was 8:41/mile, and my average pace overall (including stops for lights, etc) was 9:00/mile. I had taken the Friday off and had run 4 miles at 9:00/mile pace on Thursday. But I guess I was too late in backing off. I am not going so fast anymore. My body is now saying “Ouch – this is NO fun at all.”
My MRI is scheduled for tonight. I am anxious for answers – whatever they may be – and treatment. I can’t be sure, but I don’t think that the Ibuprofen or ultrasounds are helping. I am not sure if the ice baths are helping either – though I don’t feel much discomfort for the period of time that my foot is numb. As for the strengthening and, newly added, foot stabilization exercises, I think they are actually aggravating things. Again, I can’t be sure. I do what I am told and limp along the path for supposed recovery.