Running out of Luck

After last Friday's massage, my ankle went down the shitter and really hasn't been right since. I became extremely aware that I run on the outside of my foot (especially on the right side), which prompted me to get on my podiatrist about getting those orthotics adjusted. My running has taken a bit of a hit as a result of the extreme tendon pain. Saturday's long run was a struggle through 5 miles. I made it through the last mile by attempting to run it sub-8:00 (I ran it in 8:06). I had to take 2 days off from running as opposed to just the one rest day. Yesterday I only managed to do about 2.5 miles (one mile was 7:58 though... amazing!). Tonight's plan is elliptical and weights... no running.

These issues have forced me to take a step back and look at my running goals. I've registered for the half and I do plan to do it (unless I'm very injured), but I just don't think I'm a distance runner. I'm not built that way. I actually love long runs outside and I still plan to do a few, but every physio/massage therapist/doctor has remarked that my tendons are too long and the fact that one has already been injured just makes the possibility of never running again that much more plausible.

So I've re-vamped my running philosophy... I feel good from 3-5 miles. Sometimes 6 or 7 if I'm outside. Any more miles regularly and the tendon starts to hurt. For me, the 3 mile runs just aren't long enough time-wise... so I've decided that I will be doing a bit of everything for my workouts now. 30 min run/30 min elliptical, row, bike, spin, yoga, etc. Last week I had a crazy workout... 3 miles, then 1.5 hrs of yoga. It's time to branch out. In terms of running, I plan to keep doing it, but with a focus on speed improvements, rather tha5n distance. I'm hoping through time and training, that 5Ks turn into 10Ks and I have a bit of variety with distances and races. But I can do hills, trails, sprints, long runs. There's loads to look forward to. And another 50 years of future running is more than 26.2 miles and giving it up for injuries.