15 Miles Forward, 2 Steps Back

Things seemed to be going very well this week in regards to the "Peroneal Tendonitits" in my right foot. I have gone 10 days without any discomfort and felt that the healing process was moving along well. I did an easy 5 mile run on Thursday night that was pain free. My schedule called for 12 miles on Saturday, but since I was running with the Mount Gleason Runners and their schedule called for 15 miles, that is what I did. About 7 miles into the run, I started to noticed a bit of discomfort in my right foot. I slowed up the pace and walked a bit. I made it to the second water stop and knew I only had 5 miles left and I could make it back. What I hadn't planned for was that the route back was a dirt and grass trail that is used by horses in the area and most of the trail was very uneven. I spent a lot of mental energy trying to focus on where to place my feet as to not twist an ankle or trip. At that point, I was hot, tired and in pain...so I decided to walk the rest of the way back. At one point, I did something I have never done before....I wanted to give up! I thought about crossing the road and seeing if I could hitch hike back to the McDonald's parking lot. I decided that A) I have never quit anything, and I'm not about to start now and B) it was not a good example for these kids, so I HTFU and kept walking. I did end up running about another 1/2 mile on the way back to the parking lot. When it was all said and done...15.4 miles in 2:57:50 Not great by any stretch of the imagination, but considering the pain and terrain...I'll take it.

Immediately upon returning to the parking lot, I soaked my foot in the ice bath for 10 minutes before heading home. I spent Sunday, icing, stretching and staying off of my feet as much as possible.

Now comes the hard part....waiting for my foot to heal. How long will that take? Who knows, but I did stay off of it for 2 weeks and it didn't completely heal.  I will swim and bike most of the week and evaluate how I feel later in the week before attempting another run (short run).

I want to give a shout out to all of the parent volunteers of the Mt Gleason Runners. Every week they are there manning the water stops in all weather conditions (rain, cold and heat) and providing much needed support for hours on end. Thank you very much! I appreciate it and I know the kids do as well.