Marathon Mom

I think we have completely skipped spring and summer and are returning to winter! Yesterday almost all the snow was melted and Matt (not me) was out running in shorts. Today it is in the 30s and has been snowing since about 7am and there is no end in sight! We are covered with a slippery, slushy, sloppy mess and the morning commute will suck! So far we've gotten about 5" and there is more to come over night. This snow and cold is not helping with my attitude. I need to see some sun.

After nearly a year of dealing with the same issue off and on and a misdiagnosis, I think I finally have an answer! The MRI on Saturday was negative for a stress fracture and it is highly unlikely that I had one in December. Although the treatment to stop running was somewhat correct. Surprisingly or maybe not, when this all started last spring, I was researching possible causes and came up with one answer and I guess I was right. I have Posterior Tibial Tendinitis. Then came the dreaded words "No Running." I can cross train, but not running until this is healed and I am fit with orthotics. If this isn't treated properly, it could mean a walking boot or even surgery in the future. Right now I am just getting massage and ultrasound with steroids. Later PT will add stretching and strenthening exercises. This time not being able to run will be much harder as the weather warms up and the snow is melting. I could handle it in January, but April I'm not so sure of. I apolig...

Just when tings have been getting better and Spring is finally here, well maybe. The pain is back in my right ankle and medial shin for the 3rd time in the past year. I sat out of a half last May due to this and was able to run Fargo 3 weeks later pain free. This time my ankle is feeling weird and wobbly along with the pain. I went to see a new doctor and he thinks the December diagnosis of a stress fracture was incorrect and this is the same issue again. His thought is a ligament or other soft tissue issue. I have had prior injury to this leg- fracture, stress fracture, ligament tears, and nerve entrapment resulting in surgery. The plan is to get an MRI tomorrow morning. After an official diagnosis I'll see a PT who works with runners to fix the underlying issue, hopefully. Grandma's Marathon is exactly 3 months from today. I figure I still have plenty of time to deal with this injury at this point and rehab. I can get back into training with plenty of time left and make it to...

What a difference a week makes. Last Friday I was complaining about the weather and the fact that it was below zero again. Now today it is sunny and almost 50! The snow is melting and it actually feels like Spring may happen. I have run 3 days in a row outside and actually shed a layer last night during my run. Not surprising as we were running the hills from hell and as usual even though it was the plan to go easy it was my fastest run since before my injury, kept an average pace of 8:05 even on the hills. It didn't help that Katie McGregor was running with us and we all started chatting and just got faster. I have even gotten in a couple runs in shorts this week, this does get some strange looks with shorts, long sleeves and mittens, but I love it! Ending the run with mud covered legs is the best, I love this time of year.

The other day someone asked about when and why I started running marathons and told me it was a great story, so I thought I would share since I don't know if many people know how the craziness started...(the long version) Back in high school I hated running and would do anything to avoid it! I was a dancer and we ran as a warm up, I would find places to hide and only run the last part. In gym class I preferred to chat with my friends and walk then run and get sweaty, but the one time I decided to run the mile I actually finished around 6:00 not too bad someone who never ran, I guess I had the ability even back then. I even considered joining track, but then I realized how much running that would entail. Now fast forward about 6 years to the summer of 2002, I was a newlywed, had just undergone abdominal surgery and was bored at home and crabby learning how to live on liquids for a month. I was thinking about all the things I wanted to accomplish in life and decided I wanted to run a...

http://sports.yahoo.com/top/news?slug=britmarathon030508&prov=reuters&type=lgns This guy is 101 and is running the London Marathon to celebrate his birthday! I hope I can still be running at that age.

wcco.com - Weather I wanted to get outside this morning for a run, but as of 8am, it is -9 with a wind chill of -23! What is that about? Where is Spring?

Today I ran 10 miles and it felt great! This is my longest run since the Honolulu Marathon on December 9th. I am now at the start of Week 3 of training for Grandma's Marathon and still running pain free. I am just happy to be back. The cross-training was nice, but I am a runner and need to run to keep my sanity. I am back up to over 30 mpw, which is pretty low for me, but I have been trying to be good and increase slow and take some days off from running. Matt is training too, I know can you believe it? He ran a 5 mile long run yesterday and is now running about 20 mpw. He has been great about following the schedule, even getting up at 3:30am to run if needed. I think he may become a marathon addict yet, he's already talking about running Twin Cities in the fall.