And Then I Ran!

I have to admit that over the last two weeks, I've been anxious, stressed, short-tempered, and easily irritated.

I realized today the reason why. It's report card time.

I'm always in an awful mood leading up to the report cards, but I hadn't even realized they were looming! It's like my body went into stress-mode without my brain even knowing why.

Anyway, I made a decision this weekend to make a change to that, and what better way to improve my mood than through exercise? First, I went paddling on my new board twice.

Sunday we paddled through the backwaters and enjoyed the scenic mangroves.

 Sunday we saw a mama and baby dolphin just 10 feet from us. At the time I was in the water cooling off and eating a snack, and I immediately leapt onto my board. I wish we'd had time to get pictures, but they disappeared into the mangroves.

Just after seeing the dolphins swim by...I was seeking refuge on the board.

After 3 miles of paddling, running errands, and having dinner, I got in a nice 2.5 mile run. It felt great to get back out there. It was way more humid than I expected, but with such a short distance I was happy to find that my cardio hadn't deteriorated too much, and my pace was right where it usually is.

My legs felt great and fresh. It was just what I needed.

Super sweaty and super happy!

With my focus now readjusted to the 10k in two weeks, I feel like "running less" (as per my podiatrist) is going to be doable without guilt or stress.

I had a dream last night that I tried to call a friend and accidentally called my grandparents, which seemed to me like a sign. I gave them a call tonight and enjoyed hearing all about how my love of reading has come to me through the lines of my mom's family. We are a family of readers, for sure.

Tonight calls for loads of yummy snacks and a grading marathon. I'm definitely looking forward to the end of the quarter and a clean slate.

Peaches, strawberries, and whipped cream...the perfect after-work snack.

What are your favorite things about fall?
Are you planning anything fun for Halloween?
Are you watching the Division Series in baseball right now? The Rays are making my heart hurt, for real.

ABK

Foot News

Today I had my follow-up appointment at the podiatrist. It didn't go exactly how I wanted it to.

Let's back up a bit. Last Thursday, I got the order to have an ultrasound done, after I'd received the positive news that there was no discernible break in my foot. On Friday, the ultrasound ruled out any kind of tear. The theory was that I had a deep bruise.

I ran 15 miles Saturday (pain-free in the area that's been bothering me...after I laced my shoes a new way), but then decided to play it smart and took the rest of the week off (besides paddling on Sunday).

Last night, I went out for a run. I opted to wear my old shoes because I've been wearing my news ones exclusively since I got them. The moment I put my shoe on, I knew the issue wasn't gone. The burning pain at the top of my foot was still there. I relaced my shoes in the new way that's been helping and was able to run a nice four miles in the almost-fall-but-not-quite evening.

79 degrees and 40% humidity isn't that bad, really. And my legs were happy to be outside on real pavement!

I felt super cool with my flashing button light.

This morning, I had my followup. I told Dr. Chi that I felt the pain still there when I put my shoes on, but had to kind of "dig around" with my finger to find the trouble spot. He examined me and announced that the bulge we felt last week was definitely still there, but smaller.

New orders: run less (damn it), do more low-impact crosstraining, take my NSAIDs daily for a month, see him again. If it's still there, it's probably a Ganglion Cyst that can be drained, but I'll need an MRI to confirm that. Joy.

(I pretty much told him that unless he told me to stop running completely, I'd still be sneaking some in, and he told me to try my best to cut back...so I feel like that's a green light, yes?)

Did I mention that even with insurance, this whole foot problem thingy is costing me an arm and a leg?

Anyway, here's hoping that I can scale back training but still be marathon-ready by November...and that I won't need an MRI and this issue will resolve itself with the help of anti-inflammatories.

Here's a little something to brighten your Thursday:

I think Archie wants my medals. (Click for video.)

How's your running going this week?
How do you deal with vague medical news?
Have you ever had a Ganglion Cyst? (I've heard they're pretty common.)

ABK

L'Shana Tova

If you've been reading here for awhile, you know I love to run on holidays. Rosh Hashanah is the beginning of my favorite time of year! The Jewish high holy days are a time for reflection, self-correction, and renewal of spirit. What better way to take stock than to run?

For a sweet new year!

Archie got in on goodness, too. (Then threw 3 slices on the floor. Jerk.)

Of course, I have a small hangup. After my podiatrist appointment today, I was reminded of how annoying injuries really are. I already have two more appointments in the next week, and because the good news is that the injury isn't dire, it's hard for me to resist the urge to run tonight.

The good news: There's nothing wrong with my bones. They did x-rays and there are no breaks or fractures at all.

Waiting for x-ray results. Doctor's office selfies are totally normal, right?

The bad news: At best I have an inflamed tendon, and at worst the tendon may be torn.

I was terrified today, because I know if I have to take two or more weeks off, I'll need to call off the marathon. I could still do the half, but my training would be too far behind to get back on track (safely and slowly) for the full.

We're looking at the extensor expansion attached to my big toe, the tendinous sheaths, and the inferior extensor retinaculum.

I'm mentally preparing myself for this possibility. I can still do a full in the future, but I've come so far in my training...it's just such a disappointment. So, fingers crossed, prayers said, etc etc. I'm hoping the tendon is just inflamed and will be fine in a few days.

(My ultrasound is tomorrow, so I'll post an update if there's any news to share.)

In the meantime, I've got some super strong anti-inflammatories I can take...and knowing me, I'll be tempted to run today or tomorrow to celebrate the Jewish New Year if the pain dissipates with the medications.

(Nice sidenote: When I told the doctor I had pain last week but still did my 10 miles Monday because I just couldn't help myself, he chuckled, but didn't chastise me. I think I found a good one!)

I'm still doing low-weights and high-reps...I feel like for me, it's the way to go to avoid injury and support my main goal.

Last night I did some crosstraining, and decided to use the stationary bike for the first time. It felt really weird to be able to use my phone and not pay attention to a workout...Something about sitting while doing cardio just seems lazy to me. (I know I had it set at a really low level, but any workout that you can read during is just foreign to me!)

Post-workout chocolate milk. It's a must to match your cup to your headband, fyi.

It was nice to set time aside to do weights and core work for an hour; if I need to be off my foot for awhile, I'm going to have to face my fear of swimming in public and get in the pool.

How is your week going?
What is your favorite cardio (besides running, of course!)?
Favorite post-workout snack?

ABK