they pay to kiss your feet

since there's no one else around, we let our hair grow long and forget all we used to know. then our skin gets thicker from living out in the snow.

Thursday, October 15, 2009

oh, hey, taper.

i've been training for my first half marathon since 2005. race day is saturday.

last saturday, i completed my final long run before the race. 11.35 miles. the last 4 miles i had trouble with my ITB (the band that runs down the outside of your thigh to connect at that boney protrusion on the outside of your knee.)

i spent the rest of that day "rolling" my IT band out. massaging it. stretching it. sunday i went on a 3 mile walk. and then monday, i completed my first of three short runs for the taper week. a 4-miler. when i was finishing i noticed some pain in the front of my leg, right below my pelvic bone. and some popping.

but by tuesday, it seemed better. so i did another easy 4-miler. at the end, i was limping. and then there was wednesday. my last day of training for my half. i was supposed to complete an easy 2-mile run. and i did. and it hurt.

so last night, i went to a sports massage person who also knows a lot about "acitve stretching." she stretched me and massaged my leg and helped me realize that i may have a tendon injury. and that if i do, i shouldn't run on saturday. if i do, the only way to heal is to rest. completely.

do you know how hard this is for me? the whole "no job" thing has given me ample time to get better at something. and that something i've chosen is running. maybe it's the endorphin boost that comes with it. or the way that it makes me feel strong and healthy and beautiful. and this might seem really self-centered to say, but if i can't run for awhile, i'm sorta concerned that i might go slightly crazy.

so there you go. i'm resting completely today and tomorrow. and then saturday, i hope to face that 13.1-mile course. and by "hope" i mean prayers said, fingers crossed, i want nothing more, hope.

1 Comments:

  • At 5:35 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Jess, go out easy and feel your way through the miles, concentrate on enjoying the atmosphere and the other runners..you are probably overtrained a little bit and your body is scolding you!!The main thing is to finish and to feel good about your accomplishment..even if you have to cut back a minute on your pace!!

     

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