The night before my half-marathon I had dinner with a guy who was running his first full marathon the next day. He was wearing some admittedly dorky loafers and was saying how excited he was to throw them in the trash after the race. Apparently his orthopedist told him to stay away from "fashion wear" and go for cushion and support at all times while training. "Oh, yeah, well," I thought, "one certainly needs balance in life." As in, let's not be rash, a runner still has to look good too.
That little scenario came quickly to mind two days ago when I fell down a few steps in my fashionable flip-flops resulting in a slightly sprained ankle. Heck of a way to officially kick off marathon training, eh? Oh the humanity! While hobbling, hopping, and squealing in pain, I begged my husband to tell me it wasn't really a big deal. Ankle tweaks happen all the time. They don't even need time to heal. In fact, in some twisted, upside, alterna-vortex rule of the universe, it was actually going to make my ankle stronger, right?
So it was, laughing in the face of a major freak out, that I wore the same flip-flops again yesterday. (Well, they are pink, after all.) And I twisted my ankle again.
Six thirty arrived bright and early (and humid--but that's another issue) this morning and it was time for me to run my first run of Hal Higdon's Novice Marathon Training Schedule. Sure my ankle hurt; but I convinced myself it was more of a dull pain than a sharp pain and dull pains are all part of running, aren't they? I was very proud of myself for not only having the materials on hand to wrap Gimpy Ankle but also for having the know-how to do it correctly. Or so I thought. I set out for my 3-mile trek feeling good. About a half-mile later I noticed my ankle felt okay but the bottom of my foot was sore. Another half-mile later that soreness became a stabbing pain. Now even I know you can't run with that going on so I sat on the curb, took off my shoe and sock, and removed the ankle wrapping.Sure enough, it was just on the verge of breaking skin and creating a nasty gash on the poor fish-belly arch of my foot. With no other option but to finish the run, I decided to put my sock and shoe, sans ankle wrapping, back on give it a go. Thankfully the rest of the run was totally and completely pain-free. It wasn't until I got home and took my shoe off that Gimpy Ankle let out a whoop of freedom. Unfortunately he's still hooting and hollering almost two hours later.
Looks like I'll be making a trip to Sensible Shoes 'R Us today. Goodbye pink flip-flops; I bid you adieu until October 12th.
Today's Miles: 3
Total Miles: 48
1 comment:
It has been said that a woman can endure more pain than a man. It has been said that a woman giving birth experiences more pain than a man is capable of experiencing. It has been said that sometimes you just have to run through the pain. I believe pain is something to be avoided at all costs, never endured. However, being in fashion and looking my best is my sole purpose in life. Yugo girl! I've got your pink flip flops.
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