running with an injury

I took a risk this morning. The last long run of the marathon training clinic - a 34 km run planned for three plus hours. Last Saturday, we ran 2 hours and 45 minutes, and I felt fine, except for a pain on the top of my foot that got worse as the week went on. I iced and rested all week, forcing myself to skip speed workouts on Monday and Wednesday, but the localized swelling didn't go down and the pain went deeper into the foot.

Although I sternly told myself during the week that with five weeks to go until my fall race (the Royal Victoria Marathon on October 11), this was the time to rest up, I felt increasingly fretful and anxious, almost tearful as if some horrid curse had been inflicted on poor me. Physically, I felt bloated and heavy, as if I had gained pounds overnight from eating oversize portions, muffins and ice cream, normally burned away with a shrug during intensive training.

So this morning, I gingerly laced up my shoes and limped out to the run. With a short emergency detour to grab a couple of gels, I was in for the ride with the group. The first hour was painful - stabbing pains on the inside of the foot that seemed to get worse. I breathed through the pain and tried to relax into the run, going as slow as the slowest runner in our group, an unaccustomed humility that felt like practicing beginner's mind (or body).

Leaning forward like a chi runner, focusing on landing lightly on the balls of my feet, allowing the rhythm of the run to take over, pain gave way to pleasure and I felt a sag of relief at the prospect of not having to abort the run, limping painfully to the nearest pay phone with the quarter tucked into my water bottle pocket, calling a friend for a ride.

Instead I ran easily and fast until pain started to seize my knees and I could feel my core weakening, and then decisively took a short cut back to a friend's place, making it there a minute past three hours for the run. Doing a yoga inversion, sweat stinging my eyes, I felt gratitude and relief and the rush of joy at an unexpected win, at least for now, at the gambling table.

I'll see my chinese medicine doctor tomorrow though.