Sunday, September 11, 2011

I could run today

I have been away from running.  I have taken the last 6 weeks off from running, except for on 10K run for the LIVESTRONG Challenge.  My last run was the River to Sea Relay on July 30, 2011.  I ran that 10K on August 20, and it hurt like hell.  I wonder if that one run, followed the next day by a century ride with over 4000 feet of climbing, hurt the recovery of my troublesome left ankle.  I was taking off because I was convinced that the pain in my left ankle was a Navicular bone stress fracture.  I knew I was continuing to do it damage by running XC races through July, as well as by running River to Sea.  I was entered in Escarpment Trail Run, but I bagged it in favor of stopping the damage.  That was a big sacrifice; it would have been my 7th straight, and I was already entered.  But that is not an event to do on a stress fractured ankle.  I limped and iced throughout the month of August.  I used an Aircast ankle stirrup as much as I could during that month.  In the first couple of weeks of September I was still feeling enough pain to limp a little, but I stopped using the stirrup and I stopped icing.  In the meantime, I have been riding massive cycling mileage to make up for the lack of running, and to make sure my injury was getting more circulation to enhance healing.  I set the goal of coming out of the running break in better cardiovascular condition than I went into it.  I feel I am succeeding at that goal.  Here are my mileage totals for the last 6 weeks on the bike: 149, 150, 107, 115, 204, 260.  Definitely a couple of lifetime personal records there.  That 260 of last week might be even longer than I ever went back in my 1985-1995 triathlon days.  Amazingly, last week was also a breakthrough in the ankle pain.  I am not limping, but I am still feeling a little pain.  It no longer feels like a stress fracture, but is back to feeling like a connective tissue issue.  Yesterday, I was confident and excited enough to enter the Philadelphia Half-Marathon, which is November 20, because I am sure that I will have enough time to come back and train for it.  So I am feeling that I could run today, but I am not sure if I should.  I am thinking I should wait another 2 weeks, just to be sure, and to start running again with absolutely no pain, instead of just a little.  Decisions, decisions.