Week Nine

August 11-17

Tues -- 6 mi
Wed -- 5 mi
Fri -- 5 mi
Sun -- 12 mi

total-- 28 miles

Overall I am feeling good. My heel pain is better, but not gone. I can feel it while running, but it is tolerable and does not affect my gait. For the most part I do not feel it while walking, unless I am walking bare foot on hard floors. I am afraid that when the cortisone shot wears off in the next week it will get worse again. Time will tell.

My 12 mile run I did in 1 hr 53 minutes. I had to estimate the mileage based on time since the batteries on my garmin are low and it is not tracking the mileage right. I ran out for 60 minutes then turned around. That is a bit slow for me, but the last 20minutes was uphill so I figured my pace was much slower than usual. If anything I may have run a bit more than 12 miles. I felt good the rest of the day, not sick like after the NYC half marathon! My long run next week is supposed to be 14 miles. I hope I can do it!!

Week Eight

August 4- 10

Mon-- 75 min on exercycle
Tues-- boot camp
Wed-- 20 min exercycle and 45 min spin class
Thurs--boot camp
Sun-- 11 miles!!!

total run- 11 miles

I started off the week with lots of cross training. My heel was a bit better, but I could still feel it while walking. If I felt it while walking, I was afraid to even consider running. On monday night I was doing a simple stretch and felt it pull again. I was in tears! The next morning it felt better, but not as good as it had felt. I went back to the podiatrist on Tuesday. He gave me another cortisone shot and said I might even need a third (and final) in a couple of weeks. Have I mentioned those things hurt?! By Saturday my heel felt great, but I was afraid to go out and run on it. Sunday it felt even better, so off I went. I felt great and strong while running! It felt so good to be out on the road again. I could feel the heel, but it was not bothersome and did not affect my running. In NYC I felt myself rolling on the outside of my foot while running. That was not the case at all this time. For some reason I did feel some pain in my right groin that started less then a mile into the run, similar to the pain I had before. Not sure what that was about. I completed the 11 miles in 1 hour 43 minutes. Not fast, but I did it!! I am crossing my fingers it continues to hold up and that my hip issue is not returning.

Week Seven

July 28- August 3

Wed-- 60 minutes on exercycle
Fri--- 45 min spin class
Sun-- 60 min on exercycle


After the half marathon, I was pretty sore all over. My foot did hurt more, but then quickly went back to the baseline pain I had prior to the run. Thankfully it does not seem like I messed it up more by running in NYC. I am hoping 2 weeks off will take care of the problem, then I can get back on my training schedule. I don't think I can afford to lose more then that. Riding the exercycle at the gym is incredibly boring. I am not sure how much of that I can take!!

Week Six

My new night brace-- much more comfortable

July 21- 27th

Tues- 45 minutes on exercycle

Wed- 45 minute spin class

Sun- 13.1 mile NYC half marathon

Not sure how to classify the cycling. A 45 minute run for me is about 5- 5.5 miles, so I guess it is equivalent to that. I did make it through the half marathon, but am continuing to have pain. Read the details of the race here. My time was 2 hr and 7 min. Not bad considering I was on crutches a week prior, was having heel pain during the run, and had to stop once at mile 5 for diarrhea! I was really hoping to break 2 hr, and probably would have had the circumstances been different. I am grateful that I was able to finish. We will see what the next 2 weeks brings for me in terms of pain.

Week Five

July 14- July 20th

Mon- -4 mi
Wed--5 mi
Thurs--2 mi plus boot camp
Sat-- 3 miles---> my heel went out!

14 miles :-(

My plantar fasciitis had been pretty stable. On Friday I went to a push therapy session and it felt great after! Better then it had felt in weeks. I woke up Saturday still feeling really good, so decided to go for an 11 mile run in preparation for the NYC half marathon the following week. I had essentially no pain when I took off running. Then 3 miles into my run I felt a sudden sharp burning pain in my heel. I stopped and tried to stretch it out. I tried to run again and I could not. I called Pete and he had to come pick me up. I was unable to bear weight and had to use crutches the rest of the day. I iced it, took lots of motrin and started some prednisone.

On Monday I went first to a highly recommended sports medicine doctor. She told me I partially tore off my plantar fascia, no running for 3- 4 weeks, keep treating it the way I am. She also admitted that feet were not her specialty and that I may want to check in with a podiatrist. I left her office in tears. I then called the podiatrist. He said I did not tear it, it was just very inflamed. He gave me a cortisone shot (ouch!) and told me if it felt better, I could run the half marathon still. Sigh... What to do. It now feels 90% better and I am walking without a limp. Of course I want to believe the podiatrist. I will play it by ear. In the meantime I am icing, taking motrin and wearing a splint to bed at night.

Looks comfy huh? It sucks. I found a more comfortable that I am going to buy tomorrow and try out.
Wahhh!!!!

Week Four

July 7th- 13th

Mon--4 mi
Wed--5 mi
Thurs--3 miles plus boot camp
Sat--10 miles

22 miles

My time for the 10 mile run was 93 minutes. I feel like I should be going faster then I do. It was a very hilly run though, so maybe that is the deal. My heel did not bother me at all during the run, but I felt it after. If I can keep the pain at this very tolerable level I should be fine! Pete went out and did the exact same run when I got home but did it in 72 minutes. Stinker! Only 2 more weeks until the NYC half marathon. Yay!!

Week Three

June 29 th- July 6th

Tues--4 mi
Wed--5 mi
Fri--1.5 mi
Sat--8.5 mi

19 miles

Friday, July 4th was our neighborhood fun run, hence the very short distance. I am quite a competitive person so I felt the need to run that as fast as I could. As I was turning a corner I turned my ankle and did one of those slow motion stumbles, but actually caught myself before hitting the pavement at a full run. I did have a sore and slightly swollen ankle for a few days after, but nothing that prevented me from continuing to run (and kick butt in my age category! So what if there was only about 10 others in my category. It is the win that counts!).

I felt great on my 8.5 mile run and completed it in 75 minutes.