July has always been my favorite month of the year. It’s my birthday month, it’s in the middle of the summer and there is an overall abundance of joy. I can say with full confidence, July has been my least favorite month of 2014. I can also say it’s been my worst month for running so far this year! Wahoo, to have a best month, you must also have a worst month. So I’m glad to hopefully get this out of the way.
With being injured and not having any clear answers, of course it’s not going to be my favorite month. I like to keep consistent and blog through the best and also worst of times. This is by no means the worst of times (in the end, it’s still just running) but isn’t a joyful and glorious tale of a great great running in July.
Scratched Races:
July 4th Firecracker 5k
July 13th: Boilermaker 15k
I could have run through those races but it wasn’t worth it to me. I had been looking forward to Boilermaker for the last 2 months. Oh well.
Paces: All my runs (100%) were (and will continue to be for a while) untimed.
Despite being injured, I’m continuing to progress towards being healthy. I do believe I am getting better. It’s hard to tell because I’m around my injury so much. When I went out to run the last day of June, the pain was so sharp it stopped me at a quarter of a mile…I’m now running with no pain and it feels like a soreness, not pain. When I physically type that out, it seems stupid to think I’m not slowly getting better. I don’t have a lot to say about this month but I did keep my cross training up and I’m hoping 2 months is still plenty to train.
I said I was making up my mind about continuing to “train” for my marathon in October. My new plan is to wait until my results of my MRI (scheduled for Monday) come in and decide. At the current state my foot is sore not painful. It almost seems like a waste to get an MRI. It will be nice to have an exact problem to work with and an answer. Who knows, my foot could be one deep tissue massage or ART from getting better.
As I said yesterday, I’m having a hard time explaining my injury. There is something that isn’t quite right in my foot. I can feel it when I run. It’s not a sharp pain, nor does it change my gait cycle at all…but it is there. One thing I’ve wondered a lot is if I’m being a baby. At one point (early in the month) the pain was too sharp to run. As time continued, the pain became less and less so now it’s a noticeable awareness. Is it even a “pain”? Am I being a baby about it…it’s so hard to compare pain tolerance. I digress but long story short I don’t know what the MRI will tell me. I’m just glad I have insurance that is allowing me to get an MRI.
Since I have no idea what they’ll tell me, it’s silly to make any August plans now. To be honest, if there is something seriously wrong in my foot that I should absolutely not be running…that would be okay too because I would have direct answers. I doubt that will happen, but in my life there are always surprises.
Questions for you:
How was your training and workouts for July?
Do you run through dull aches and pains?
July was just meh. I got some solid miles in but I’m finding myself just exhausted all the time.
I usually have a dull ache/tightness in my gastrocnemius on the leg that I got micro-tears in a while back.
I do usually run through dull aches and pains but cut back mileage when I start feeling something. The problem I’ve had with that though is that it can lead to denial that the pain is getting worse because I get used to having it, and then it can take a turn for the worse! I think it sounds like you’re being honest with yourself and really smart about this though.
I think you are doing well, given the “big picture” comparison of where you were (sharp pain) to where you are now. You are NOT being a baby. You’re in charge of you, and you’ll know when the right time to ramp it back up again. Here’s hoping for a “go for it” message back from the MRI.
I would like to be all rosy and positive about my training, but the bottom line is that it isn’t going as well as it needs to for the goalss I’ve set. I’m contemplating writing about this, but since it answers your question – in part – running with aches and pains is pretty much par for the course. What bothers me is that ever since the Marine Corps Marathon last October – where I went all out, PR’d, and was hurting for a while afterwards – I have not been recovering like I used to. My legs feel fried easier and for a longer time after medium to hard training runs. I was hoping to burst out of the bubble in July, and that didn’t really happen.
My July wasn’t steller either but at least I wasn’t injured. I hope you continue to improve Hollie! My July included my September target race being cancelled, poor runs, and ending the month with a nasty stomach virus that forced me to miss five training days. So I totally agree chica! August is a welcomed sight. Maybe we’ll both get back on track. I feel myself getting the last half of this week has been solid.
And I do run through dull aches but with that being said it depends where I’m feeling them.
july was kind of my recovery month since the army stole me away from the gym for two weeks. but ready to hammer down this month now that i’m feeling somewhat refreshed.
i have my first crossfit competition on the 23rd so i’m kinda nervous/anxious/excited about that!
glad to see your foot is feeling better and that you’re being cautious!
Dislike 🙁 I hope the MRI gives you some concrete answers, hun, although I think/hope it’s a good sign that you can run without pain. My July training was good…start of marathon training so things picked up from regular running, and they will only continue to do so. Feel good so far, but I’ve also been reminded of the importance of rest and cross training already, so hopefully that continues and keeps me healthy! Here’s hoping for a good august for all 🙂
My July was pretty good coming off an injury! I just typed up a post and it’ll be up tomorrow.
You are absolutely NOT being a baby- you are doing the right thing for your body, imho. I think you’re smart to get the MRI because sometimes it’s better to have that peace of mind. You know your body better than anyone else so go with your gut on it (I think runners in general are very aware of their bodies, maybe more so than other people).
If you were the runner who only wanted to run a marathon and complete it and chalk it off your bucket list, that would be one thing, but that is not you and I don’t blame you to think in the long term future of running and not race to race.
Uh no, you are NOT being a baby! You’re in tune with your body and that’s awesome! That’s how you stay as injury free as you do. I’m curious what the MRI shows. Hopefully nothing and you can get back to running like normal soon, but I don’t blame you for being cautious! It’s a good thing!
July was a crazy month for me! Geez! Hope you get answers soon!
I guess marriage counts as a big deal 😉
Its so hard to know what pains to listen to. I hear ya Hollie! I am having some trouble with my hamstring, its not awful, but its there, every day, and needs a lot of attention after my workouts. This is coupled with feeling like crap, the negative thoughts creep in. It is a delicate balance trying to know when to push through and when to back off, but sounds like you have your head screwed on right, and I withdrew from my race tomorrow, so I like to think I am being smart with that too! Hope August is a better month for both of us….you are right that to have good months, you have to have bad ones too!
Another vote for you not being a baby! I had a weird “just sore” feeling in my ankle earlier this year that I ignored, and it slowly got better and eventually went away, but wouldn’t you know that’s the same side as my now-injured foot? So I’m definitely in favor of taking action on anything that doesn’t feel right, even if it seems silly at the time.
July was pretty much a low mileage month for me. Never had a long workout except on Audax 300 day itself, it was a biking though. I ran on an aching knee last Wednesday and it just got worse. Now I’m not risking this and will try the pool for fitness instead. Good luck on your healing process.
Definitely smart to get it checked out and take it easy. If you didn’t, who knows what it could balloon into. I feel achy often, but I just chalk it up to running more than I have before. I do have a knee issue I keep on alert for and I feel like I can tell when something’s not quite right. My July went well. I started my half training with a group and have been surprising myself.
You are definitely NOT being a baby! We, as runners, know when there is something amiss. I totally get what you mean by feeling something in your foot. It is like an awareness and as a injury prone runner I pay close attention to any distinct difference in any body part. So, you know you are doing the right thing by taking it easy even if it is killing you! This is the main reason it has gone from non able to run pain to ache/tweak/awareness pain, I’m sure.
Definitely run through normal aches, and have really gotten better about knowing what is good or bad and what things are trying to tell me. I was a bit dehydrated going out yesterday and ran longer than planned – and faster – so I had dehydration after effects the rest of the day.
I am really hoping you get some concrete answers soon one way or the other, and feel you have been smart in your approach.
Playing catch up over here. Hope the MRI leads to some answers today!