Bret

So I tried to run the New York City marathon today - knowing full-well that the event would likely be a clinic in pain management of my left foot, but ever hopeful that I would feel reasonably good enough to possibly run around 3:15 or so.   The main reason I did not withdraw from the race was that 2 of my daughters traveled up to the race and Richie and Mike were running - and I really wanted to make it.

Things started off ok.  I knew early on that I would have to take it a little easy and let Mike and Richie pull on ahead after the first mile.  I was able to keep it together for roughly the first half of the race averaging about 7:20-7:25 pace and was optimistic that I'd be alright; however right around mile 14 the pain in my foot (possible Plantar Fasciitis - by self diagnosis) became much more profound.  As a result my gait and strength were impacted and the race from about mile 16 through end were rather miserable.

I did have an enjoyable time with my daughters and with Richie and Mike.  We rode to the start together and were in the same starting corral on the bridge.  My girls assembled posters to cheer me on, and were at mile 17 (we saw each other and that was really special - having not had them at a race before) and then made their way to the finish line just in time to see me there too.  Had I not slowed down as much as I had, they may have missed seeing me - so silver-lining to my slower pace was that they got to see me finish.

All in all - I was glad I decided to go.  I knew I was not in PR shape, and I knew I was hampered with injury - so I was really not disappointed with the outcome.  Probably going to take some time off now to hopefully allow the foot to heal up.

Probably going to take several days of rest and some cross training.

AM - about 15 mins of indoor rowing and then some foam rolling and stretching.

PM - swam laps at lunchtime in the indoor pool.  Thought it would be refreshing - but the chlorine gave me a headache.

A little over 2500 meters of indoor rowing and nothing else but stretching.

AM - 15 mins on the indoor cycling trainer and then 15 mins of indoor rowing - followed by foam rolling and stretching.

PM - about 25 mins of lap swimming at the indoor pool at the gym at lunchtime.  Easy effort.

AM - took a walk with Finn on the golf course and through the neighborhood - no running at all.  Following the walk, my left calf (same side as the PF in the foot) seized up a little like a deep cramp but not a full-out spasm.  Had to work out trigger points to eventually release whatever was engaged - quite painful for much of the day.  Not a good day in terms of progress in recovery. 

PM - 35 mins of indoor cycling on the trainer and 15 mins of indoor rowing.  The rain in ATL has seemed incessant for most of the weekend.  Spent a fair amount of time working on trigger point releases in the left calf and heel - as a possible solution for the PF.  Alternated between a foam roller and a golf ball - with the latter seeming to be far more surgical and thus more effective.  

AM - 35 mins on the indoor cycling trainer and 15 mins on the indoor rower.  I don't really like the bike indoors - but the rower requires such a vigorous effort to elevate my HR that I find myself locking into a moderately easy rhytmn and not really being concerned with HR.  So I just do a bit of both.  Foot is feeling a bit better today post trigger point releases in the calf.  Plan to do some more of it again this evening.  

Oh yeah - got my post marathon head cold - right on schedule.

BTW I seem to be getting some weird banner ads in the blog entry - somehow thinking I am interested in testosterone.  

AM - so somewhat good news this morning.  I did a short pull on the indoor rower and then climbed on the treadmill; eased from a jog to a run - for a half mile.   I stopped when I began to feel the hint of anything in the foot.   Not wanting to "push through" anything - I just ended the test run feeling as though it was a positive effort.  Foam rolled and stretched afterwards.  Hoping for continued progress over the next several days.

PM - 30 mins of swimming.  Not really counting laps - figure it is somwhere around 1500 meters or so.

AM - doubled my volume of running from yesterday morning :).  Actually things feel as though I can gradually increase even more as the foot issues seem to have nearly resolved or at least signficantly subsided.   So at least for me - the PF was perhaps resolved by focusing on trigger point and active release of the soleus / calve muscles with self massage over several days.  Fingers-crossed that I do not relapse.

Started off on the bike - using a new piece of equipment.  Indoor rollers instead of the stationary trainer.  This takes some skill and practice to balance on the rollers.  It is akin to learning how to ride a bike on a sheet of ice.  They recommend setting it up in a hallway or doorway until you get the hang of it.  I positioned mine between my treadmill and a wall.  Went off the rollers a few times banging up my elbow and wrist on each side; but once I got a steady cadence and locked in my vision to a point in front of me - I really liked the feel.  Much closer to the sensation of riding outdoors - with both wheels turning.  However it requires a great deal of concentration and balance and smooth cadence.  HR was quite elevated too - perhaps more because of the possibility of fall - than the effort.  I stayed on it for about 30 mins with a couple of breaks early on until I got my sea legs.   Also did a short time on the indoor rower, followed by ample foam rolling and stretching. 

PM - beautiful day - foot felt as though it should have some effort at running outdoors - so I did a light effort of just about 3 miles.  I would describe the run as a bit ragged.  To say that I had no indication of injury or achiness in the foot would be disingenuous. But I was really hoping that'd be the case - that everything would magically be without malaise.  Nevertheless - it felt good to get out for a proper run.   It wasn't too bad and I don't think it did any harm.  Lots of foam rolling and stretching afterwards.  

AM - 4000 meters of indoor rowing.  Foot was noticeably somewhat negatively impacted last evening by my somewhat reckless 3 mile run on yesterday's cool sunny lunchtime effort.  Relatively fine this morning - but my guess is that I need to give it more time to stabilize before resuming anything more in the way of a running effort for a little while. 

AM - about 2500 meters of indoor rowing and then I went outside on the golf course for about a 1 mile run.  Using the Vibrams - the cold (in the 40's) wet and soft ground may have numbed any discomfort I perhaps may have otherwise felt in the foot - so I noticed nothing in the way of pain.   A few hours later, following the run, there is residual achiness.  

AM - 2 miles on the golf course with Riley who is in town and with Finn.  Quite chilly with the first frost.  Wore the vibrams which resulted in some seriously frozen toes.  Painful when they warmed back up.

PM- went for a bike ride - 26 miles with one lengthy climb.  

PM - 5000 meters of indoor rowing and then 3 miles of running on the treadmill in the vibrams.  New and/or additional self diagnosis is tibial posterior tendinitis - which actually became more evident after the marathon - and which seems to do really well with the vibrams-  this was actually a decent run and no real discomfort at all.  

AM - only had time for some indoor rowing this morning.

PM - easy barefoot running on the treadmill.  

AM - some short easy barefoot running in my neighborhood.  Sort of an experiment of rehabbing the foot/tibial tendinitis.  I am not running too far, or too hard - so that may be the reason it is feeling good; or running unshod is of some benefit in and of itself (or a combination).  20 mins of riding on the indoor cycling rollers (requires so much concentration) and then another 15 mins of indoor rowing followed by stretching / and foam rolling.  

AM  - running, rowing and indoor clycling.  Some barefoot running in the neighborhood.  Less than a mile of running, 10 miles of cycling and 3000 meters of rowing.

AM - 3.25 with the vibrams on the golf course with Finn early this morning.  Heavy rains yesterday afternoon and evening left the course really soggy and foggy. Headlamp was helpful.  Cannot imagine running in that thickness and in the dark on a trail or in unfamiliar ground without worrying that I would step in a hole or off a cliff or something.  Anyway, intentionally very slow pace, but extremely encouraged by the progress of rehabbing the foot is going.  

PM - 5000 meters of rowing and the another mile on the indoor track - barefoot. 

PM - ran 5k around the perimeter of the Concourse property on the interior road - barefoot.  Longest unshod distance attempt thus far.  Takes a fair amount of concentration but I have no PF pain or discomfort.  Still a bit tight with the posterior tibial tendonitis - but all seems to be resovling.  Ended up with a blister on my second toe on the left foot and tight calf on the right; kinda expected something along those lines as I stretched things distance-wise out a bit.  

AM - 3 miles on the treadmill this morning barefoot.  The friction on the treadmill at decent speeds is a bit too much for my feet - leaving the skin quite tender.  Slow pace is fine.  The PF is nearly non-existant now though - so that's good.  Would love to accelerate the volume more - but the great limiter perhaps (natural restricter) here is if the skin on my feet is too tender - I just have to wait for it to toughen up.  

PM - 5 miles on the treadmill followed by some indoor rowing. 

PM - 5 miles on the indoor track in the gym.  Part with shoes part without.  Really want to get back to normal running soon...

AM - 5000 meters of indoor rowing. 

PM - 3 miles on the golf course with my nephew Brandon who is in town with us for the holiday.   

PM - 4 mile or so on the golf course with Riley and Finn.  

AM - ran with my daughters and nephew and his girlfriend in the Atlanta Track Club Thanksgiving Day Half and 5k.  Really nice event and we all ran at a little over 10 min pace so that we could all stay together.  It's our Thanksgiving day tradition.  

AM - just under 9 miles of running this morning.  Really nice weather. Very slow miles - foot not really painful but when I finished - an hour or so afterwards- quite sore and fatigued to the point of pain.  

PM - at little over 6 miles on the golf course late afternoon.   So I may have figured out what the foot will reasonably tolerate for now -- easy running on the grass of the golf course.  

PM - 6 miles on the treadmill.  

AM - regretting having run on the treadmill yesterday - foot was too fatigued and achy (not just the PF - but elsewhere too) - that I did some indoor rowing and cycling on the indoor trainer.  Hoping it will feel better later today.