Injuries, Illness and Ice - Plus a 3M Half Marathon Race Report

"Running should be a relief from stress, a way to help cope with it, not another added stress." Bob Glover

At the start of the new year, I was determined to get back to a scheduled plan for training and ramp up enough for the 1/2 marathon I had at the end of the month. My knee had other plans. Sometimes it would hurt while running and sometimes it would only hurt the next day. I'd take some time off and it would feel better and then I'd run and it would hurt again.

So I went in to the 3M Half Marathon with my "long" run being only a little over 5 miles and knowing that I wouldn't PR. I had put kinesio tape on the knee to help stabilize it. Race morning was a little warm and with the threat of rain, a little humid. They announced at the start that the temp was 73 degrees. I was in shorts and a tank.

I started off and felt pretty good. I was doing about 9:30 per mile. I knew I could hold that for a while, but probably not for the whole race based on the amount of running I had been doing. And about 5 miles is where I could tell my conditioning was not where it needed to be.

About mile 7 I had to stop and walk for just a minute and give the knee a break. I walked through the aid station making sure I took in plenty of hydration and then was back on my way. About mile 10 I ran as far as I could and then would walk for a minute. I was ready to be done. As I got closer to the finish, I tried to keep running but had to walk yet again right before the finish. Then I ran on in crossing in just under 2:10. Official time was 2:09:52. You do the best you can on any given day and can't ask for more, so I'll take it.

I decided it was time to get the knee checked out and went to see an orthopedic doctor this week. He did x-rays and said no fracture. He twisted the knee several ways and put pressure where it would indicate a meniscus issue and didn't think that was it at all. He thinks it is a muscular issue and prescribed an anti-inflamatory. If it's not better in 2-4 weeks I need to go back and he will probably do an MRI.

My daughter also has an injury right now. Her thumb got jammed at volleyball practice and we thought it might be fractured. X-rays revealed no fracture, but the doctor said it is sprained and put her in a brace.

My son has been sick with strep throat and missed 4 days of school this week. Just when we thought he would go back on Friday, we get freak weather for here and he missed Friday due to an ice/snow day. It's nothing like what other parts of the country got, but with ice on the streets, our city shuts down. The kids did not complain.

I am officially registered for the Chicago marathon and I can say that with the cold weather we've had, I am hoping the winter does not come early to Chicago.