Mid-Jan Kaiser Half Update

Hello friends. I hope you are still safe and healthy as we all ride out this stupid omicron wave. Not much happening lately that's super photo worthy so please enjoy this shot from last August when I went to Seattle for work and took the opportunity to bust out 10 carefree miles around Lake Union.

I am over here getting a GREAT start on 2022 Injury Bingo. Just two weeks into the year (not even!) and I've already been struck down by tendonitis in my left foot/ankle. As man know if it isn't one thing then it's something else.

Of course, this has meant scaling back on running just as I was starting to get into the swing of it again. Several great-feeling 3-5 mile runs during the first week of the year! Then, waking up Saturday morning 1/8 unable to put weight on my left foot. It felt a little better Sunday morning so I gave my scheduled seven-mile run a shot and knew two miles in it wasn't happening. So, four it was, and the tendonitis a little bit worse as a nice bonus. (The next time you hear someone say, "It can't hurt to try!," punch them in the neck for me.)

I took Monday 1/10 through Wednesday 1/12 off running but did my Monday morning weight training as usual. Thursday 1/13 it was feeling much better so I decided to test it out by running to the gym (about 1.25 miles), thinking worst case I could just walk. While it's clearly not 100%, it felt MUCH better, just a little discomfort still. All in all I ran to the gym plus a bit more, then back home after for a total of three miles. The next day (Friday 1/14) I ran another 3 miles; I had a tiny bit of discomfort after but was totally pain-free the next morning (Saturday 1/15) so I went for 5 miles. And, success!

I went back and forth on Sunday (1/16) about whether or not to take another swing at 7 miles, but decided that after three days of running in a row (even if the mileage was all pretty low) to play it safe and take a rest day, especially since Monday morning I'd be running to and from the gym (3 miles round trip) for a strength workout. I am thinking that if all goes well, I will do a Monday 3 mile / 3 mile double, then shoot for 7 miles on Tuesday. If THAT goes well, and I can get a few short runs in mid-week, I'll try for a 9-mile long run next Sunday (1/23).

I have to say, when the tendonitis stuff first cropped up, I was not feeling optimistic about the Kaiser Permanente Half, especially as my bar for "success" is already about as low as it can be for a race (i.e.: literally just finish at any pace possible) and my "training plan" (do *some* easy running, inch up the "long" runs *just* to the point that running a half isn't sheer idiocy) was likewise skimpy to the point of indecency.

Errrrr that training plan's a bit *short* for a proper lady don't u think, you are making us all uncomfortable 😳

You know how injuries are; I pretty much spent those three complete rest days going, "Eff this noise, running is stupid, might as well not even bother." But lo the clouds parted, and the ankle seems to be generally on the upswing. If I can manage a 7 mile run on Tuesday, 9 miles next weekend, 11 miles the weekend after that, and various shortish mid-week runs, then running 13.1 on Feb. 7--not fast, just literally to finish the distance for the first time in 2.5 years--seems like it *might* not be a complete disaster!